By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS: http://www.pina.com.fj/index.php?p=pacnews&m=pacnews
5 July 2013, Nadi, Fiji - Recognition by Pacific Island Countries that there is an overlap in climate change (CC) and disaster risk management (DRM) and their shared focus on risk reduction is one of the factors that has moved them to consider an integrated regional strategy on disaster risk management and climate change.
“The current regional policies on climate change and disaster risk management will both end in 2015 thus the purpose of the joint meeting is to prepare the next regional policy but instead of two separate ones; there will be integrated policy on climate change and disaster risk management,” explained Dr. Netatua Pelesikoti of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
Integration is already happening at national level, said Brian Dawson of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’ (SPC).
The move is being spearheaded by the SPC, SREP and United Nations Office for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR).
Dawson, addressing the Pacific Climate Change Roundtable (PCCR) meeting in Nadi Thursday said the amalgamation makes efficient use of capacity and resources of island countries.
Integration is already happening at national level through Joint National Action Plans and institutional arrangements.
“There has also been widespread support for integration expressed at regional and international level, said Dawson, who is SPC’s climate change advisor.
“There are already integrated approaches to planning at the national level through joint national action plans for CC and DRM in Tonga, Cook Islands, Tuvalu, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Fiji, Niue, Vanuatu, Palau and Solomon Islands.
In addition, there is already integrated governance in Vanuatu, where the country has set up its National Advisory Board for CC and DRM.
Dawson said the proposal will also raise the profile of CC and DRM as cross-cutting issues and lead to more effective mainstreaming of these issues into national and sectoral plans.
Christina Casella of SPC/SOPAC said the integration is based on three principles of leadership, ownership and inclusion.
“The Pacific is the first region in the world to develop an integrated CC/DRM regional framework. It is led by a steering committee supported by a technical working group, comprising of SPC, SPREP and UNISDR.
If endorsed by all Pacific Island Countries and Territories in Nadi next week, the Joint Roadmap wall go back to all the governing bodies of SPREP and SPC between July and September this year before Pacific Forum Leaders endorse the changes in 2015.