BY LORETTA B MANELE
The Solomon Islands Loss and Damage Media Training is not just another workshop but a “call to action”, says David Hiba Hiriasia, permanent secretary for Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management & Meteorology (MECDM).
He made the remark when he spoke on the first day of the three-day training at Rock Haven on Monday.
The training is being facilitated by Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) with support of the New Zealand Government through the Loss and Damage Capability and Capacity (LDCC) Project.
Addressing representatives of different media organisations in the country, Hiriasia told them that it is a moment for them to recognise the power of storytelling, the influence of communication and the responsibility of the media in shaping how the world understands the lived realities of climate change.
He said for us in Solomon Islands and across the Pacific, climate change is not a theory but a lived reality.
“We see it in stronger cyclones, rising seas, flooding, drought, coral bleaching, and the gradual loss of the natural systems upon which our communities depend,” he said.
Hiriasia said the recent Tropical Cyclone Maila is a stark reminder of this reality and one which brought devastation to Western and Choiseul provinces; two provinces that usually don’t experience cyclones of such intensity.
He said this demonstrates how climate change is altering patterns, expanding risks, and exposing new vulnerabilities.
“And it is your role, as media professionals, to ensure these stories are told, heard, and understood,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary said loss and damage is a new and emerging issue in the global climate agenda.
He said it is distinct from mitigation and adaptation, and it has its own separate funding modality.
“This recognition is critical for countries like ours, where the impacts are already severe and where the costs both economic and non-economic continue to grow,” he said.
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