SPC Geoscience Division

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Water and Sanitation Programme

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A long-term programme of capacity building, advocacy and awareness in sustainable water management for Pacific Island Countries.

SOPAC, the regional agency mandated to coordinate water and sanitation in the Pacific, provides support to its member countries through three components: Water Resources Management; Water and Sanitation Services; and Water Governance.

Pacific Island countries have uniquely fragile water resources due to their small size, lack of natural storage, competing land use and vulnerability to natural hazards.


Pollution of freshwater resources, unsafe drinking water supplies and inadequate sanitation can have a significant impact on public health, quality of life, the environment and economic development.


Urbanization, rural development, growing populations, climate change and increased demand from industry and agriculture is putting further pressure on the region’s freshwater resources, threatening the long term viability of communities and islands.


Natural disasters exacerbate water issues. Excessive rainfall, often linked to cyclones and typhoons, causes flooding and disruption of drinking water supplies. Small islands that rely on groundwater and/or rainwater harvesting are highly vulnerable to droughts, often linked to El Niño or La Niña triggered climatic disruptions. Both situations – too much or too little water – compromise the safety of drinking water supplies and increase the risk to public health.

www.pacificwater.org

Last Updated on Sunday, 20 June 2010 12:44  


Newsflash

President of the Republic Of Palau, His Excellency Johnson Toribiong, National Authorising Officer, Darren Fritz, Distinguished Guests, Ladies & Gentlemen

On behalf of the Director-General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Dr. Jimmie, Rodgers, I extend a warm welcome to all who are here to witness this occasion. This unveiling ceremony of a plaque to recognise the key stakeholders in the establishment of this National Emergency Operations Centre in Palau. The key stakeholders namely the Government and people of Palau as beneficiaries, the European Union as the development partner, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (more commonly referred to as the SPC) as your facilitating regional organisation.

Mr President, It gives me great pleasure to be here today to participate in this important ceremony. I am accompanied by Mr Amena Yauvoli the Manager of the SPC North Pacific Regional Office, he of course is well known to many of you.

I have had the privilege over many years to 2005 to work with Palau in my capacity as Deputy Director of SOPAC, then the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission. In March 2007, I was here as a consultant for SOPAC, and my mission was to work with the Office of the Vice President and staff of the National Emergency Management Office (NEMO), to develop the implementation plan for a Project which included the construction of a National  Emergency Operations Centre. In my capacity here today as the Director of SOPAC, now the Applied Geoscience and Technology Division of the SPC, it gives me a unique pleasure to be able witness the completion of this building.