by Georgina Maka’a
A project designed to address the adverse impacts of climate change on children in Guadalcanal Province has been launched in Honiara today.
The USD$7 million (SBD$58.3 million) project was a partnership between UNICEF Pacific and the Korean Government.
Jonathan Veitch of UNICEF Pacific said Solomon Islands, like all Pacific island countries, is vulnerable to climate change.
“This partnership will strengthen the country’s resilience to climate threats through the development of child-focused and climate-responsive social infrastructure, systems and policies,” Veitch said.
The partnership, he added, would be for the next two days and more than 200,000 people, including children, will benefit.
“This program aims to reach more than 30,000 people in Guadalcanal, with many more indirect beneficiaries in the wider area gaining access to improved, climate-smart social services and infrastructure,” Veitch said.
UNICEF’s Pacific Representative, Jonathan Veitch
He added that the new partnership will enhance school and health infrastructure to withstand climate shocks, operate with low-carbon solar panels, and ensure access to quality WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) services at the household level.
Guadalcanal Premier Willie Atu said the project will roll out in Ghaobata ward, northeast Guadalcanal, providing access to upgraded, climate-smart social services and infrastructure as part of the program.
“Climate change is here to stay! I am thankful that this project prioritizes children and gender in its interventions for climate policies and financing,” Atu stated.
He expressed the province’s enthusiasm to partner with UNICEF and the Korean Government on this initiative, which he said would assist them in achieving their policy goals.
Guadalcanal Premier Willie Atu
Suzanne Zulu, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Climate Change, Disaster and Meteorology, urges UNICEF to replicate this project in other provinces as well.
“I’m glad that this project is reaching the most vulnerable children,” Zulu said.
“It takes a very specific approach to addressing the impacts of climate change on children, which is important,” she added.
Zulu noted that the direct impacts of climate change on children are disproportionately severe compared to other vulnerable populations, as they experience these impacts differently.
“For children, even disruptions caused by extreme events such as cyclones or floods threaten food security, which is critical for their nutrition,” she stated.
Stakeholders attending the session in Honiara
UNICEF’s Chief Field Officer, Benjamin Grubb, explained that coping with the impacts of climate change presents significant challenges.
“While many development programs focus on infrastructure, we want to prioritize understanding the types of services that children, women, and parents need in the wake of climate change,” Grubb said.
“We aim to identify the social services that are truly needed in communities most affected by climate change,” he added.