BY LORETTA B MANELE

Dr Chris Vehe, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification (MMERE), says in the Pacific, water is not just a resource, but is life itself.

He made the remark during the opening ceremony of the 9th Pacific Water and Wastewater Ministers Forum and 16th Pacific Water and Waste Water Association (PWWA) Conference and Expo 2025 at the Friendship Hall yesterday.

“We gather here today under one common understanding. In the Pacific, water is not just a resource, it is life itself,” said Vehe.

He expressed that for our island nations, water defines our survival, our well-being and our development.

Vehe added that however, this very source of life is under increasing threat from climate change, through rising seas, furlough droughts and shore storms that strike the greater intensity.

“This reality places water security at the very heart of regional priorities.

“And it is precisely by bringing us all together, leaders, experts, young professionals, women, youth, is so vital. Each of us carries a voice, a perspective and a responsibility,” he said.

In this regard, the Permanent Secretary said by uniting science with lived experiences and policy with community needs, we can create solutions that are not only resilient but also inclusive.

Vehe stressed that this conference should be viewed as more than just a meeting and as a platform to strengthen our collective voices, to share innovation and to strategically chart pathways that safeguard our future.

He said in doing so, we are not only securing water, but we are securing health, stability and prosperity of the Pacific people of generations to come.

“Let us approach the day ahead with purpose and with unity. May this PWWA conference inspire us to act with urgency, with courage, with solidarity in protecting the most precious resource we have, water, our life,” Vehe said.

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