By Patrick Fuller, IFRC

Since February 2013, Randy Solomon has been fighting a lonely battle. Working with a small staff and a handful of volunteers, she has been given the job of combating the scourge of dengue fever in her hometown of Gizo, in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. As the environmental health officer for Gizo she heads the ministry of health’s dengue task force, which is attempting to curb the epidemic that has been sweeping across the Solomon Islands in recent months.

By May, the epidemic had peaked at over 5,000 reported cases and six fatalities. While over 80 per cent of infections occurred in the capital Honiara, cases in the larger provinces – particularly Malaita and Western Province – saw a steady increase up to mid-May.

With a population of over 7,000, Gizo has grown rapidly in recent decades to become the second largest town in the Solomon Islands. But unchecked urbanization and a soaring growth rate of 12 per cent each year has meant that a quarter of the population live in informal or unplanned settlements with little or no access to municipal services.

“These settlements are high-risk areas for dengue transmission,” Solomon says. “They have sprung up in unsuitable locations such as steep slopes and swampy areas, and they lack basic services such as water, sanitation and garbage collection.”

Over 30 dengue cases have been admitted to Gizo’s referral hospital and although the epidemic has peaked, the priority for Solomon’s team is to continue tackling the problem at its source, which means getting out to high-risk areas and educate communities on how they can prevent the disease.

Unsurprisingly, Gizo’s dengue hot-spot is located in a settlement adjacent to the town’s rubbish dump – a foetid landfill site where tractor-trailers dump the town’s waste each day. Fresh rains have turned the area into a stinking swamp, creating a perfect breeding ground for the Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes that carry the disease.

Solomon is accompanied on her house visits by 26-year-old Matalita Zama, a volunteer with the Solomon Islands Red Cross. The Gizo branch of the Red Cross is a member of the provincial task force on dengue, and volunteers play a key role in social mobilization and raising community awareness about the disease. They clamber up a steep path to visit a number of wooden houses perched precariously on the hillside overlooking the dump. Discarded rubbish is strewn everywhere.

“In this area there is a cluster of five homes, where three people were recently hospitalized with dengue,” explains Matalita. “We do a census of each home and check for hazards, making sure backyards are not overgrown and are free from garbage such as cans and coconut shells which collect water.”

49-year-old Anna Sina’s home is first on their list. Her son lies upstairs under a mosquito net recovering from dengue. He was recently discharged from Gizo Hospital having spent three days attached to a saline drip. Anna takes the team on a tour around the back of her home where she and her children have been clearing the overgrown vegetation. Pleased with her efforts to keep her environment clean, Solomon and the team continue to her neighbour’s house, leaving Anna with sacks to help in her garbage collection.

Although the first cases of dengue were recorded in Solomon Islands in 1983, this year’s epidemic is unprecedented. In recent months, the Red Cross has played an important role in the government’s national task force on the disease. In the capital Honiara, teams of volunteers have been deployed to conduct health awareness sessions within high-risk communities. The Red Cross blood bank team also increased the number of blood donor events around the city to ensure that the Honiara’s hospital had adequate supplies for dengue patients.

Solomon says a variety of factors have been driving the epidemic. “In Gizo, the main problem is solid waste management. Drains are blocked, there is garbage everywhere, more people and a lot of building activity. We have to focus on eradicating breeding sites and helping communities to take responsibility for their own environment.”

But less obvious factors such as climate change could also be exacerbating the problem. More intense periods of rainfall and higher temperatures are worsening existing environmental hazards. “There is no doubt that it is much hotter now. The increase in temperature might also be affecting people’s immune systems, making it more difficult for them to adapt to fight the disease,” Solomon says.

It is anticipated that by 2020, 26 per cent of the Solomon Island’s population will be living in urban and peri-urban areas. Increasing urban migration is taking its toll, but for Red Cross volunteer Matalita Zama, stopping dengue needs to be every person’s responsibility.

Her message is simple. “Just look around, all of Gizo will be covered in dengue if we don’t get serious about cleaning up the town.”s

There's a strong link between climate change and disaster risk.

It's an issue being discussed at the first Joint Meeting of the Pacific Platform for Disaster Risk Management and Pacific Climate Change Roundtable in Fiji this week.

Loti Yates is the director of the National Disaster Management Office in Solomon Islands.

So how does climate change adaptation relate to disaster management?

Presenter: Geraldine Coutts

Speaker: Loti Yates, director of the National Disaster Management Office, Solomon Islands

YATES: For us it is clear that disaster reduction and climate change adaptation are closely linked and in many cases, as it is now happening in our region. They result in the same actions on ground addressing same challenges for communities.

So when you look at climate change, in the context of risk, you would then come up with the how to deal with it in the same way as you deal with any other risks, whether they be geological or hydro-meteorological so as far as the the DRM [Disaster Risk Management] community is concerned, we see that they are very closely linked and so would result in the same actions taken on ground and we will come up with the same challenges, given the challenges we are used to face in the Pacific.

COUTTS: Can you give me a practical example of how climate change and disaster risk are linked in Solomon Islands?

YATES: Yeah, when you look at, for example, food security for example. We have an increasing and frequent sea of extreme weather events are happening. They impact on peoples livelihood, food security etc. You could say this is a result of the ever-changing climate. You could also say that this is and because of that you are experiencing a risk towards food shortage. So you can look at the link between the two the fact that the climate situation, there is actually climate change happening, especially, say, for example, we put this in the context of a low lying islands of Ontong Java, you don't see this much happening. Recently, we've been having inundation of taro plantations within the communities of Ontong Java, in the Solomon Islands.

Looking at the changes that are happening, you could say that this the impact of climate change, and therefore it's impacting on peoples' ability to be able to feed themselves or with this making it a little bit harder for people to gather food, especially when island states, island communities like that, they rely mostly on these root crops that could grow well in their conditions and therefore to avoid that, the action taken would be to look at diversifying what sort of crops you put in there, maybe introducing crops that are more tolerant to salt or that sort of thing, so that would be the sort of action that you take to counter that impact or you would increase economic activities, maybe more into using your marine resources and therefore you're able to cope if one component of the community livelihood is affected. You could have an alternate that you fall back to etc. So this should be some of the solutions to this and this is where integrating the area and climate change adaptation is important.

COUTTS: Water is an important part of food security and Ontong Java, has the water, the lenses, being infiltrated by salt water there yet?

YATES: Yes, they're having difficulties there as well, so some of the activities that are actually being undertaken there includes improvement of rainwater harvesting etc. So yeah, it does impact on them as well.

COUTTS: We're talking about rearguard actions here quite a bit - so how do you mitigate climate change as we've been discussing before it gets to the need of disaster risk management?

YATES: For us in the DRM Community, the Disaster Risk Management Community, there are certain means that you could do that. The mitigation component of it is something that I do not have much knowledge of, but when it comes to adaptation in our small communities, the base would be to look at means of adapting to the changes and there are several ways that could be done. In the small island communities, that they could result in communities being relocated. But when you look at the processes that you have to go through to relocate communities, it would be very lengthy, very frustrating, because you have to go into all sorts, especially when you are dealing with the sort of land tenure system and the government arrangements that we have in the Solomon Islands.

The fact that adaptation activities must be taken into consideration as an imperative when you look at the challenges that you have go to through when you are attempting to go into the relocation process, that I think would be one of the most important things for us to do really look at means of adaptation etc. Mitigation I think - there are activities within countries working as I know, working with the Ministry of Forestry and other activities that are linked directly to relevant government departments in the Solomon Islands to contribute to ensuring that greenhouse gas emission is limited or stopped or whatever. They do at the relevant government ministry level, however, maybe looking more into adaptation would be one of the best solutions that we can undertake.

Listen to the Audio: Fiji leaders see link between climate change and disaster risk (Credit: ABC)

11 July, 2013, Nadi, Fiji - A lot of progress has been made in the Pacific in the area of early warning systems (EWS), however more needs to be done, says Rajendra Prasad, the UNESCO/IOC Programme Officer for DRR and Tsunami Warning.

Prasad says countries in the Pacific do vary on their level of EWS, but says the progress and developments done within the region has been going reasonably well.

"there are several natural hazards such as tropical cyclones, flash floods, droughts and tsunami which each country's state of EWS differs. But for us in Fiji, we have reasonably good early warning systems for tropical cyclones," Prasad said.

Although there were some weaknesses such as incidences of over warnings, under warnings, late warnings or too early warnings, Prasad said it has been a real challenge for the Pacific with hazards like tsunami where information could reach the public through the media without proper assessment and causes panic and anxiety amongst people.

He stressed that for different hazards, different countries have their own EWS situation, some are well prepared more than others.

He highlighted that Solomon Islands is one of the countries that has one of the best EWS practices in place where the integration of the Meteorological services and National Disaster Management Office could respond in the earliest time to its EWS.

Prasad further highlighted that the Pacific has a long way to go in addressing certain hazards like that of tsunami, while with others like tropical cyclones, they are well equipped and have in place proper EWS.

However he said there is certainly a need for improvement to ensure EWS are in place to counter any type of hazards.

"We have a lot of way to go in terms of improvements on EWS but the good part is the Pacific Early Warning Centre will in the near future cease to issue warnings and people can get that quickly from their national met services and integrate that information with the national disaster divisions to organise the respond to EWS."

He stressed that despite the challenges Pacific island countries face with the resources they have available, they have done a lot and this should be maintained and improved.

When asked on how prepared the Pacific is in terms of its EWS for natural hazards, Prasad said it depends entirely on the type of hazards.

He said if he is going to rank the pacific on scale of one to ten with ten being the highest, the Pacific would sit between 6 and 7.

However he said for tropical cyclones he would rank the pacific between 8 and 9. For flash floods he ranked it between 5-6 depending on the locality of the area and for tsunami, he ranked it below 5.

"This integration process (between climate change and disaster management) is like we are planting a seed and surely it will germinate and mature and bear fruit. Once it starts to grow, we will just have to look after it and by the end of the day it will enable us to tackle multi-hazards when it comes."

The Joint Meeting of the Pacific Platform for Disaster Risk Management and the Pacific Climate Change Roundtable is from 8 - 11 July and is jointly organised by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme. The meeting is hosted by the Government of Fiji.

Posted at 05:14 on 11 July, 2013 UTC

Efforts are underway to relocate about 5,000 people affected by rising sea levels on outlying islands in the Solomon Islands province of Malaita.

Read the full article on Radio New Zealand International

By Patrick Fuller,

IFRC 48-year-old Silas Kere might be considered an expert on climate change. He has dedicated his life to finding solutions that help his community to adapt to the creeping effects of changing weather patterns on agricultural production in his village Ghatere, on Kolombangra Island in the remote Western Province of the Solomon Islands. Reaching Kolombangra requires an hour’s boat journey from the nearest town of Gizo. The village’s 1,000 inhabitants are largely cut off from the outside world. There are no roads, no cars and no TV. Most families depend on processing copra (dried coconut) and subsistence farming – growing staple root crops like yam, cassava and taro.

“We used to know what crops to plant and when, but now it rains when it’s meant to be dry and the rains have got much heavier. The seasons are mixed up and unpredictable. It’s also much hotter,” Silas says.

The fluctuations in extreme rainfall and intense heat have caused many problems for local farmers. Yields are down and crops are prone to fungal infections and blight caused by attacks from pests.

Yields of staples that once thrived, such as sweet potato and cassava have plummeted. Pepilyn used to harvest 20 kilos of sweet potatoes from just three mounds of the tubers. Now she has to dig up ten mounds to find just five kilos.

“We used to travel to Gizo to sell our vegetables. This was our livelihood but now we don’t have enough to sell. Our yields have dropped by at least 50 per cent in the past 20 years – now we have to work harder and plant much more than before,” she says.

Silas Kere has been working with Pepilyn and other members of the village, experimenting with different agricultural techniques, using trial and error to find new ways of growing food and to see which plants thrive under the changing weather conditions. The village is dotted with disused wooden canoes suspended from the ground that are filled with an array of healthy looking vegetables sprouting from manure. The shallow water table was causing water-logging of household vegetable patches so Silas struck upon the idea of raised vegetable beds or basket gardens to overcome the problem.

The direct effects of climate change in Ghatere are being exacerbated by the threat from natural disasters. Since 2009, Ogier Kiko, who manages the Solomon Islands Red Cross office in Gizo, has been running a climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction programme supported by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Humanitarian and Civil Protection (ECHO) and the French Red Cross. The project is underway on four islands in the Western province and Ghatere was one of the communities identified as having particular vulnerabilities.

“The impacts of climate change and threats posed by natural disasters are closely linked. Ghatere is prone to tsunamis, earthquakes and other natural hazards. The rise in sea level poses a very real threat to these coastal communities,” Ogier says.

The first step for the Red Cross was to help the community establish a village disaster risk committee responsible for all disaster management programmes. A vulnerability and capacity assessment was carried out to identify some of the main risks that needed to be addressed. Having a village disaster response plan with an evacuation centre was top on the list followed by the construction of a seawall to protect the village from tidal surges. The third priority was to establish HF radio communication in the local clinic to enable communication with Gizo hospital in the event of a major disaster.

In 2007, the village was inundated by a tsunami caused by an undersea earthquake 25 miles off the coast. Since then there has been a noticeable change in local tidal patterns. During ‘king tides’ the sea surges into the low-lying village. In an effort to prevent this, the community built a 100 metre seawall. Barely a metre high, the wall offers little defence against the sea. Now, the Red Cross may give a helping hand to make the defences higher and stronger.

“We are looking at intervening on a number of different levels,” says Ogier. “We have already provided the village with some disaster preparedness stocks such as tarpaulins for emergency shelter and plastic jerry cans for storing water. We may also help with the construction of a raised evacuation centre and improve sanitation in the village by constructing toilets.”

38 year-old Puia Mosely makes a living from producing copra – dried coconut – which is sold for export. He is concerned about the impact that rising sea levels are having on the future of the coconut palms that fringe the lagoon behind the village.

“The tides are now much higher. As kids we used to play soccer where the lagoon is now”, he says, pointing to the vast inland lake leading out to the sea. “Now the sea is killing off our coconuts and sago palms and the salt water is coming into our gardens.”

Areas that used to be cultivated as vegetable gardens close to the edge of the sea now lie waterlogged and abandoned. Villagers have had to relocate their gardens deep into the interior of the jungle where they face other problems such as raids on their plots from wild-pigs and birds.

Silas Kere’s main objective is to ensure that the population of Ghatere has food security in the years ahead. He believes that the answer lies in sustainable agriculture that can adapt to shifting weather patterns.

“I am experimenting with a variety of swamp Taro that can grow where the gardens are now waterlogged. I am also trying to get people to reintroduce traditional varieties of tubers that are resistant to insect attacks,” he says. “Sometimes we have to look back to the old ways to cope with new problems.”

By Andy McElroy

GENEVA, 16 July 2013 - The head of a major Pacific regional organization said the region’s acute vulnerability left it no alternative but to lead the world in integrating risk reduction and climate change action into one over-arching strategy to secure a sustainable future.

The Director General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Dr David Sheppard, said the Pacific would rise to the challenge but they needed the world to join efforts too.

‘’Although Pacific countries only contribute 0.03 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, our countries are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change and sea level rise: We will be the first to go under,’’ Dr Sheppard said.

‘’In our region our leaders have continually reminded us of the urgency of climate change and that it is in fact an issue of national security.’’

Dr Sheppard said recent disasters, including Cyclone Evan which battered Samoa and Fiji late last year and the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Solomon Islands earlier this year, reminded of the power of nature and ‘’the vulnerability of Pacific nations both to climate change and to natural disasters’’.

He said it was critical that the Pacific combined its resources and expertise. ‘’These are historic times. It is the first time in our region – indeed the world – that the climate and disaster risk roundtables have been brought together with the Pacific Meteorological Council.

‘’This approach reflects the ‘Pacific Way’ of working together, of being innovative in the face of challenges and developing Pacific solutions to Pacific problems. This will set a precedent and be an example to other communities and regions in the world.

‘’The world is watching and the Pacific is sending a clear message that we must integrate our responses if we are to effectively address the challenges of climate change and natural disasters this century.’’

Dr Sheppard urged the Pacific to draw on five lessons of history to secure disaster and climate resilient development: first the need for a joined up approach to avoid duplication; second, a balance between infrastructure and protection of ecosystems; third, better use of meteorological data; fourth, the use of good science that builds on indigenous knowledge; and fifth, the need for good governance.

‘’All are important and to some degree linked but perhaps the last one, governance, is the most vital. We need that at all levels because without it, it is very difficult to achieve anything,’’ Dr Sheppard said.

CHAPTER 1

Introduction

1.1 SCOPE OF THE STUDY AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the process towards developing the Pacific integrated regional strategy for disaster risk management and climate change by 2015, and the global consultations for a post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction. It also aims to contribute to the discussions held at the 2013 Joint Meeting of the Pacific Platform for Disaster Risk Management and the Pacific Climate Change Round Table.

Since the global consultations were initiated in 2012, the inter-linkages between disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) have been identified as a priority issue for the global post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction. The consultation process will benefit from further input from the Pacific region where the high level of climate-related risks and the likelihood that these will increase substantially in the future, have made DRR and CCA key policy goals.

Taking into account the strong basis of learning the Pacific offers in the area of DRR-CCA, this study explores and aims to unpack the drivers and process to develop Joint National Action Plans on Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change (JNAPs), primary DRM legislation, and sustainable development plans addressing DRR and CCA in selected Pacific island countries (PICs). It also briefly discusses the experiences so far in the implementation of these instruments. The three PICs included in this study are Cook Islands, Solomon Islands and Tonga. This desk study was supported by phone discussions with national and regional focal points (Annex 1). The list of questions guiding the discussions can be found in Annex 2.

It is also to be noted that the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) has commissioned a review to look at the development and implementation process of the JNAPs in the region focusing especially on Tonga and Cook Islands. The aim of the review is to identify lessons learnt during the JNAP development and implementation processes, and areas of the development and the implementation process for further strengthening.

This study conducted for UNISDR by Ms. Laura Niskanen would not have been possible without the time, knowledge and experience offered by the national disaster risk management and climate change officials in the Cook Islands, Solomon Islands and Tonga. Equally important has been the support provided by the regional focal points in the SOPAC Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the Secretariat of the Pacific Environment Programme (SPREP) and World Bank, Solomon Islands. A special thank you is extended to Mr. Mosese Sikivou from the SOPAC Division of SPC, Mr. Jerry Velasquez, Mr. Timothy Wilcox, Ms. Madhavi Ariyabandu and Mr. Marco Toscano-Rivalta from UNISDR for guidance provided to this study. UNISDR appreciates and acknowledges all the contributions.

ShelterBox tents have been used to assist schools in the Solomon Islands in their recovery programmes in partnership with World Vision (WV), following the 8.0-magnitude earthquake that shook the island of Santa Cruz last February.

The tremor caused three waves of approximately 1.5 metres in height, which came inland flooding many coastal villages in Temotu province. The tsunami caused substantial damage to houses, community buildings, agriculture, schools, water supplies and power lines.

ShelterBox was quick to respond sending disaster relief tents from stock prepositioned in New Zealand to meet the immediate shelter needs of the affected population.

‘Over the past few months the tents have been used by teachers and other staff members across 14 schools that were affected in Santa Cruz as temporary housing to enable them to continue to teach and work during the recovery phase,’ said ShelterBox Operations Coordinator Dave Ray. ‘World Vision acted as our implementing partner distributing the tents alongside classroom tents provided by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).’

Tents useful in recovery

Martin Laale is the principle at Nea community high school that was forced to close down after the disaster. In an interview with WV, he said he found the disaster relief tents to be very useful in the early recovery plans:

‘Thanks to WV and ShelterBox, teachers who lost their homes were able to stay in the tents at the school letting them to remain in work and earn a living as well as allowing students to continue to learn and resume their education.’

Food Security and building resiliance to climate change has become a major concern for national governments across the Pacific.

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community, USAID and the governments are working on a comprehensive food security program looking a fisheries, forestry, agriculture public health and much more.

Vuki Buadromo - is managing a Project about Food security and climate change which will cover six Pacific nations.

Presenter:Geraldine Coutts

Speaker:Vuki Buadromo, project manager, food security and climate change progam, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, SPC

Listen to the audio: Food production to be protected from climate change by SPC projects (Credit: ABC)

The Pacific Islands Forum leaders have long recognized climate change as a priority development issue that requires coordinated global efforts for a more effective response. ADB’s position allows it to analyze the complex problems at all levels, identify appropriate solutions based on a comprehensive understanding of the countries’ needs and capacities, and mobilize technical and financial assistance. For their part, Pacific developing member countries (DMCs) have begun to mainstream climate change considerations in their national policies and planning processes.

Climate change is considered the greatest environmental, social, and economic challenge facing the Pacific countries today. ADB, through its Climate Change Implementation Plan for the Pacific, is committed to providing its Pacific DMCs a broad spectrum of technical and financial support, along with capacity development, for implementing national measures that will ensure continued economic growth in the face of climate change. ADB is also developing new assistance modalities to integrate the policy and investment components needed to build greater resilience in the region.

This flyer gives an overview of the regional initiatives, country-specific responses, sector development programmes and future steps that ADB will take in stepping up adaptation to climate change for developing member countries in the Pacific.

The Spring 2013 Update covers Social Justice Week, Papua New Guinea, West Papua, the Philippines, Syria, Vanuatu disaster preparedness, Parihaka, our latest submissions, Mahitahi, schools news and the World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Solomon Islands is prone to natural hazards. Without a disaster management plan, the country suffered great losses when natural disasters struck in 2007.

• The country has recently established a disaster management plan, however it does not consider the different roles and needs of men and women.

• Workshops on gender awareness in emergencies have been conducted in several provinces to help develop a better disaster risk management plan.

When a large earthquake and tsunami struck Solomon Islands in 2007, the country was caught off guard. There were no disaster management plans to deal with the scale of the disaster.

Earthquakes and tsunamis are not the only natural hazards that pose danger to its population of over half a million people scattered across the archipelago. Cyclones have been the usual visitor. Sea level rise and tidal surges, which are occurring at an increasing and unusual pattern, are a new type of hazard the country is now coming to terms with.

Fast forward five years, and a national disaster management plan is now in place. Work is underway to get the country’s nine provincesto have their own provincial disaster management plans and standard operating procedures. However, none of them take into consideration the different roles and needs of women and men in daily lives and emergencies.

Fred Talo has been involved with disaster reduction activities and disaster risk management for many years. “I have been involved with a lot of disaster management training courses at national, provincial and community levels, but there’s never been a clear say about gender and protection,” he said.

This year, with World Bank support, Fred has helped deliver a ‘gender and protection in emergencies’ training program, in partnership with the Solomon Island’s Government through the National Disaster Management Office.

Workshops on Gender Protection in Emergencies

From May 2012 to June 2013, workshops on gender protection in emergencies were held in four provinces.Participants included local government staff, police, protection and disaster risk management representatives, and civil society members.

The workshops were designed to give a solid understanding of the different needs and abilities of the participants to help design standard operating procedures for provincial emergency response.The workshops also alerted participants, especially men, to the special vulnerabilities women might face during an emergency, for example pregnancy or lactation, which translate to different needs such as separate bathrooms, enforced security or access to female doctors.

“The training enabled me to understand and define my relationship with other people, especially women, because we are equal. So, decision making becomes more important when I understand gender,” says Enley Saeni, a young man who had participated in disaster response activities in Temotu province earlier in the year.

Ridley Agiomea, a meteorological officer for over 20 years said he now understands that gender is not about men and women. It concerns life, and is about treating everybody with equal consideration.

“I hope it will help me try to help others, especially my colleagues to have a new understanding so that when we deliver services through our work, we see everybody on an equal basis.”

Rebecca Awa-Filo is team leader for a Save the Children Youth Outreach Partnership Project which integrates disaster risk reduction activities at communities they work in. While she admits that gender is an issue that authorities and people in her position tend to forget during times of disaster, the workshop sessions on gender and protection have helped her to focus better on her work with communities.

“I feel empowered to be able to facilitate some avenues to help women, girls, boys and men in the community to realize gender and protection issues during emergencies,” she said.

“When we deliver these trainings and talk about gender and protection issues, people sometimes feel touched by these issues. Apart from experiencing it, now they realize that it is part of disaster management, and issues that they address during emergencies.”she continued.

The World Bank has been supporting the gender and protection in emergencies pilot trainings with support from AusAID through the World Bank East Asia and Pacific Infrastructure for Growth Trust Fund.

The UK, in partnership with the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Climate Development and Knowledge Network held an event today in Majuro. Originally given at Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands. This is a transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered.

I am delighted to be here in the Marshall Islands for this year’s Pacific Islands Forum, and to be sharing a platform at this event co-hosted with Senator De Brum, Minister in Assistance to the President here in the Marshall Islands, and Kiran Sura, Head of the Advocacy Fund at the Climate Development and Knowledge Network.

The PIF is an increasingly important global event: this is the sixth consecutive year in which a British Minister has led the UK delegation. Last year we joined the Secretariat Pacific Regional Environment Programme and in the year since joining we have played an active role within it. These commitments, among other historical, cultural and growing commercial ties, underline the importance of the Forum to the UK and, in part, this reflects the long standing and strong relationship we have with the Pacific region. I saw this for myself when I visited Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands in April.

The breathtaking beauty and astonishing biodiversity which have inspired naturalists all over the world have motivated many people from Britain to visit the Pacific region, from 19th Century adventurers to modern day tourists.

Our Trade relations remain particularly strong. We continue to import significant amounts of palm oil, sugar and fruits and foods from across the Pacific islands.

British commercial expertise is helping Pacific countries transition to sustainable and low-carbon forms of energy production. Most recently a British company, Gaia Wind, installed Tonga’s first wind turbine. The UK is a world leader in wind and offshore renewable power and a major innovator in energy efficiency.

As well as a strong trade relationship we have a long history of military cooperation. From the World Wars to modern day Afghanistan, Pacific troops have served side-by-side with their British colleagues. Many have won high recognition for their bravery and leadership, including the Victoria Cross and Distinguished Service Order. Tongan troops are fighting alongside British troops in Afghanistan.

We also have a common passion for sport, particularly rugby: the lifeblood of the Pacific. British rugby is home to numerous Pacific players and there is unbridled enthusiasm and support for the Pacific Island national teams when they tour the UK. These bonds tie us together. Only this summer we saw new home nation stars born of Pacific heritage grace the famous Lions shirt and play starring roles in a famous victory over our fierce rugby rivals Australia.

But the focus of this session is of course another key area of co-operation – climate change. On this visit, and my last visit back in April, I have seen first-hand, issues affecting the Pacific region as a result of climate change.

Pacific Small Island States are living with the impacts of climate change now. For you and your people this is not an academic or idle threat. It requires urgent action.

The UK is a global leader in tackling the threat. Domestically, we are the first country to pass legislation enshrining in law targets to reduce emissions on 1990 levels by 80% by 2050. Internationally, we are leading the way on international climate finance spending.

We are committed with other developed countries to jointly mobilise $100 billion of public and private finance a year by 2020 to be spent on climate change mitigation and adaptation work.

The UK has committed to provide £2.9 billion through the UK’s International Climate Fund from 2011-2015 to help developing countries adapt to the impacts of climate change and foster climate resilient, low carbon development. We are well on the way to delivering on this commitment, and are pleased to confirm the provision of a further £969 million of UK climate finance to be made available through the International Climate Fund for the subsequent year 2015-16.

This includes the £1.55 billion given during the Fast Start period of 2010-2012 to support developing countries in taking urgent action on mitigation, including reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), adaptation, technology development and transfer and capacity building.

As many of you will know, the UK does not have a direct bilateral aid programme in the Pacific; so you might be surprised to hear that the UK has in fact spent over £60 million over the last five years on climate change action in this region. Included within this was the disaster and humanitarian relief we provided to Samoa and the Solomon Islands last year.

This has been targeted through multilateral organisations and individual funds – not least the Climate Investment Fund’s Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience, for which the UK contributes 45 percent of the budget. This fund has spent £48 million in the Pacific region across Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

This is just one of many examples of how UK funding is being spent in the region through our partners – I encourage you to learn more on this in the brochures available here for the first time titled “UK Climate Finance and the Pacific Region”.

Nowhere has or will feel the full effects of climate change more sharply than Small Islands states like those in the Pacific. Already you have seen disasters across the region from – drought here in the Marshall Islands to cyclones in Samoa. This is why your voice is such a persuasive one.

No country is immune from the potential impacts of climate change. But this is a global challenge that will affect us all. It is therefore a challenge on which we need to work together.

The UK shares with the Pacific a sense of great urgency about the global response to the climate challenge. Pacific countries have been vocal in their call for tougher action internationally. We too are seized of the need to respond quickly and decisively. The UK is working hard to achieve an ambitious and legally-binding global deal in the UN climate change negotiations in which all countries commit to reduce their emissions. This deal needs to be signed in Paris in 2015.

Our task now, with partners in the Pacific and other vulnerable countries, is to generate the international momentum necessary to deliver the deal. This is only possible by creating the political conditions necessary for all countries to sign. Creating these conditions involves looking at the importance of diplomacy in the negotiations and being alert to each other’s concerns and needs.

This brings me on to why we are here today. The UK is a significant partner to the Climate Development Knowledge Network, known as CDKN, whom many of you will be aware of. We provide £57 million to CDKN and work with them across the world in delivering assistance. I am delighted that CDKN are able to join us to talk about a recent project of theirs around Climate Diplomacy. This work has been focussed on how a truly global, ambitious and legally-binding agreement to limit emissions can be achieved.

CDKN has also been working with the Marshall Islands to embed climate change expertise across government Ministries, and I am delighted that Senator De Brum agreed to co-host this event with me to discuss this project. This is a chance for us to share our collective experience and our thoughts on how we can build a consensus for high ambition in the negotiations.

I would like to conclude by congratulating the Marshall Islands for its leadership on climate change. The Pacific Islands Forum is a great example of the impact this work has had. Specifically, I would also like to express the UK’s strong support for the Majuro Declaration. We are keen that other Post Forum Dialogue Partners join us in this support. It is encouraging to see the Pacific Island leaders and our other Dialogue Partners come together at this Forum to reassert to one another, and to the wider world, the importance and urgency we all attach to this theme, and the concrete steps you are taking here in the Pacific to respond to the global challenge of climate change.

Climate change is a hugely important issue for the world and for the Pacific region in particular. The UK’s Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has said “Climate change is perhaps the twenty-first century’s biggest foreign policy challenge”. As representatives from the Pacific, and those with an interest, you understand this better than most. We must take action now.

JAPAN

An earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale hit east off Japan at 9:19a.m. local time Wednesday, with strong tremors felt in Tokyo. The epicenter was near Chiba prefecture. No tsunami warnings have been issued by the diaster agency and nor immediate injuries and damage reported. Sources: USGS, Xinhua

INDIA

At least 190 people have died in heavy floods due to incessant rains in India's eastern state of Bihar. Fear looms large of more rain in the coming days as a result of which the death toll is likely to rise. Some 6 million people have been affected by the flooding. After conducting an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas, as many as 20 districts of the state have been badly affected. Most of the flood-affected areas are located near the Nepalese border, with water gushing down from the hills in Nepal causing most of the destruction. The govt says relief has been distributed and relief camps have been set up to the affected. Source: Kyodo News

VIETNAM

Landslides and floods in Vietnam have killed at least 29 people as heavy rain soaked northern and central areas. More rain was forecast to strike the flood-hit Nghe An province and authorities were getting people out of dangerous areas. About 37 houses have been destroyed along with more than 1,700 hectares (4,200 acres) of crops. Source: Reuters

INDONESIA

One month after the Haze Emergency ended, hot spots have re-appeared and haze has engulfed Palalawan and Indragiri Hulu of Riau Province. Pekanbaru City, the Provincial Capital, is free from hot spots but the heavy smoke is affecting visibility and has caused flight delays from Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport. Despite the quickly rising number of hotspots, no regional issues were reported, particularly from Indonesia's neighbors as in the recent past. This is attributed to the wind flowing in the direction away from the neighboring countries.Also, no humanitarian issues are reported arising due to the haze situation in Riau by the local authorities. Source: OCHA

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Volcanic activities at Mount Tavurvur have increased over the past three weeks. According to the Provincial Disaster Coordinator, on 2 September ash blowing from Mt.Tavurvur forced the suspension of outpatient services at Nonga base hospital in Rabaul and affected about 3,000 people who are in need of clean drinking water. OCHA is monitoring the situation. Source: OCHA

SOLOMON ISLANDS

Unexpected heavy rain from 29 Aug to 2 Sep caused flash flooding on Solomon Islands' largest island, Guadalcanal. Thee large rivers overflowed affecting 10,227 people or 1,640 households. Road access along Berande River to Komukama village is inaccessible and the Balasuna Bridge remains under water isolating communities. Water sources are contaminated and 10 people from the worst affected areas have cold, flu and malarial symptoms. Source: OCHA

Posted at 22:43 on 11 September, 2013 UTC

Solomon Islands’ health ministry is being urged to send its health promotion team to eastern Guadalcanal in the wake of destructive flooding over the past week.

Read the full article on Radio New Zealand International

On February 6, 2013, an 8.0-magnitude undersea earthquake struck the Solomon Islands and generated a destructive tsunami that hit Santa Cruz Island, Malo Island and Lord Howe (Nibvanga Noi) Island. These islands are part of an isolated chain in Temotu Province in the country’s south-east.

About 1000 households across 25 communities in West Santa Cruz Island were affected, many of them losing everything, and there were 11 deaths, mostly children and the elderly.

Most of the people affected areas are Anglican, and civil society in the area is largely organised through the church. It is a very remote part of the country, taking five days via cargo ship from Honiara.

Anglican Overseas Aid provided assistance in three areas to a value of $A7400, funded by donations from the Australian public.

1. As part of the initial response, we contributed funds to help provide emergency supplies such as clothes, food and cooking pots that were sent by ship to affected areas.

2. We also contributed to the provision of emergency solar lighting, with 100 lights distributed by the Diocese of Temotu.

3. As part of the longer-term recovery, we have partnered with Solomon Island International Red Cross to distribute solar lights to 500 affected families, along with providing support and training in the use and maintenance of the lights.

View a gallery of images from the initial response to the disaster area.

In more detail

Solomon Islands International Red Cross has been attending to the housing needs of people affected by the tsunami, but as part of their initial assessments, women also made it clear that they needed sources of light.

The women said they were walking extra distances to collect water and food, as water sources and gardens had been damaged. Red Cross approached AusAID who agreed to fund solar lanterns to be distributed as part of the overall response.

Anglican Overseas Aid had the lights in stock, and paid for the cost of shipping them to the area. We also paid for the Solar Coordinator from our partner, the Anglican Church of Melanesia, to travel with the Red Cross to Temotu to train staff and volunteers on correct use of the lights along with providing tools and spare parts.

Red Cross staff and volunteers will ensure that all those who receive the lights will receive proper instruction on taking care of the lights, and a Red Cross staff member will provide ongoing maintenance support.

Help us to be ready to respond to disasters and emergencies as they happen. Donate to our Rapid Response Emergency Fund.

By Online Editor 5:28 pm GMT+12, 04/09/2013, Solomon Islands

An estimated population of 12,273 and 2055 household were affected by severe flooding that hit parts of Solomon Islands northeast Guadalcanal over the weekend.

That was according to a report the Guadalcanal Provincial Disaster Committee compiled after visits to the affected area.

The report said Ghaobata, East Taimsboko,Vulolo and Paripao wards are affected by this flooding.

Komukama village, the reported added, was still not reachable because of heavy flooding still persisting.

The Balasuna bridge, the report said, was broken from the eastern approach, distance apart is about four meters.

The flooding destroyed food gardens, commercial crops, homes, public infrastructures and other civic amenities.

“Access to and from town still limited to villagers due to the damaged bridges as well as flooded rivers,” the report said.

“Our three teams have covered areas from Balasuna to Bokokimbo. Most of the communities along these rivers are flooded,” it added.

“We are still awaiting confirmation from the police and NDMO for an aerial survey.

“Our assessment teams have come across security threats on Monday at Berande Brige when a group of boys blocked the bridge and demanded money.

“Police in response to the situation apprehended three boys who are armed with bush knives and brought them to Tetere Police Station.

“They were questioned at the Station before being released.”

The report added two houses, one at Tetupa Village and another at Tenavutu village including all belonging, were washed away by floods.

“One person was injured (fracture on the neck) during the flood according to Good Samaritan Hospital report

“Flooding on Monday morning was much more worse than the past few days according to phone calls received from villagers from Berande and Balasuna

“One Guadalcanal Province three-tonne truck was garaged at Berande because it cannot cross the bridge

“Food shortage already experienced, and is expected to get worst in the coming days

“Request was sent to GPPOL in the form of a written letter as well as a phone conversation by the provincial premier to the company manager, soliciting the engagement their machinery to remove debris stuck under bridge, but there’s still no response from the company.

“Guadalcanal Province executive held an extra-ordinary meeting to deliberate on the emergency situation,” the report said.

It said the Good Samaritan Hospital was facing problems to transport their patients to hospital.

On Monday, it was reported that the western end of Balasuna was cut again and river now slowly moving towards Dadave Village.

The bridge is now in the middle of the river after both ends were cut off.

“A notice was seen near the bridge today stating ‘Government must pay first before repairing the bridge’.

“Sick patients needing medical attention on Monday were seen stranded on the other side of Balasuna Bridge

“An assessment team sent to the Weathercoast was still in Marau because of very rough sea

“Members of IDA teams include GP Agriculture, Health, Works, GP Police, PRT and Mechanics from Police HQ, Lands, RDP, Provincial Administration and World Vision SI.”

The report said at this stage, international assistance is not required yet.

It added that most people habituating along these three river systems are affected, as well as food gardens situating along the river deltas prompting food shortage situations in the affected communities.

“All water sources confirmed to be contaminated due to flood inundation.

“Although no report of disease outbreak is reported as yet, it is expected that the situation will give rise to diarrhoea and other water borne diseases soon.

“Water is now becoming an issue according to assessment reports.

“Too much water on the surface will also create a good breeding place for malaria and dengue parasite carrying mosquito and thus may increase malaria and dengue cases.

“Access by road is now a challenge because of the damage cause to bridges.

“A Detailed Sector Assessment will be vital for the area. Security of officers engaged will also be vital if any DSA or Food Relief operation be effected based on Monday’s experienced.”

The report recommended additional budget funding requested from both Guadalcanal and national governments to support disaster operations.

It said immediate food relief to most affected communities is urgently required.

The Ministry of Infrastructure Development is requested to quickly assess and clear debris from bridges and also reconnect bridges for accessibility

GPPOL to asked to support with the exploitation of its resources to restore road access

The report also recommended emergency evacuation of very sick patient using helicopters to Good Samaritan if required.

Guadalcanal police are requested to continue surveillance of the situation and report on situation arising.

SOURCE: SOLOMON STAR/PACNEWS

On 5 September 2013, the Leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum* adopted the Majuro Declaration for Climate Leadership.

In a concise and focused way, the Declaration captures the Pacific’s political commitment to be a region of Climate Leaders, and to spark a “new wave of climate leadership” that can deliver a safe climate future for all.

More specifically, the Declaration:

• Recognizes the gross insufficiency of current efforts to tackle climate change, and the responsibility of all to act urgently to reduce and phase-down greenhouse gas pollution;

• Confirms the Pacific Islands Forum’s climate leadership in the form of their ambitious commitments to reduce emissions and the significant benefit in transitioning to renewable, clean and sustainable energy, and their desire to do more with the cooperation and support of international partners; and

• Calls on others – in particular Post-Forum Dialogue Partners**, but also other governments, cities, the private sector, and civil society – to commit to be Climate Leaders by listing specific commitments that contribute more than previous efforts to the urgent reduction and phase-down of greenhouse gas pollution.

The Majuro Declaration is also a dynamic document, which strongly encourages committed Climate Leaders to continue to scale-up their action by listing new and more ambitious commitments over time.

As agreed by Forum members, RMI President Loeak will travel to New York in late September to present the Majuro Declaration to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during General Assembly Leaders’ week from 23 September. He will offer the Declaration as a “Pacific gift” to the UN Secretary-General’s strong efforts to catalyze more ambitious climate action by calling together world leaders on climate change in September 2014 in an effort to mobilize political will for a universal, ambitious and legally binding climate change agreement by 2015.

• The members of the Pacific Islands Forum are Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

** The PIF Dialogue Partners are Canada, People’s Republic of China, European Union, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, United Kingdom and the United States.

PHILIPPINES

Conflict between the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines which began on 9 Sep has displaced over 62,000 people in Zamboanga and Basilan, as of 14 Sep. Nearly 43,000 people are now living in 25 evacuation centers. 52 people have been killed, 66 injured, and approximately 100 have been taken hostage. Overall it is estimated that there are over 235,000 people affected.

Source: UN and Government sources

SOLOMON ISLANDS

Over 13,000 people have been impacted by flash flooding in Guadalcanal.
Severe food shortages have been reported. The response is being managed at the provincial level with national support. There has been no request for international assistance.

Source: OCHA

INDIA

As of 14 Sep, the Ministry of Home Affairs reported that 11 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Teams have been deployed to 10 districts of Bihar that have been severely affected by heavy flooding. Media reports suggest that over 200 people have lost their lives and over 6 million people are affected.

Source: NDMA and Media

VIETNAM

Ten provinces in northern Vietnam have been affected by flash floods and landslides. 25 people were killed, half of whom were from Lao Cai, the worst affected province. The Government has provided 200 tons of relief items to those affected. Humanitarian agencies are coordinating with the Government.

Source: ECHO, Gov. of Vietnam

LAO PDR

Seven provinces remain flooded after heavy rain which began in June. 17 people have been killed, and there is an estimated 50,000 people in need of food assistance for the next 3 months.
Source: UN RCO Stirep No. 3

JAPAN

Tropical Storm Man-Yi has made landfall in Japan with sustained wind speeds of approximately 84 km/h. Local media report one person has died and five missing and at least 112 injured due to the storm.

Sources: GDACS, PDC, Media

INDONESIA

On 15 Sep, Mt. Sinabung erupted forcing over 3,700 people to be evacuated. No casualties have been reported.

Source: AHA Center

Ongoing Emergencies

Myanmar: Rakhine State.
Myanmar: Kachin State

Posted at 09:17 on 11 September, 2013 UTC

A disaster official in Solomon Islands’ Guadalcanal province is assuring people in the region hit by floods over the past few days that food is on its way.

Read the full article on Radio New Zealand International