CLIMATE RISILIENCE New Zealand Helps Pacific Islands Bid
New Zealand has committed $15 million to support Solomon Islands provincial governments to strengthen climate resilience at the grassroots level.
Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni, who is on a threecountry Pacific tour, made the announcement in Honiara yesterday, with the funding coming out of the $1.3 billion climate finance commitment for 2022-2025.
The money - guided by the Tuia te Waka a Kiwa, New Zealand’s international climate finance strategy - will go directly into the existing Solomon Islands Provincial Capacity Development Fund that assists with developing climate adaptation plans and managing climate adaptation projects at a local level.
The funding has been made available though the Local Climate Adaptive Living (LoCAL) Facility designed by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF). LoCAL builds on the existing Solomon Islands Provincial Capacity Development Fund by providing performancebased climate resilience grants to cover costs of adapting to climate change - particularly small projects at a local level that reach the people who need help the such as women and youth.
Ms Sepuloni said effective climate actions requires partnerships.
“Climate change is a global challenge that requires global and collective action,” she said.
“That’s why we’re stepping up to provide climate finance to support provincial governments to build climate resilience at the grassroots. At the heart of this mission and our shared focus as a Pacific region, is the importance of supporting local and indigenous-led solutions to support effective climate action.”
She said the support delivered on that and doubled down on Aotearoa’s focus to tackle the threat of climate change in the Pacific.
“Empowering provincial governments to integrate climate change resilience and adaptation into their planning, as well as accessing additional sources of climate finance to respond and adapt to climate change at the communitylevel is a priority of the Solomon Islands government.”
Ms Sepuloni said the support was a practical investment in building climate resilience in the region.
- ABC News most,