By: L.N. Reklai
The project to assist the 8 Pacific Island Countries to improve their capacities to access climate change funds has started with its initial steps in Palau.
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Institutional Strengthening in Pacific Island Countries (PICs) to Adapt to Climate Change (ISACC) is a regional climate change adaptation project, funded by USAID and implemented by SPC (Secretariat of the Pacific Community). It’s a 5-year, $5 Mil dollar project covering 8 Pacific Island Countries (Palau, FSM, Kiribati, Samoa, Tuvalu, Fiji, Solomon Is, & Vanuatu).
Its 3 Key Result Areas are: 1) Integrated institutional frameworks and national capacity strengthening to support multi-sectoral approaches to CC and disaster risks. 2) Access to new CC finance enhanced through improved capacity, systems and tools. 3) Regional cooperation and coordination strengthened through augmented national capacity delivered through shared learning to support PICs address CC and disaster risks.
Each country gets to develop their own national work plan that will be aligned with ISACC but tailored to their own national needs and preferences. As was expressed repeatedly, open communication and engagement by stakeholders outside of the national government structure (e.g., NGOs, CBOs, private sector, OEK, communities, State Gov’ts, etc.) must be ensured in order for effective collaboration and implementation of this project. [/restrict]