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Federated States of Micronesia pursue a common approach between disaster risk and climate change

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15 August 2016

A joint Environment Summit and Disaster Risk Management Platform is being held this week (15-19 August) in Weno, Chuuk, to address challenges related to the impacts of disasters throughout the Federated States of Micronesia.

The Office of Environment and Emergency Management (OEEM) is leading the event, joining these critical topics together to ensure a common focus and agreement is made on a way forward to address the vulnerabilities communities face in terms of disaster.

This timely national event is supported by the European Union’s €19.37million Building Safety and Resilience in the Pacific Project (BSRP) implemented by the Pacific Community (SPC) along with OEEM and the International organisation for Migration (IOM).



This Summit is the culmination of years of work beginning with a National Integrated Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change policy, adopted in 2013.  This was followed by a Joint State Action Plan for Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change developed by the four states of FSM.

This is the first real opportunity to bring together all the key stakeholders from all states including representatives from the national and state governments, international and regional organizations, development partners, and civil society organisations such as the women associations and persons with disabilities, ensuring the way forward is diverse and inclusive of all sectors of the community.

OEEM Director, Andrew Yatilman, said that the FSM Government is committed to address the impacts of climate change and disasters to minimize hardship at community level.  He further thanked the partners for their continued support in this important conference.

The Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union for the Pacific, Christoph Wagner said, ''This event will lead to clear and inclusive plans on how to reduce the negative impact of disaster and climate change on communities.

“The EU commends the work of the FSM government for leading the way in creating a diverse and long-term plan that will lead to safer and more resilient communities in FSM,” he said.

SPC’s Disaster Risk Management Officer in the North Pacific, Noa Tokavou, will help facilitate the event and said “this is a momentous occasion for the government, community of FSM and the partners involved as it directly supports the long-term prosperity of the country for its people against the risk of disaster into the future.”


Media contacts

Cindy Ehmes, Assistant Director Environment, Office of Environment and Emergency Management (OEEM), Palikir, POHNPEI, FSM,  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ,   +691 320 8814

Noa Tokavou, Officer, DRM North Pacific, SPC’s North Pacific Regional Office, Pohnpei, FSM, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , +691 320 7523

Kasim Mohammed Nazeem, Press Information Officer, European Union +679 8672 255 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Background information

The ACP-EU Building Safety and Resilience in the Pacific project (BSRP) is a €19.37million project funded by the European Union and implemented by the Pacific Community (SPC).  The objective of the project is to reduce the vulnerability, as well as the social, economic and environmental costs of disasters caused by natural hazards, thereby achieving regional and national sustainable development and poverty alleviation in ACP Pacific Island States.

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Last Updated on Friday, 19 August 2016 15:16  

Newsflash

The nation of Tuvalu is made up of nine low-lying islands scattered across the surface of the equatorial Pacific Ocean.  These islands are home to over 11 thousand people and for them, the sea is a major source of food.  However, the ebb and flow of the tides has also brought change to these islands.

The sea level monitoring station in Funafuti, the capital of Tuvalu, is one of 13 located throughout the Pacific region and undergoing maintenance. For the past 20 years it has been collecting and analysing vital data in tracking Tuvalu tides.  These monitoring stations help to better predict and prepare for the extreme high tide which, in turn helps prevent great loss to personal property.  Other vital services also depend on this important information e.g. infrastructure, large buildings etc.

The monitoring stations are part of the Australian Government- funded Pacific Sea Level Monitoring Project in partnership with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology’s Climate and Ocean Support Program, Geoscience Australia, Pacific Island Governments and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s Geoscience Division (GSD).

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