REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON RESPONDING TO

CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC: MOVING

FROM STRATEGY TO ACTION

Hotel Novotel Nadi, Fiji Islands

12 -13 October 2010

Presenter: Hudson Kauhiona

Climate Change Division, MECDM
Country: Solomon Islands
 National Circumstances

 Total land mass: 28,000 sq

km (over 1,000 islands)
 Population: 510,000
(84% living in rural areas)
 SI status: SIDS & LDC
 Weak economic base
 Ratified the Convention
(1994 ) and signed the Kyoto
Protocol (1998)
 Key Climate Change-Related Issues

• Increase in sea
surface temperature
- evident in Solomon
Islands with related
impacts on marine
and terrestrial  Hon. Max Temp (Trend) – 0.02°C/decade
ecosystems  Auki Max Temp (Trend) – 0.03°C/decade

- e.g., coral bleaching

in some parts of SI
Key Climate Change-Related Issues (continued)
• Decrease in rainfall
frequency but at times
increase in intensity

 Honiara rainfall (linear trend) – -0.26mm/decade

 Auki rainfall (linear trend) – - 0.56mm/decade
Key Climate Change-Related Issues (continued)
• Changes in intensity
and frequency of
extreme events:
- tropical cyclones
- flooding
Key Climate Change-Related Issues (continued)
• Increase in sea level
rise, exacerbating:
- king tides
- storm surges
- coastal erosion
- salt water intrusion

• IPCC AR4 (2007) - Global

trend is 1-2 mm/year
 SI - 7.7 mm/year since
1994
 Most Sensitive Sectors in SI
Priorit Sector or Activity Area
y
1 Agriculture and food security, water and sanitation, human
settlements and human health, education awareness and
information

2 Low lying and artificially built islands

3 Waste management
4 Coastal protection
5 Fisheries and marine resources
6 Infrastructure development
7 Tourism
 SI’s Response to the Climate Change Threat
Climate Change Division established in 2008
Mission statement: Work to ensure that the people of Solomon
Islands have the tools and information to deal with climate change

Ministry of
Environment,
Conservation and
Meteorology

Environment
Climate Corporate
and Meteorology
Change Services
Conservation
 CCD Structure (current)

Director

Deputy Director
Consultant

Principal CCO Principal CCO Volunteer

(Mitigation) (Adaptation)

Senior CCO Senior CCO

(Mitigation) (Adaptation)
 CCD – Roles and Functions
• Focal point for climate change projects
• Represent Solomon Islands Government and people at
international climate change negotiations
• Develop national climate change policies
• Carry out and build capacity of sectors to conduct
vulnerability assessments
• Establish and coordinate programmes to help Solomon
Islanders adapt to the impacts of climate change
• Conduct awareness and education programmes
Mainstreaming Climate Change . . . . . Policy Level
Policy Documents Statements related to climate change

• Priority area: Economic/Productive Sector

• Policy goal 12: .............integrate national
National issues, in a holistic way so as to adapt to
Government cc, halt deterioration of ecosystems,
restore damaged ecosystems and ensure
Policy their survival in a long term.
Statements • Expected outcome 12.7: National
adaptation plan that addresses cc issues,
particularly for the most vulnerable
communities.

Policy Translation • 12.7.3 Integration of climate change issues

in national development plans and
& strategies, 2008 -2010.
Implementation • Responsible agency: MECM, other govt. &
Framework private sector, NGO’s.
Policy Documents Statements related to climate change

• m) Ensure the sustainable utilization and

Medium Term conservation of natural resources,
protection of the environment and
Development successful adaptation to climate change.
Strategy (MTDS) (A pursuit of the Millennium Development
Goals)!
2008 - 2010

• Expected outcome: Develop national

action plans that address cc issues.
MECM Corporate • Note: Establishment of CCD that is being
Plan mandated to carry out these actions and
activities outlined for the period 2008-
2008 -2010 2010.
Other Policies, Strategies and Action Plans related to Climate
Change Mainstreaming
• Initial National Communication
• National Environment Capacity Development Action Plan
(2008 -2010)
• National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plan (NBSAP)
• National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPA)
• Solid waste Management Strategy
• Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI)
• Agriculture policies
• Fisheries policies
• Energy and bio-fuel policies
• Environment policies & EIA process
• DRM and DRR policies, etc.
 National Climate Change Policy
• CC Policy Development in Progress
• Policy Objectives:
1. Create and strengthen an enabling environment to address climate change at all
levels
2. Mainstreaming of climate change into sectoral policies and programs
3. Strengthen systematic observation and research
4. Strengthen the ability of Solomon Islands to:
– adapt to the impacts of climate change
– mitigate the causes of climate change
– benefit from technology transfer
5. Improve awareness and understanding of climate change
6. Build capacity to address climate change
7. Maintain and strengthen Solomon Islands participation in international
negotiations
 Climate Change Projects/Programmes
CURRENT:
– SNC
– Pacific Adaptation to Climate
Change (PACC)
– Pacific Islands Greenhouse Gas
Abatement through Renewable
Energy Project (PIGGAREP)
– International Climate Change
Adaptation Initiative (ICCAI)
Projects with CC components:
CTI
 SI Road Improvement Project
(SIRIP)
 SGP
 Others
UPCOMING:
• Adaptation Fund -
enhancing the resilience of
communities in Solomon
Islands to the adverse
effects of climate change in
agriculture and food
security
• EU/GCCA – Climate Change
Adaptation
• NAPA Implementation
phase
 ADB’s Climate Change Projects in SI
Designated National
Project Area Objectives Agency & Status
Consultant Firm
1. Output 2 (T7394–R- - Design of pilot adaptation • CCD/MECDM - MOU signed
CDTA, Phase 1): projects, based on prior V&A • KBR - TOR prepared
Activities on adaptation assessment and geographic
preparation in selected information system (GIS)
Pacific DMCs. SI mapping, in priority sectors?
selected amongst 5
DMCs in the Pacific

2. Output 3(T7394 –R- - Establishment of a CDM DNA • CCD/MECDM - Process of

CDTA, Phase 1): in the Solomon Islands • Consultant to be recruiting a
Support for upscaling - Help identify a pipeline of confirmed consultant team
renewable energy project ideas and support is in progress.
technologies and the preparation of CDM - Work is expected
capacity building for documentation (PIN & PDD) to start in
CDM and for the first CDM project in January 2011.
establishment of DNAs the country
 Other ADB projects with CC components
Project CC-related Expected Outputs Status
ADB/GEF Financed - Increased capability of the climate change office to - Recruitment of
CTI- Pacific Regional coordinate and develop climate change scenarios, project management
Technical Assistance identify priority areas for vulnerability assessments contractor (PMC) in
Phase One from the community up to the province level, and an progress
adaptation planning program with pilot responses
demonstrated - ECD/MECDM is the
- Climate change being integrated into community level Executing Agency
planning
- Increased capacity to self-organize and improved
resilience of communities in demonstration
communities
- Lessons learned and best management practices
identified and used to define a climate change
framework for Solomon Islands
- A functional national level learning forum with
greater regional awareness of climate change
adaptation responses in near-shore and coastal areas
 Transport Infrastructure Projects with CC components
 ADB lead partner in transport infrastructure with co-
financing from Aust, NZ, EU
 Substantive investments involved
Amt
Major Transport Projects Major Components Status
(USD)
Solomon Islands Emergency Road/bridge Rehabilitation Construction
$14m
Assistance Project Wharf/Jetty reconstruction Construction
Road/bridge Rehabilitation Design/Tender
Solomon Islands Road
Road maintenance Ongoing $44m
Improvement Project
Labour based maintenance Ongoing
Domestic Maritime Support Franchise Shipping Scheme Commenced
$21m
Project Wharf/Jetty rehab/construction Design/Tender
Institutional Support
Transport Sector Development Finalization for
Civil Works $85m
Project Board approval
Capacity Development
Recent Experiences in Transport Infrastructure
 Observations
 Integration of climate change requirements is done at
different stages of project development.
 Better to have it incorporated before or during design
stages as in SIRIP and DMSP rather than retroactively as
in SIEAP
 Retroactive fitting bears the risk of over/under
projection of adaptation measures.
 Serious climate change data/information gaps at the
country level
 Mainstreaming of climate change policies is critical, and
should be systematically applied at sector/project
planning level.
 SI Needs for Assistance/Support

• Human resource
- Government halt employment - projects could support
employment of nationals for vacant CCD posts for only
one or two years.
- Lack of specialized officers within MECDM.
• Infrastructure
- office space
- data base
- models/tools for making national climate change
scenarios
• Finance
• Baseline data collection, archiving and analysis
• TA in some areas