SPC Geoscience Division

Koror, Palau, Monday April 23rd 2011: Palau’s President, Johnson Toribiong, endorsed his country’s first  National Water Policy this week saying that it “will serve as a clear indicator and important guide for our nation's future economic and sustainable development based on clean and safe water that is essential for the health of our people, ecosystem and economy.”

The policy aims to protect and conserve Palau’s water resources, ensure Palauans have access to safe, affordable, sustainable water supply and wastewater services, and see that these services are managed and operated sustainably and effectively.

The National Water Policy was developed by Palau’s Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Tourism in partnership with a European Union funded Integrated Water Resources Management (EU IWRM) Planning Project being run by the Secretariat of the Pacific Communities’ Water and Sanitation Programme (SPC WSP).

Gwen Sisior, the Ministry’s Water Policy Officer, said one of the key goals of the policy was to ensure that responsibility for key aspects of water and wastewater management was spread across different organizations in a coordinated and integrated manner.

“What we don’t want to see happen is a fragmented sectoral approach to managing our water supply. Organizations should work together to clarify the specific roles, responsibilities, activities and timelines to implement and support the national water policy,” Ms Sisior said. “Water development and management should be based on a participatory approach and value collaborations from users, planners and policy-makers. Decision-makers should strive to ensure effective communication with all stakeholders, multiple sectors and different levels of various organizations.”

From the Managers Desk

Bula Readers,

I am writing this (1st April) while stranded in Sydney since all flights into Fiji have been cancelled due to the floods that are wreaking havoc in many parts of Viti Levu. The reports that have come through are painting a bleak picture but SOPAC/SPC and other partner organisations like UNOCHA are already moving to provide assistance to the Fiji Government.

Over the coming days we will get a better appreciation of what the needs are and be able to collaborate better to provide focussed support. In the coming months we will be able to relate to you our activities that supported Fiji’s response and recovery from the flood disaster.

DRM capacity building moves forward and there have been some interesting activities that we have been able to support over the last month or so. I hope you enjoy reading about them.

Please contact us if you have any suggestions to help us improve how we present updates to you or if you have stories of your own that you wish to share.

Mosese Sikivou
Deputy Director, Disaster Reduction Programme

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