THE Government of the Republic of Korea, through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), is embarking on a new partnership to strengthen climate resilience social services in Guadalcanal Province.
The new partnership initiative worth US$7 million (SB$58.3 million) was launched yesterday at the King Solomon Hotel in Honiara.
UNICEF Pacific Representative Jonathan Veitch said the partnership will strengthen the country’s resilience to climate threats through the development of child-focused and climate-responsive social infrastructure, systems, policies and funding over the next two years.
“The new partnership will enhance school and health infrastructure to withstand climate shocks, operate with low-carbon solar panels, access quality WASH services, which will also be available at household level.
“It will integrate climate change in education leading to the adoption of green skills, especially amongst young people, as well as boost ongoing community access to quality nutrition services,” Mr Veitch said.
He added that the programme will also support social protection systems to better adapt to the rapidly changing nature of climate shocks and adapt child protection systems to respond to safeguarding needs before, during and after climate-related shocks and hazards.
“The programme aims to reach more than 30,000 people in Guadalcanal province and many more indirect beneficiaries in the wider area who will have access to improved, climate-smart social services and infrastructure,” Mr Veitch said.
He expressed gratitude to the Government of Korea for providing the generous financial support for the programme.
Mr Veitch also acknowledged Solomon Islands Government, through the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM), and Guadalcanal Provincial Government for their leadership.
Guadalcanal Premier Willie Atu thanked UNICEF and KOICA for this partnership which will help Guadalcanal people achieve their strategy on climate change and at the same time addressing seven of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as stipulated in Guadalcanal Provincial Government policy.
“UNICEF and KOICA Climate Smart Social Services Programme, the province is very happy to be partnering with you, in that your intentions will help us in achieving our policy.
“At the end of the tenure of this project in 2027, it will achieve both hard and soft outcomes. The hard-smart interventions should not be too smart for the recipients to maintain its longevity and sustainability and resilience after the life of the project, while at the same time soft interventions can be used as a tool to guide other climate change interventions in other wards in Guadalcanal Province and sister Provinces in Solomon Islands,” Premier Atu said.
By AGNES MENANOPO
Solomon Star, Honiara
