Adaptation and climate smart planning

Rosalie Nongebatu - Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation



Monifa Fiu, WWF

Apia, Samoa - A conservationist from WWF has highlighted the importance for policy makers, national governments and non government organisations to clearly map out the distinction and the relation between Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management.

Fijian based WWF South Pacific Program Officer Monifa Fiu made a presentation at the “Lessons for Future Action” conference in Apia this week.

“Climate smart planning under joint national planning enables the development of a joint national action plan for Disaster Risk Management and Climate change Adaptation.

“National consultations enable policy managers to connect and make the distinction between the legislation, polices at the international level and how it fits into their national commitments, non government organisations and other partners or agencies involved”.

She also referred to Fiji saying there has been unprecedented level of climate change and disaster risk management engagements on all sectors including the political, provincial, inter island and district levels.

Indi Mclymon, PANOS

She also raised the need for rapid information sharing between policy makers, and the communities under different sectors, adding the gap between the sectors on climate change was too big.Talking on the same theme, was Indi Mclymont from PANOS, (a non government organisation in the Caribbean which focuses on communication for development) who described communication as one of the under utilised tools which can make a big difference in linking from national to international and regional levels, when used correctly.

Successful examples of work done by PANOS in the Caribbean includes working with journalists on raising awareness, music artists through popular songs which carried strong messages of climate change and a whole lot of other projects involving communication.

She also described the various challenges faced by the pacific in terms of community based responses to climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction similar to the challenges the Caribbean is currently faced with.