CLIMATE impacts almost all aspect of life in the Solomon Islands. Climate change will be a major impediment to the achievement of sustainable development in Solomon Islands, as all economic and social sectors are likely to be adversely affected, and the coast of adaptation will be disproportionately high, relative to gross domestic product GDP).
Aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic Solomon Island economy dropped and the impact of climate change surface to be a horrific threat to the Islands.
The Solomon Island government continue to allow logging and mining to operate in Solomon Island which become a major challenge and threat especially to the lives and livelihood of the people of Solomon Islands. As such Aarahau Forest Protected Area Association (AFPAA) through capacity building initiative held a one day workshop awareness on Climate Change Resilience on the 19th of December 2022 at Anonihoa Village in ward 19, East Are’Are Malaita Province, as a step towards sustainable development goal and addressing the issues of Climate change in this part of region.
The purpose of the Climate change resilience workshop awareness is to educate resource owners of Aarahau community on the impact of climate change in the pacific and Solomon Islands, and also to educate Aarahau community to realize their position on how they contribute to Climate change through human activities such as logging and mining, and how they can mitigate it.
The objective of the climate change Resilience workshop is to Educate Aarahau community on; Climate change adaption and disaster risk reduction CCA & DRR), mitigation/low carbon, development pathway, and Disaster preparedness, response and recovery.
These three key inter-related element will help elevate Aarahau community to understand Climate Change impacts and will give them new purpose to protect and care for their Natural Resources and mitigate the effect of climate change.
The Climate Change awareness primarily lead by Clifton To’otalau (Aarahau Forest Protected Area Association Coordinator and AIS Forum Solomon Island Youth Ambassador) and other local facilitator Aaron Watenaoana and David Paparaena.
Chiefs, elders, Church leaders, and the community of Anonihoa expressed their overwhelming gratitude for this Climate change awareness as it was the first time for such this awareness program to happen in this community.
This was an eye opener learning opportunity for the participants as expressed by Ruth Rutarea a Mothers Union leader in the community. Fr Lenord Howao of Ainapo parish also expressed his outmost gratitude to be part of the awareness program and recommend if this kind of awareness program is funded by the Solomon Island Government and carry out in the catchment communities, it will educate more people about the effect of logging as logging has brought more social problems to the communities and also climate change.
Aarahau Forest Protected Area Association Chairman Robert Pasihiru also thank Micro-Grant for funding this awareness program and the facilitators for this opportunity. This Climate Change Resilience workshop awareness solely funded by Micro-Grant.
- AFPAA Press Release
