Pacific-American Climate Fund (PACAM) December 2015
Projects in Fiji and Samoa Launched
During its Cycle 2 grant implementa-tion, the Pacific-American Climate Fund (PACAM) awarded six grants totaling US$ 2.3 million implemented in five countries across the Pacific including Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Vanuatu. Three projects of these six new grants were formally launched this quarter. The first launch, of World Wide Fund for Nature-Pacific’s project, was launched on October 21 in Suva, Fiji. On December 11, projects of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency-Samoa and Internews-Earth Journalism Network were launched in Apia, Samoa. Related stories follow.
The other three grants in Cycle 2 were awarded to ChildFund Papua New Guinea, CARE International in Vanuatu, and to the Institute for Sustainable Fu-tures – University of Technology, Syd-ney. These three projects will be for-mally launched early next year.
Cycle 3 Grants Awards
PACAM’s third and final grants cycle, launched on June 26, generated 130 concept papers from organizations ex-
PACAM NEWSLETTER
clusively based in the Pacific countries, and from which 29 applications were invited to submit full applications. By the October 15, 2015 deadline, 27 organiza-tions had submitted full applications. These applications were reviewed by a panel of experts on the Grants Review
Committee which provided a ranking to the Grants Review Board. Follow-ing a decision by the Grants Review Board, PACAM expects to inform successful applicants by the end of the year who will then enter the pre-award phase.
Suva, Fiji. On October 21, USAID’s Pa-cific-American Climate Fund (PACAM) awarded a grant to the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pacific (WWF-Pacific) to in-crease climate resilience through im-proved management of threatened eco-systems and the services they provide for the communities in Ba Province of Fiji. Through USAID’s grant of $488,237, WWF-Pacific will work with communities and government to develop 20-year Sus-tainable Development Plans that advance Fiji’s Green Growth Framework and Na-tional Climate Change Policy; teach sus-tainable farming techniques to communi-ties; and increase public awareness of the impact of climate change and the need to protect rivers and streams. At the cere-mony, the U.S. Ambassador to Fiji, Kiriba-ti, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu Judith B. Cefkin, said, “I am proud to say that the initiative we are launching today builds upon our strong ties as we work together ensuring climate-resilient growth for the Fijians.” PACAM is a key initiative of the U.S. Government to support 12 Pacific Island countries to identify, develop, and implement local solutions to climate change adaptation.
U.S. Government Awards New
Grants to Build Community Resilience to Climate Change in the
Pacific Communities
Apia, Samoa. On December 11, USAID’s Pacific-American Climate Fund (PACAM) awarded grants to the Advent-ist Development and Relief Agency Samoa (ADRA) and the Internews - Earth Jour-nalism Network (Internews) that will re-duce vulnerabilities of communities to climate change impacts. ADRA received a $509,933 grant from USAID to enhance disaster risk management and prepared-ness activities and also to enhance and diversify livelihoods in Upolu and Savaii Islands of Samoa. Through USAID’s grant of $100,000, the Internews-Earth Journal-ism Network will work to improve the skills and knowledge of local media in Fiji, Samoa, and Vanuatu in reporting stories
on climate change impacts. At the cere-mony, U.S. Ambassador to New Zea-land and Samoa Mark Gilbert expressed the American people’s commitment to the well-being of the people of the Pa-cific Islands. “I am happy to see the partnerships forged today and the com-
As part of the celebration of their grant from USAID’s Pacific-American Climate Fund (PACAM) recently, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency Samoa (ADRA Samoa) con-ducted a disaster response drill for the village of Faleseela in Samoa. Some 170 people of all ages acted as a member of a response team or disaster victim. This simulation drill allowed villagers to practice and then receive feedback on how to improve responses in the future. U.S. Ambas-sador to New Zealand and Samoa
Mark Gilbert and USAID officials were on hand to observe the drill. Faleseela village is among the com-munities from the islands of Upolu and Savaii in Samoa that have been selected to benefit from ADRA’s community disaster and climate risk management project funded under the PACAM grant. Samoa is particularly vulnerable extreme weather events, which have in-creased in size and frequency due to climate change.
USAID Grant Supports Samoan Villagers’ Preparedness to Respond to Disasters
mitment to building climate resiliency in Fiji, Samoa, and Vanuatu communities. President Obama has called this century the Pacific Century, and under his lead-ership the United States is building on its long relationship with the region,” Am-bassador Gilbert said.
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Spreading Climate Change Messages through Storytelling in Milne Bay, PNG
Conservation International (CI) recently introduced an easy-to-use community guide on climate change storytelling. Together with partner communities in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, CI will make videos featuring the communities’ own stories about climate change. The activity, part of a grant from the USAID-supported Pacific-American Climate Fund, was met with en-thusiastic support in schools and communities in Tubetube, Kwaraiwa, Ware, and Nuakata. In addition to distributing au-dio-visual equipment, CI trained communities on how to use the camera and produce videos. CI assists these communities to heighten their awareness of climate change impacts and empower them to engage in local ecosystem management and climate adaptation through, among others, traditional commu-nity storytelling revolving around environmental issues. CI has found that if people collect their own stories and evaluate their own situation in terms of resource management, the impact is more powerful than general awareness messages.
Promoting Inshore Fisheries Management in Pohnpei, Micronesia
Fishing communities in Pehling Village, Pohnpei, Micro-nesia gathered recently to discuss inshore fisheries man-agement and other adaptation measures to increase communities’ resilience to the impacts of climate change. In addition to raising awareness about climate change, the meeting also stressed the importance of preparing communities to shift to sustainable livelihoods other than fishing. This shift would reduce pressure on marine resources so that fisheries can thrive amidst the impacts of the changing climate. The Marine and Envi-ronmental Research Institute of Pohnpei (MERIP) facili-tated the discussion as part of its work funded by a grant from USAID’s Pacific-American Climate Fund. MERIP’s work aims to support small-scale aquaculture ventures and fishery management capacity building for communities in Micronesia.
Representatives from the Marine and Environ-mental Research Institute of Pohnpei (MERIP) visited with more than 150 students in three high schools in Pohnpei, Micronesia to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change. The visits consisted of visual presentations and discussions focused on the effective manage-ment of coastal fisheries as well as how the students and their families can contribute to environmental conservation. MERIP received a grant from USAID’s Pacific-American Climate Fund, aimed at reducing the vulnerabilities as-sociated with climate change faced by Pohnpei’s coastal communities through income-generating small-scale aquaculture ventures, capacity building in fisheries management, and shoreline resiliency improvement.
Enhancing Climate-Resilient Agriculture in Nissan District, PNG
Papua New Guinea’s growing island communities in Nissan District are facing pressure on both terrestri-al and marine resources. Low-lying atolls have lim-ited land suitable for subsistence farming of food and climate change-related impacts such as sea level rise and saltwater intrusion exacerbate the problem. To address this issue, CARE Papua New Guinea recently built the capacity of communities confronted with food security challenges by providing training on im-proved land management; use of compost and local organic fertilizers; and development of permanent gardens. Through a grant from the Pacific-American Climate Fund, CARE PNG shared with communities best practices in raised bed farming; crop rotation; and artificial gardening (using mangrove mud as soil). Communities also learned about fallowing, compost-ing, and pest control, with a particular focus on using indigenous materials such as pig and chicken manure, weeds, and other materials found in abundance in the communities and mostly regarded as trash.
Samoan “Pathbreakers” to Spread Word on Sustainable Agriculture
Increased and extreme rainfall events have been negative-ly affecting crop production in Samoa. Responding to this need, USAID-supported Matuaileoo Environment Trust, Inc. (METI) trained 25 villagers to become multi-disciplinary community workers (known as taiala, or “pathbreaker” in Samoan) who will share with communi-ties knowledge and practices on sustainable agriculture. Successful graduates received certificates after undergoing a six-week Train the Trainer activity in Lalovaea, Apia. Chargé d’Affaires Angelina Wilkinson, present atthe clos-ing ceremony, congratulated METI on its efforts in suc-cessfully undertaking this important project. “USAID and METI have partnered to develop livelihoods and self-reliance for communities in Samoa to combat the drastic impact of a changing climate. It is a privilege to be able to support this program and I look forward to its continued success as the project progresses,” she said.
Following the successful experiment of hatching fish from on-shore nurse-ries and then growing them in open ocean cages, an additional 31,050 fin-gerlings of commercially valuable fish, known locally as moi (Polydactylus sex-filis), were transferred recently to larger “homes” in the Majuro Atoll lagoon, Republic of the Mar-shall Islands. The use of the technology by the Aquaculture Tech-nologies of the Marshall Islands (ATMI) was supported by a grant from the Pacific-American Climate Fund to help provide Mar-shallese with livelihoods that adapt to the impacts of climate change. Upon the release of the juvenile moi into the open cages, ATMI will continue the production of fish feed made from by-catch and locally-grown cassava to reduce the reliance on im-ported feed. The moi will be ready for harvest in April next year.
Commercially Valuable Fish Grown in the Open Ocean Cages in Majuro Lagoon
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SPOTLIGHT | NRDF - Solomon Islands
AN INTERVIEW
PACAM Regional Manager Junne Cosmas’ conversation with Wilko
Bosma, Team Leader of the Natural Resources Development Foundation
Junne: How do you mobilize the com-munities to welcome and participate in your project? Wilko: In most cases, particularly for a new community, NRDF is invited to come and conduct an awareness pro-gram, usually a one-day, one-night ac-tivity. After the awareness activity, the community or tribe and NRDF decide whether a partnership is wanted or applicable. It also depends on the inter-est of the people and their commit-ment towards sustainability, logging threats, and availability of significant land and forest resources. Junne: What changes does NRDF hope to see in the communities in terms of sustainable development? Wilko: NRDF would like to see part-ner communities running enough family projects to sustain the family’s financial needs without exploiting their re-sources in an unsustainable manner. Communities should reach a status where they have a healthy and strong social, economic, and environmental foundation. It’s is also hoped that due to empowerment activities, women are taking a leading role in this develop-ment. Junne: Please describe how the PA-CAM grant will help move the commu-nities towards sustainable forest devel-opment. Wilko: Communities are encouraged to conserve and manage their forest resources by supporting them with income generating activities. Although environmental, cultural, and social ben-efits of forests are essential and are addressed as well, income and employ-ment are strong drivers which logging companies use to lobby for their ap-proach to “development.” Therefore NRDF uses income and employment in its program as “proxy” for sustainable development to convince people to
choose this path. The project supports communities in timber harvesting and Forest Stewardship Council registra-tion, livelihoods such as honey bee farming, and forest conservation for carbon incentives and tourism. Junne: How many honey bee farmers are there, in how many communities? How does this compare to the end-of-project goal? Wilko: At the moment there are 27 farms spread over seven communities. A farm is mostly managed by two to three people of a single family. At the end of the project, the NRDF aims to have 10 project areas with honey pro-jects. The number of farms in each project area can fluctuate from three to eight farms. Project areas are pro-ject communities with surrounding forest areas. Junne: How does honey bee farming contribute to sustainable forest devel-opment? How does it help farmers adapt to climate change? Wilko: Technically, honey farming does not directly link to sustainable forest management or forest per se. However, it is our experience that honey bee farms do better in a forest resource rich environment. NRDF’s link to honey bee farming is that the
program supports honey bee farmers in communities that support sustainable forest management and forest conserva-tion, giving the people an alternative for not choosing large scale activities such as logging and mining that endanger the envi-ronment and livelihoods. There is a general knowledge and claim that healthy forests protect people from climate extremes such as floods and land-slides. We already see that now. We see that logged forest areas are more affected by El Niño drought than the unlogged areas due to dried up streams and rivers. Again, income generation is a way to commit people to keep their forest intact and healthy, to be more resilient and to protect against impacts of climate change. Our experience is that the “income mes-sage” is stronger than the “climate change warning message.” That is why the draw of unsustainable logging is so strong. Junne: Organizing savings clubs is also a part of the activities under the PACAM grant. How do you mobilize people to participate in the savings club? Wilko: Women are introduced to the concept of savings clubs usually during the awareness sessions. If they express inter-est, NRDF schedules a workshop to train and help the women to set up the club. After that NRDF will continue with
“Turn your backyard into a golden spring” proclaims the slogan of honey bee farmers of Sasamunga Village in Choiseul Province of the Solomon Islands. The10 farmers and 50 family members on this island have produced their first 120 liters of honey valued at $1,358. It is anticipated that each farmer can earn over $3,300 a year for 10 hives. This livelihood project was initiated by the Natural Resources Development Foundation (NRDF) through a grant from USAID’s Pacific-American Climate Fund. This project supports sustainable natural resource
management which includes income-generating activities such as honey bee farming. A prospective farmer-member must have a suitable area for bee hives and timber for making hive boxes and frames. In addition, a famer should have at least two members of the family who are willing to undergo training and help operate the farm. NRDF is providing starter bee colonies, training, and tech-nical support to get hives up and run-ning. This project also receives support from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock which will facilitate marketing opportunities.
Farming honey
bees in Solomon
Islands
coaching and monitoring the clubs. Again, NRDF only supports clubs in partner areas that conserve or manage forest. Also NRDF wants to make sure that money made from its activities, such as honey bee farming, timber, REDD* measures, is spent wisely. We can claim that due to the interventions more cash is flowing into communities, but with the women’s saving clubs we also have more insight on how this mon-ey is spent or how and what it is used for. Before we assumed that more in-come was good for communities. Now we can justify this with the women’s saving club data. Junne: What do participants see as the benefit of the women’s savings club? Wilko: Savings club secure money for times in need, such as school fees. Women have more “power” to decide on how family money is spent. Savings clubs also offer opportunity to lend small loans. It is our experience that women are better financial managers than men. They are also much more committed towards forest management and conservation. They link a healthy forest with their livelihoods rather than the forest as a fast cash earner. In our interviews, men recognize the savings club as beneficial for both men and women. The men are very supportive. Junne: What have been communities’ reactions to what they have learned through NRDF’s interventions? Wilko: Reactions are always positive but the main turning point is when the community members experience the benefits of the activities. Once honey bee farmers sold honey and earn, they realize that the projects that are imple-mented are truly beneficial. The same can be said for timber producers finding out the real value of trees and also when women’s savings club members experience their club’s benefits. Some-times it takes some time to reach this point and the trick is to keep people motivated and committed. Junne: Please describe successes in your program implementation so far, including any personal beneficiary suc-cesses. Wilko: I can cite some of the main suc-
cess. NRDF has built up partnerships with nine communities protecting a forest area of more than 25,000 hec-tares of natural forest and more com-munities are interested to join. NRDF is a small organization but with a very important task and good position among key stakeholders. The organiza-tion has managed to make REDD a practical community-based activity. More women are involved in the over-all program by introducing and sup-porting activities such as honey bee farming and savings clubs. Women have become more active and play a substantial role in the program. This is also acknowledged and supported by the men in the community which has contributed to greater gender equality. Junne: What is the mission and vision of NRDF and what challenges has NRDF faced in pursuing its mission? Please give examples. Wilko: At the end, we want to create a better life for all people in the Solo-
mon Islands by using the successful mod-els created by the program. Unfortunate-ly, there are the usual big worldwide forces that drive people in a different direction. Those forces, maybe overseas companies, promote large scale extrac-tion of resources and are supported by the national government. Actions to ad-dress deforestation have resulted in in-ternational and multilateral policy direc-tives, and national-level laws and pro-grams. While these are needed, NRDF’s concern is that the focus on large-scale solutions too often forget the very peo-ple whose lives are dependent on forests. NRDF wants to make a change even real-izing the limited position it has. But as they say, “a single grain of rice can tip the scale.” We also need to look at regional levels to bring back a “Pacific approach” on how to deal with forest resources. *Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degrada-tion (REDD) is an effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests, offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. http://www.un-redd.org/aboutredd
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ABOUT THE FUND
The Pacific-American Climate Fund (PACAM), is a grant-making facility fund-ed by the U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and administered by Partners for Global Research and Development, LLC (PGRD) that assists twelve Pacific Island countries to reduce long-term vulnerabilities associated with climate change. PACAM awards grants to civil society organizations in support of climate change adaptation measures and related “co-benefits”, such as livelihoods enhancement, improved health, food security, disaster risk reduction, or sus-
tainable natural resources manage-ment.
In addition to building climate resiliency, the Pacific-American Climate Fund, through the awarded grants, will assist in strengthening the managerial and financial capacity of civil society organizations. The countries in which PACAM operates are: Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiri-bati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solo-mon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
Peter Collier Chief of Party, Pacific-American Climate Fund 7th Avenue corner 32nd Street Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City Manila, Philippines Email: [email protected] Web: www.pgrd.org/projects/pacam/ Sharon Gulick Environment Officer USAID/Pacific Islands Annex 2 Building, U.S. Embassy 1201 Roxas Boulevard Ermita Manila, Philippines Email: [email protected] REGIONAL OFFICES Melanesia Regional Office Regional Fund Manager Junne Cosmas [email protected] Polynesia Regional Office Regional Fund Manager Praveen Lata [email protected] Micronesia Regional Office Regional Fund Manager Lara Studzinski [email protected]
Supporting Community Adaptation to Water Shortages in Kiribati
In Kiribati, wells that supply water are increasingly affected by saltwater intru-sion due to high tides, sea level rise, and the increased frequency of storms and tropical cyclones. This makes the water unfit for people to drink, severely impacting health and wellbeing. The Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology, Sydney and the Kiribati Climate Action Network, under a grant from USAID’s Pacific-American Climate Fund, are working to help communities ensure sufficient wa-ter for basic health and hygiene under a changing climate. A two-day training of
trainers was held with community fa-cilitators involved in water supply and adaptation planning. The aim of the workshop was to prepare the local facilitators to undertake an analysis of viable drinking water supply options. This analysis allows communities to better understand the impacts of cli-mate change on their water supply and to identify indicators which signal when a new water source should be utilized. Using the learning-by-doing approach, the participants learned techniques to explain complex issues in simple terms.
