CCDA and stakeholders finalized plan to build climate resilient communities in PNG

The Government of Papua New Guinea through its agency Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) under the Projects and Adaptation branch is implementing a USD$24.25 million grant from the Climate Investment Fund (CIF), administered by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The grant project known as Building Resilience to Climate Change (BRCC) in PNG has started in 2016 and will end in 2021 in five (5) selected provinces (Autonomous Region of Bougainvillea, Manus, Morobe, East New Britain and Milne Bay). 

At least 24 small islands and atolls were selected from these provinces through a participatory process using an ADB-recommended and identified risk factors and vulnerability assessment.

 The primary aim of this project is to mainstream climate resilience into development plans by the government to address country priorities that focus on vulnerable communities.

A week ago, a planning workshop with relevant stakeholders was conducted from 11^th March to the 13^th March 2020 in Port Moresby at the CCDA office at Dynasty Tower, Savannah Heights to look at key activities achieved so far with as milestones and planning for the implementation of the next phase into the remaining 22 months.

Dr. Jake Tio, Team Leader from Particip GmbH consultancy, explaining a point during the workshop to the participants. Pictured by Peter Kinjap. 

BRCC Project Director Jacob Ekinye explaining to the participants about the project deliverable and updates of progress to date. Pictured by Peter Kinjap.  

Participants from private sector, international organizations, government departments and provincial focal persons attending the BRCC 2020 planning workshop in Port Moresby. Pictured by Peter Kinjap.

A provincial participant raising a question during the workshop to learn more about how they can implement the project in the provinces. Pictured by Peter Kinjap. 

 

The planning workshop was to discuss activities to implement the next phase based on the baseline survey conducted in 2019. Climate change vulnerability assessments were also conducted during the last past years and adaptation plans were developed for the targeted communities.

In its implementation phase, there will be three (3) main components referred to as outputs; the first output is the climate change vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning activities. In this component, it was discussed during the planning meeting that vulnerability assessments were completed and adaptation plans were developed for the identified targeted communities. This includes a completion of vulnerability and adaptation mapping in 24 vulnerable islands. With the provincial governments as stakeholders, the project plans were integrated into the district development plans.

Climate change vulnerability assessments typically contain a synthesis of the currently available scientific information to describe the degree to which the key resources, ecosystems, or other features of interest are affected (adversely or beneficially) by the variability of current climate or the potential changes in climate on those selected islands and atolls.

Climate change vulnerability assessment is more than measuring potential harm using information about climate impacts. It includes an assessment of the Maritime Provinces’ or the sector's ability to adapt. The assessment of vulnerability to existing climate variability and extremes is a necessary starting point for any adaptation.

The BRCC project has establish a Small Grant Facility (SGF) to finance community-based projects that are identified in the selected 24 islands and atolls. This is additional to other activities towards building resilience on the islands and atolls.  

Further it will supply and install 200 water supplies and 100 sanitation facilities. There will be emergency development plans and training of locals from the targeted islands.

The second component or output two is the sustainable fishery ecosystems and food security.

A conventional idea of a sustainable fishery is that it is one that is harvested at a sustainable rate, where the fish population does not decline over time because of fishing practices.

A sustainable fishery has sufficient spawning fish to produce the next generation, while allowing fishing to take place. But this is threatened with the changes in the climate patterns and endangers the populations.

Food security is about people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life.

This stage is focused on supporting those who are most food insecure and in need of food immediately. Examples include food banks (stocking up food, preserving), school lunch programs, and other programs that give food to people in need without requiring any type of commitment in return.

The three (3) main threats to food security are (1) the disappearance of the variety of agricultural plant species (2) the increase in the area of scarcity water and the limitation of the availability of land and (3) the food losses and food waste.

The three components of food security are availability (having sufficient quantities of appropriate food available), access (having adequate income or other resources to access food), and utilization/consumption (having adequate dietary intake and the ability to absorb and use nutrients in the body)—provide the basis for.

The third component or the output three on this project is building climate-resilient coastal infrastructure & early warning communications systems.

The early warning systems are in most instances, timely surveillance systems that collect information on epidemic-prone diseases in order to trigger prompt public health interventions. However, these systems rarely apply statistical methods to detect changes in trends, or sentinel events that would require intervention.

Early warning system is any system of biological or technical nature deployed by an individual or group to inform of a future danger. Its purpose is to enable the deployer of the warning system to prepare for the danger and act accordingly. Warnings cannot be effective unless people react to them.

For the five pilot provinces on the BRCCC project, the National Maritime Safety Authority (NMSA) will install radio communication devices to communicate and report to the nearby disaster centre to serve as a warning to take its citizens.  

In the next article, we will look closer at each pilot province and districts on their specific adaptation plans and climate resilient measures. For more information and how to participate on this project, you can contact the BRCC Project Management Unit (PMU) at the Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) via email at: brccpng2016@gmail.com  Until then see you next week with another piece on climate change resilience.

Building resilience to climate change will see crops grown in the vulnerable communities may find better options. Pic by BRCC project 2019.

A local farmer at his garden in Kiriwina Island, Milne Bay Province. Pic by BRCC project

CCDA pilots building climate resilience in Papua New Guinea

PNG is identified as one of the most vulnerable countries in the wake of global climate crisis. Lack of basic government services in the most remote parts of the country has further deteriorated isolated communities and increased the vulnerability.

As such, PNG needs the help and support that is available for climate resilience actions.

The impacts of climate change will only grow. Among those first affected are the small island communities and atolls in Papua New Guinea.

Observation of water tank at Piul Island in the Autonomous Region of Bougainvillea. Image Credit. BRCC Project 2019

Despite the skeptics and critics, much is being done to respond. Led by the PNG Government through its agency the Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA), partners like the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are doing their bit to support these efforts in Papua New Guinea.

Based on the recommendations of an Independent Expert Group, Papua New Guinea was selected as one of the countries in the Pacific to participate under an ADB funded project, Building Resilience to Climate Change in Papua New Guinea (BRCC).

The goal of this project is to help these countries transform to a climate resilient development path, consistent with national poverty reduction and sustainable development goals.

In its nature as a pilot project and supporting learning-by-doing, the program implementation ultimately aims to result in an increased application of knowledge on integration of climate resilience into development.

 

Focus group discussion at Kaileuna Island in Milne Bay province. Image Credit. BRCC Project 2019

 It seems that there is nowhere left on the planet where the effects of a changing climate are not being felt. Unfortunately, these affects of climate change are hitting developing countries harder than most.

Across the Pacific, a changing climate is expected to have a significant impact on future yields of everything from fish to rice, particularly in countries such as Papua New Guinea that are situated closer to the equator.

For Papua New Guinea, action against climate change requires continued and long-term commitment. The causes and consequences of climate change stretch far beyond the boundaries of individuals or individual countries. They are long-term and pervasive. Effective efforts require local, national and international action. Most importantly, it requires country ownership and political commitment.

This however must be done at the same time as supporting communities to prepare for the impacts of climate change.

During the last 50 years or so, increasing pressures on the resources are intensifying the country’s vulnerability due to extreme events such as natural hazards, including cyclones, droughts, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis.   

Conducting individual assessment at Mortlock Island in the Autonomous Region of Bougainvillie. Image Credit. BRCC project 2019

 In addition to these threats and pressures to the environment, expected changes that may arise from climate change and climate variability will likely further exacerbate these impacts and deplete the resources that are most essential for basic life support systems.

Papua New Guinea’s rural coastal populations, especially those living on small and atolls, remove, and low-lying coral islands and atolls, are particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise and other weather-related manifestations of climate change.

Within the five target provinces (Manus, East New Britain, Bougainville, Morobe and Milne Bay) vulnerable communities have been identified on nearly 24 islands.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing a $24.25 million (PGK82.91million) grant to help PNG build up its resilience and responsiveness to the impacts of climate change for these five provinces.

The project grant, funded from ADB’s Strategic Climate Fund, will help PNG’s Strategic Program for Climate Resilience integrate climate risk and resilience planning into development policies. It will also help PNG raise its development planning capacity, allowing the government to scale up investments in climate resilience. 

The program aims to mainstream climate resilience into development planning in vulnerable communities in 24 vulnerable islands and atolls in the provinces of Bougainville, East New Britain, Manus, Milne Bay, and Morobe provinces.

The project outputs include conducting climate change and vulnerability assessments and preparing adaptation plans for vulnerable communities; piloting sustainable fishery ecosystems and food security investments in some target areas; and establishing a framework for climate-resistant infrastructure. An Early Warning System (EWS) linked to Papua New Guinea’s National Disaster Center will be improved.
 
According to ADB’s Economics of Climate Change in the Pacific, report, Papua New Guinea’s economy is likely to suffer the biggest losses in the Pacific from climate change impacts. The report estimates that severe failures in sweet potato and other agricultural crops, as well as land losses due to a rise in the sea level, and other impacts from climate change, could trigger a loss of up to 15.2% of PNG’s GDP by 2100 (ADB report 2014).

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.

Asian Development Bank (ABD) and the Government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) signed the grant and project agreements to help PNG build its resilience to the impacts of climate change on the 15^th January 2016, which will see six (6) years project period till 2021. 

Community consultation at Karawara Island in East New Britain. Image Credit. BRCC project 2019

 In the next article, we look at the three (3) main components of the Building Resilience to Climate Change (BRCC) project in Papua New Guinea, particularly in the five selected provinces; that is, Manus, East New Britain, Morobe, Buka and Milne Bay.

The BRCC project aims to improve capacities of communities, mostly in the vulnerable islands/atoll as well as with the relevant government agencies and civil society organizations to respond to the impacts of climate change.

The core of the BRCC project activities include assessment of vulnerability and developing adaptation plans with the communities, sustaining fishery eco-systems and food security investments piloted in the nine (9) vulnerable island and atoll communities and enabling framework for climate-resilient government infrastructure.

NB: More stories and photos about the BRCC project in PNG will be posted on this blog.

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