Page 30 - IB MAY 2017

Climate Change
Early warning system in place

Tuvalu’s residents intall the early warning system in settlements. Below. As part of the project. Specialised training was offered to the people of Tuvalu. Photos: Supplied
tiveness of projects. Project coordinator,
Soseala Tinilau, is pleased under NAPA 2
“the three responsible parties, the Tuvalu
Department of Rural Development and the
Fisheries Department together with the
Department of Environment, are work-
ing together collaboratively to implement
the required activities in time before the
closure of the project in 2018.”.
For Tuvalu the effort is on going and it
is encouraging to see a concerted effort
of government working closely with the
n From PAGE 31 community through the Kaupule – local Later this year world leaders will gather
Relevant government departments are island council – creating greater aware- in Bonn, Germany for COP 23 where Fiji’s
collaborating and this has enabled the ness on issues around climate change, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama will
Fisheries department to allow their vessel, developing the mindset to think ‘pre- be co-chairing the meeting. Sopoaga
the RV Tala Moana to transport material paredness’ and working towards adapting fully supports Bainimarama and Fiji’s
and personnel to the islands to carry out to the changes. In the words of 18 year leadership in Chairing COP 23, “because
the training and installation. There could old, form seven student, Alena Fetalia that’s where I hope we can work together,
be no ‘drop and depart’, as is usually the Mika, of Motofoua Secondary School, “to by supporting Fiji and Prime Minister
case. This time the vessel waits until the all Tuvaluan people, no matter what hap- Bainimarama we stand together as Pacific
installation was completed then moved to pens in the future, we just have to hope leaders to “sing the same song together in
the next destination to install and train. and keep trying and adapt to change be- Bonn, COP 23 and ask for a proper and full
As sometimes seen in the region, gov- cause a lot can happen in these few years implementation of the Paris agreement,
ernment and communities work in isola- coming, we’ll never know what happens reducing greenhouse gasses where the
tion of each other replicating work and so we must try, we don’t have to give up target is 1.5 degrees Celsius”.
causing confusion that more often than hope because if all hope is lost at least we
not leads to wastefulness and unproduc- have to be happy that we did our best”.

30 Islands Business, May 2017