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April - June 2014
the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional
Environment Programme (SPREP) and the
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial
Research Organisation (CSIRO) ongoing
efforts to develop ESIS.sprep.org, an Open
Access Repository for Pacific Environmental
data.
The meeting also addressed ways to
promote and strengthen avenues for
standardised, cost-effective data sharing
across agencies and Pacific Island
countries, in order to reduce duplication of
data collection and management efforts.
In-depth discussions around achieving the
Pacific Oceanscape Framework Strategic
Priorities was also held, in particular building
the political will to invest in spatial data
infrastructures in order to achieve some of
the priorities.
One key result of the meeting was the
decision to standardise global data
standards across sister agencies, and
enable secure data access within agencies,
inter-agencies and externally.
Around 20 participants attended the two
day meeting from SPC’s SOPAC Division,
SPC’s Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine
Ecosystems (FAME) Division, University
of Sydney, GRID Arendal, GeoScience
Australia, GIZ, SPREP, Pacific Islands Forum
Secretariat and CSIRO. This consultation is
part of a broader technical collaboration
between the agencies involved across a
broad range of disciplines.
Climate and Disaster Resilience Plans for National
Broadcasters in the Pacific
National broadcast stations of eight Pacific
Island countries will have Climate and
Disaster Resilience Plans developed by
April 2015.
The project is to help broadcast stations
strengthen their ability to provide quality
and timely information without fail.
This timely communication will enable
communities to prepare and respond
to natural disasters, and to ensure that
stations are well prepared and equipped to
continue broadcast coverage during times
of emergencies, while ensuring that staff
remains safe.
The “National Broadcasting Climate and
Disaster Resilience Plan” Project is an
initiative funded by the Pacific Media
Assistance Scheme (PACMAS) and
implemented by the Secretariat of the
Pacific Regional Environment Programme
(SPREP) in partnership with the Secretariat
of the Pacific Community (SPC).
“We have had requests from national
broadcasters for support in this area and
are pleased to announce that the wheels
are in motion for this,” said Mr. Francis
Herman, Programme Manager of PACMAS.
“Since 2012, national broadcasters of
the region have agreed upon the need
for an emergency system and for further
information on climate change and how
they link. We are looking forward to the
outcomes of this project.”
Selected by PACMAS, eight national
broadcasters from the Cook Islands, Palau
and Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Samoa,
Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and
Vanuatu are to be part of this project and
will see climate and disaster resilience plans
developed. They will receive training on the
plan and Standard Operating Procedures
will be developed between the broadcaster
and national disaster management office,
as well as training for their news teams on
disaster management and climate change.
Dr. Netatua Pelesikoti, Director of Climate
Change at SPREP stated, “Our Pacific
broadcasters’ play a crucial role in times of
emergencies and this partnership between
us all will help strengthen that role. The
Climate and Disaster Resilience Plan for
broadcasters is addressing two key issues
in one plan, it is pioneering for our region and
follows on from the regional joint Climate
Change and Disaster Risk Management
Framework now in development. We are
very excited by this project.”
Mosese Sikivou, Deputy Director, Disaster
Reduction Programme at SPC agrees.
“This project provides a great opportunity to
strengthen the role of national broadcasters
in an emergency, while consolidating their
relationship with their National Disaster
Management Office. SPC are delighted to
be working in close partnership with SPREP
on this project which brings together the
respective strengths of both organisations
to contribute to increased resilience in the
Pacific.”
If successful, it is hoped that these activities
can be extended to reach other Pacific
Island countries as well.
Finding Creative Solutions for the Introduction of
Alternative Sanitation Technologies
Tuvalu is facing a critical sanitation problem.
Old flush and septic systems are causing
problems for the environment and public
health. The IWRM Project approached
the situation by suggesting the alternative
of using compost toilets to tackle both
sanitation and water use issues. A baseline
survey conducted in 2009 highlighted
concerns people had about the introduction
of compost toilets. It became clear that the
public held a lot of negative impressions
about them. Through a prolonged
community
engagement
campaign
we managed to turn people’s negative
perceptions about the sanitation alternative
to one of overwhelming acceptance. This is
how we did it.
Through preliminary community research
we discovered that amongst the community
there was a perceived understanding that
compost toilets were a downgrade in toilet
design and thought of as no more than a pit
toilet. Because of previous projects, people
The 2010 Falevatie Roadshow was instrumental in changing negative perceptions about compost toilets