BY AGNES MENANOPO
GUADALCANAL Provincial Government leaders have acknowledged the efforts made towards the completion and launching of the Barana Nature and Heritage Park and Environment and Resilience Centre at Barana Community.
Supervising Provincial Secretary, Timothy Ngele said these initiatives are first of their kind on Guadalcanal province and they are proud of it.
He said Guadalcanal Province (GP) since signing the MOU with SPREP for the project, sees the Nature and Heritage Park as an opportunity to demonstrate to resource owners that managing their natural resources sustainably may have long term benefits that out way short term needs.
“The Centre provides the space for engagements such as: by law, custom stories, meetings, reconciliation, new ideas, peacebuilding, ecotourism hub, finding solutions, awareness-raising, education for children; all towards building climate change resilience.”
“This project represents a pathway for new thinking, a paradigm shift, especially focusing on managing the forest, and making an ecosystem to build climate resilience.
“I encourage the Chief and Community of Barana to take ownership of this Centre and look after it well for the betterment of Guadalcanal people, the nation and the South Pacific region as a whole,” Ngele said.
GP Premier Hon. Francis Sade also congratulated the partners of the project; Ministry of Environment, SPREP, Barana Community and the Chiefs of Tandai for recognizing the importance of conserving and using nature to tackle some of the cross-cutting issues of climate change.
He said the partnership that has been established is an important one and the importance of conserving the environment is an important substitute for sustainable development.
