BY JARED KOLI

IN NADI, FIJI

SOLOMON Islands is among seven other Pacific island countries that the Government of India has assured of ongoing support to train its human resources on climate early warning system.

This is according to High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Fiji. Mr Vishvas Sapkal during his address at the start of a weeklong media climate capacity building workshop held at the Tanoa International Hotel in Nadi, Fiji yesterday.

“As a next phase, the project will focus on identifying talent from the participating countries so that the next training needs can be better encapsulated and a follow through programme can be developed to place emphasis on continuous learning,” HE Mr Sapkal said.

The seven focus pacific island countries under the Indian government’s commitment through the India are Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands and Tonga.

“We will welcome further collaboration with UNDP to ensure that the good work that is being started under this climate early warning system,” he adds.

The Climate Early Warning Systems (CLAW) in the Pacific island countries project is an initiative funded by the UN-India Development Partnership Fund and implemented by the UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji with support from the Government of India.

The India-UN Development Partnership Fund was launched by Minister of State for External Affairs of India HE Mr MJ Akbar in June 2017 in New York for supporting South-South Cooperation.

Earlier this year, in June to July 2018, Seventeen Pacific Hydrologists from the seven participating countries including the Solomons, traveled to Roorkee, India for a one-month intensive and specialized training at the National Institute of Hydrology in Roorke, India.

HE Mr Sapkal said India stands strongly behind its pacific compatriots as it feel their capacity to address climate change must be supported as climate change ultimately affects both large and small economies.

Meanwhile, Mr Sapkal challenged the role of government agencies, civil societies and the media to help fight calamities associated to the effects caused by climate change as many lives have lost and properties have damaged, although people have shown resilience.

The weeklong media climate capacity building workshop is also a collaboration between the United Nation Development Program (UNDP) Pacific Office in Fiji, the Pacific Environment Journalists Network (PEJN), with support from the Indian Government through the India-UN Development Partnership Fund.

Yesterday, participants have learned to understand the science of Climate Early Warning Systems, how it works in the pacific and how it relates to climate change. A panel discussion by senior journalists from the pacific was also convened to identify challenges and how to improve climate reporting in the pacific.

The workshop designed at strengthening knowledge and empowering the ability of journalists from the Pacific Islands including those from the seven focus countries – the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands and Tonga to report accurately and more regularly on Climate Early Warning Systems and related issues.

It aims to improving networking and partnerships amongst Pacific Island reporters and regional climate change experts, ensuring a regular flow of information and post activity.

“Improved news content in Pacific Island media through the conceptualizing, discussion and development of a range of relevant news and in-depth stories over the duration of the activity/workshops highlighting Climate Early Warning Systems and related issues.”

The goal will be to inculcate amongst these regional journalists a sense that these issues can be prominently mainstreamed into their daily reporting activities, instead of one-off seasonal events such as a cyclone or torrential flooding.

The workshop ends, Friday.

BY ELLISON VAHI

“YOUR life is the sum result of all the choices you make, both consciously and unconsciously. If you can control the process of choosing, you can take control of all aspects of your life. You can find the freedom that comes from being in charge of yourself.” Dr highlighted.

Dr Jimmie Rodgers Bird, Secretary to the Prime Minister, in encouraging people about HIV, stated that whilst the disease is frightening, we can beat it, can get rid of it, and even if we have it, we can manage it as such as we have a normal life.

“It’s one of the diseases that have very few rules so to speak. And the rules come backs to us. Its behavioural, it’s attitudinal,” he said.

He said that it is not something that we get like TB germs that comes in because the infection comes in.

“One we know about them but we don’t care, and it only hits us after we get it then we regret it.”

He also said that, if it is a malaria, it is fine because we can treat and cure it. But once it is something incurable then we will regret that one time when we made a wrong judgement.

“As it reminds us, life is precious and the choices we make determines our future and its not ours but the families we have.

“It also reminds us of the responsibilities as there are certain things we do so easy that can put us on certain situation where we are compromised.

“We know we go out every time, young people, and old people. But the most important thing is to know what this exposes you to and what you can get out of those exposes.

“To know our responsibility is, not only to others, but most importantly to ourselves. And to be able to accept responsibility of whatever happens that we have to take it forward as well we have to make sure that we enjoy life.”

BY LYNTON AARON FILIA

SOLOMON Islands is significantly off track in the race to address Goal-Six of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a report shows.

United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) Country Manager Ms Azusa Kubota said Solomon Islands is running behind the SGD Goal six.

Recently, the National Water and Climate Change forum highlighted that communities and urban dwellers still lack insufficient access to safe water resources and sanitation.

Under Goal Six, target one and two, country joined global community to campaign for clean water, hygiene and proper sanitation by 2030.

Solomon Islands Government as part of global community had established a National Development Strategy 2016—2035.

It has been three years since the world committed itself to achieving the SDGs, with 12 years to live up to these commitments.

However, following the progress of the commitments, UNDP Country Manager, Solomon Islands Ms Asuza Kubota said here in Solomon Islands, they see that both SDG 6 targets one and two are significantly off track.

“This means that, at the current rate of progress, they will not be achieved by 2030. Climate change further threatens to undermine progress.

“Sadly, the world is not on track to achieve the global SDG 6 targets by 2030 at the current rate of progress. The time to act on SDG 6 is now.”

With water scarcity in the country Ms Kubota said Country’s NDS identifies water and sanitation as a top priority for Solomon Islands to ensure nation access to clean water and sanitation by 2030.

On global scale, Kubota said 844 million people around the world still lack basic water service.

She adds, speaking of inequality, only 62 per cent of people in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) have access to a basic drinking water service, while the global average is 89 percent.

Only 27 per cent of the population in LDCs has a basic hand washing facility at home, Ms Kubota said.

Acting Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification Dr Melchior Mataki said Country’s NDS 2016-2030 prioritise four key areas such as water and sanitation and improving livelihoods of Solomon Islands’ people.

The National Water Resources and Sanitation policy build on that aim, Mataki said.

Meanwhile, a report stated population at national level accessing a basic water service goes back between 2000 and 2015.

Alarmingly, Solomon Islands had the largest regression globally for that period, averaging more than one percent decline per year (JMP, 2017).

In 2015, only 35 percent of country’s population were using an improved water supply which was “available when needed”, a decrease from 44 percent in 2000 (JMP 2017).

When considering rural populations, the decline has been worse, declining 19 percent from 68 percent to 49 percent, it said.

United Nation report shows, currently more than 2 billion people are living with the risk of reduced access to freshwater resources.

By 2050, it is estimated at least one in four people is likely to live in a country affected by chronic or recurring shortages of fresh water.

Drought in specific afflicts some of the world’s poorest countries, worsening hunger and malnutrition.

Fortunately, there has been great progress made in the past decade regarding drinking sources and sanitation, whereby over 90 percent of the world’s population now has access to improved sources of drinking water.

To improve sanitation and access to drinking water, there needs to be increased investment in management of freshwater ecosystems and sanitation facilities on a local level.

It is to basically setting lens to several developing countries such as Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, Southern Asia, Eastern Asia and South-Eastern Asia.

THE Royal Solomon Islands Police Force in the Western province has called for calm during celebrations to mark the 35th anniversary of the province’s 2nd Appointed Day which will be held on December 7, 2018 at Noro, in the Western province.

It is anticipated that important guests representing the national and provincial governments will attend the celebrations.

Police will mount a parade and the RSIPF Brass Band will be performing during the celebrations.

“Police will provide high visibility presence during the celebrations at Noro and Munda Township to ensure peace and freedom is maintained. I call on the public at Noro and surrounding communities to remain calm and celebrate the event in a peaceful manner as school children, elderly people and important guests will be attending the celebration,” says Provincial Police Commander, Western Province, Mathias Lenialu.

“Police will employ zero tolerance should any one break the law. But we will work together with the organising committee and the community to ensure guests and the local people will enjoy the 2nd Appointed Day anniversary celebrations.”

–POLICE MEDIA

COMMUNITIES in Honiara are in for some roadshow entertainment with Oxfam’s Side By Side campaign that is scheduled to hit three locations around the capital.

The Side By Side roadshow 2018 is held in celebration of the 16 Days of Activism and is set to be staged at; White River today, at Kukum Field on Thursday December 6 and at the Honiara City Council compound on Sunday, December 9.

From live band performances to theatre acts and hip-hop dance crew action, the roadshow is driven by inspiring young agents under Oxfam’s Gender Justice Programme with an aim to rally young people to spread the key messages of equality, respect and non-violence between men and women.

Oxfam Side By Side Campaign Coordinator, Emmanuel Oti says this year’s roadshow is organised similar to last year’s event with the campaign reaching directly to communities, but with a more creative campaign message delivery.

“Sixty-four percent of women in Solomon Islands suffer from gender-based violence and this does not reflect our moral and christen values. This is an issue we can no longer ignore as lives have been lost to it and childhoods being destroyed.

“Side By Side strives to address this grave social injustice by providing this platform and rally young people to speak out against gender-based violence through art, music, theatre, freestyle dance and awareness raising.

“Youth Agents for Change, who happens to be key influencers in youth sub-cultures, were recruited this year and underwent series of workshops and training to deliver effective social norms campaigning.”

Emmanuel urges the public to come out and support the campaign as we say enough to family violence and help create social change through activism and changing hearts and minds.

The events are ‘pop-up’ youth concerts featuring some of Solomon Islands upcoming musicians and performers including Lipi, Bibao, Headrush, Pita and some guest artists. The roadshow will also feature theatre group Gee Vee Cast and local hip-hop dance crew Hazard Dance Crew.

The campaign uses social media, print, radio, as well as creative and engaging live events to mobilise youth to support equality between men and women and take a stand against violence against women and girls in the home.

The Side by Side Campaign is initiated by Oxfam and implemented with the support of a number of partners; Ministry of Women, Youth, Children & Family Affairs (MWYCFA), Youth@Work, Seif Ples, Family Support Centre, Empower Pacific and People with Disabilities Solomon Islands.

–OXFAM SI PRESS

BY LYNTON AARON FILIA

FOUR low lying islands in Solomon Islands have achieved universal access to climate resilient and basic drinking water services, according to UNDP Solomon Islands.

A project under United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) known as Solomon Islands Water Sector Adaptation Project (SIWSAP) has supported five provinces in terms of water and sanitation and climate change.

As a result, UNDP Country Manager Ms Asuza Kubota said four low lying islands such as Taro, Tuwo, Santa Catalina and Tigoa Township have now achieved universal access to climate resilient and basic drinking water services.

She said to date SIWSAP has supported five provinces with over one million additional litres of rainwater storage, four desalination water treatment and one ultrafiltration water treatment plant.

Furthermore, SIWSAP has helped with five automatic hydrometric stations linked to satellites, over 50 new improved wells and three piped water schemes, she adds.

Kubota said a total of about 583 households have been made water secure through these efforts.

However, Kubota said as an ambitious project, the implementation of SIWSAP has also been faced with challenges and valuable lessons to be learnt from.

She said, one lesson is the importance of working closely with provincial and community actors to ensure sustainability and ownership.

“For example, provincial officers have been trained to operate desalination filtration plants to ensure maintenance and effective functioning.”

Community leaders have been engaged at every stage of planning and management of projects, from the participatory vulnerability assessments and adaptation planning phase, to the implementation and operation and management of infrastructure, she adds.

Another lesson is the importance of recognising the interdependency of the Sustainable Development Goals, and SIWSAP has mobilised a wide range of stakeholders and benefited from their expertise, commitment and courage.

“Sustainable management of water and sanitation underpins wider efforts to end poverty, advance sustainable development and sustain peace and stability,” Kubota said.

She calls regardless of sectors one works for, all need to come together and work towards the SDGs.

Meanwhile, the SIWSAP project is due to end mid-next year.

Kubota said SIWSAP has achieved a lot, but a lot more needs to be done, and at a much faster pace, if we are to achieve SDG 6.

She said UNDP are hopeful partners will continue to disseminate lessons learnt from the SIWSAP experience and invest in models that are innovative, sustainable and climate proof.

SIWSAP is an innovative initiative mainstreamed climate risks and impacts into all aspects of water planning and management and has an important part to play in sharing knowledge.

The project has fostered an inter-sectoral approach, working through partnerships between ministries, primarily MMERRE, MECDM and MHMS.

They also work closely with provincial governments, civil society organisations and the private sector partners.