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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 Secretariat of the Pacific Community, the European Union and the Government of the Solomon Islands hosted a national youth debate on deep sea minerals on Thursday (4 June 2015) at the National Auditorium in Honiara.

 

SPC initiated this debate in an effort to increase public awareness of issues related to deep seabed minerals in the Pacific, including for the Solomon Islands.

 

The debate featured 14 youths from nine high schools in Honiara.

 

Prior to the debate, the students took part in training after school hours on different aspects of deep sea minerals and mining to improve their understanding of the potential positive and negative aspects of this emerging industry and what it may mean for the Solomon Islands.

 

“The debate aimed to encourage young people and students to research and gain more knowledge on matters relating to deep sea minerals and to encourage a participatory approach whereby all stakeholders can frankly exchange views on various issues relating to deep sea minerals,” the SPC Deep Sea Minerals Project Team Leader, Akuila Tawake said.