BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Solomon Islands is set to benefit from SBD32 Million funded under Kiwa project across the Pacific region.

Australia is providing the 32 million with the aim to strengthen climate change resilience development across the Pacific including Solomon Islands.

First Secretary from the Australian High Commission Office, Prue Pickering spoke about this at the launch of the KIWA Empower project in Honiara on Tuesday 24, last week.

She said the Solomon Islands benefits from four different Kiwa initiative projects, including the Empower project.

“We all know that climate change is the greatest threat to livelihoods and wellbeing across the Pacific and that’s why Australia is committed to supporting climate-resilient development in Solomon Islands,” said Pickering.

She said empowerment is important because it focuses on improving water and ecosystem resilience, which is crucial for climate resilience.

“It’s particularly great that this project will focus on some of the more hard-to-reach communities in the Solomon Islands, because we all know that remoteness can increase vulnerability to climate impacts and disasters,” she said.

Pickering said the Kiwa initiative helps to meet the need for more financing for adaptation and climate resilience in the Pacific.

She stated that it is a unique program that leverages the engagement of Pacific regional organisations, just like Live & Learn, which is key to its success.

Pickering expressed that Australia recognises the opportunities that nature-based solutions present to effectively address environmental and social challenges of climate change simultaneously.

Henceforth, Australia values the opportunity to work with other donors on this initiative, such as New Zealand, the European Union, Canada and France.

She also mentioned that Australia supports a number of nature-based solutions initiatives in the Solomon Islands.

“In 2021, Australia launched Climate Resilient by Nature and through that project, we have some communities working on coastal erosion and mangrove restoration in Western Province and Makira. We’re also pleased to support the Baru Conservation Alliance in Malaita, who do some great work working with foreign forest conservation, working with tribal community leaders,” said Pickering.

She noted that Australia looks forward to seeing the project progress.

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