THE Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM), Susan Sulu has called for the replication of the newly launched Climate Smart Social Services Programme in other provinces of the country.
PS Sulu made the call at the launch of the SBD53.8Million partnership between the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Pacific and the Korean Government in Honiara on Tuesday.
The initiative will specifically be implemented in Guadalcanal Province. It is aimed at enhancing school and health infrastructure to withstand climate shocks, operate with low carbon solar panels and ensure access to quality Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services in households.
With the project starting in Guadalcanal, the MECDM PS urged UNICEF to make sure it expands the project reach to other provinces in the country.
PS Sulu highlighted that the impacts of environment and environmental health of climate change on children is something that is often overlooked in interventions taken.
“I would like to stress this point about replicating such an important initiative where we learn lessons and experiences and good approaches from this one location and we take the lessons learned and of course, we need to of course correct them in another replicated approach.
“And so, I am really glad that this project would also help to look at the data and the evidence that is there in terms of the environment around children.
“Looking at generating new evidence and analysis on how climate change and environmental degradation in children, the focus of this initiative is a really good start to go about that,” she said.
PS Sulu highlighted that the “Climate Action for the Last Mile: Reaching the most Vulnerable Children in East Asia and Pacific Region” takes a very specific approach to addressing the impacts of climate change on children.
She said the psychological impacts of climate change and just the major extreme event itself can have distressing effects.
“That is something that we often miss out when we look at just a group of people in particular. Our displacement of population or migration when we look at moving people,” she said.
“I had the most fortunate experience of going to Sikaiana island in the Malaita Outer Islands recently. The trip was also part of undertaking consultations to develop standard operating procedures for planned relocation in Solomon Islands. When we talked to the children there about relocating to Malaita inland, they said ‘Oh, we don’t want to relocate. We don’t want to move out of Sikaiana. I said Why? And they said because we won’t be able to go fishing.
“Therefore, it’s interesting, the dynamics that we take towards solving and addressing issues. And so, taking a specific approach to solving problems and particularly those of climate change, which really affect our population and our people, is important.
“I think we are taking right and important steps into doing enough. And I’m glad that this project also takes an equity approach, which ensures that,” PS Sulu said.
Funded by KOICA, the project will be implemented by UNICEF. The project tenure will end in 2027.
By AGNES MENANOPO
Solomon Star, Honiara
