Loss & Damage in Micronesia

Solar Power Systems for Walung Village Households

Robert from KUA, shows the equipment to the people from Walung.

On December 13, The first solar power systems were delivered to Walung village. On that date, a meeting was held with the community members and the Kosrae Utilities Authority, The Hon. Lt. Governor Carson Sigrah, and FSM PACC Coordinator, Mr. Simpson Abraham. Fifty two systems are going to be deployed on every house in the village. Walung is in the west coast of Kosrae, and it is not connected to the main power grid of Kosrae. These systems are to provide electricity for light bulbs to help the students to study during night time. The light bulbs are LED's, which consume less electricity than regular or fluorescent bulbs. The system will also be able to recharge cellular phones and listen to the radio station by means of a radio provided. Each household will pay a fee, based in the quantity of light bulbs installed, the price is still in negotiation. This fee will enable to replace damaged parts. With this system, Walung residents will lower their carbon footprint by reducing the use of kerosene and batteries for their lamps. This project is funded by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and the European Union's Renewable Energy Project. It is being executed by the Kosrae Utilities Authority, in collaboration with the Kosrae State Government and FSM PACC Project.

Gifford from KUA, installing a solar panel. Photo by Simpson Abraham.

Simpson Abraham, Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change Project Coordinato...

Simpson Abraham, Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change Project Coordinato...

Simpson Abraham, Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change Project Coordinato...

Loss & Damage in Micronesia

Climate change compensation emerges as major issue at Doha talks | Global development | guardian.co.uk

Climate change compensation emerges as major issue at Doha talks | Global development | guardian.co.uk

Pacific Climate Change: Climate change impacts bring Loss and Damage to FSM

Pacific Climate Change: Climate change impacts bring Loss and Damage to FSM

Kosrae: Another Sinking Island | The Verb

Kosrae: Another Sinking Island | The Verb

FSMPACC National Coordinator Presents Loss & Damage Report at the UN Climate Change Conference COP 18, Doha, Qatar

                                         

Mr. Simpson Abraham, the National Coordinator of the FSM Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change Project; attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Doha, Qatar. A side event  called “ Pioneering Study Shows Evidence of Loss and Damage Today  from the Front lines of Climate Change: Vulnerable Communities Beyond Adaptation?”, was held on Monday, November 26.  Mr. Abraham  presented the Loss and Damage report  from Kosrae, Micronesia. He joined four more experts who discussed the findings based in nearly 1,800 households interviews and 200 focus groups and stakeholders discussions conducted in Bangladesh, Buthan, Gambia, Kenya and Micronesia.

For more information on Policy reports with case studies, press releases and fact sheets please visit www.lossanddamage.net 

The Loss and Damage in Vulnerable Countries Initiative was initiated by the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) in order to move forward the debate on loss and damage for the benefit of the least developed countries (LDCs) and other vulnerable countries. The GoB requested assistance from the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN).

CDKN has appointed a consortium of organizations - UN University-Institute for Environmental and Human Security (UNU-EHS), Germanwatch, International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) and Munich Climate Insurance Initiative (MCII) - to carry out this work.

                      

                         

 

Mr. Abraham presented the Kosrae Loss and Damage Case Study Report, UNFCCC high level segment conference in Doha, Qatar- COP 18.

Poor hit by climate damage despite adaptation - study - AlertNet

Poor hihttp://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/poor-hit-by-climate-damage-despite-adaptation-study/

Disaster Management Training

During the week from November 12 until the 16th, we participate in a State disaster management training. We learned how to  do Initial Damage Assessments and to work on an Emergency Operation Center. We  practice using examples of anthropogenic and climate related emergencies. This training was sponsored by  USAID, The Asia Foundation, SPC and the FSM National Government's Office of Environment & Emergency Management.

Government officials, Private sector and NGO's practicing their roles at the Emergency Operation Center during a typhoon drill.

Administrative Officer

Meet our new Administrative Officer, Mr. Ginny T. Jose. He begun working with us since October 8th, 2012. He is from Malem village, Kosrae. He has prior experience in financial and administrative matters from his U.S. Marine Corps service. His appointment will help us to concentrate more on our tasks.

Media Training

FSM PACC project assistant, Carlos Cianchini attended a week long training on using the media as a way to educate the people. The training was held in Pohnpei during October 8-12, and was sponsored by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, SPC. During the training, we learn the different kinds of media such as radio, TV and written press. The last three days we divided in groups by media and two themes, climate change and energy, to practice what we learn. Carlos was included in the written media about climate change. This group produced two posters and a brochure.

Participants for the Media Training came from Palau, FSM and the Marshall Islands. Kosrae group included KIRMA's environmental educator, Ruthey M. Luckymis and Historic Preservation Office information specialist, Swenson Thompson.

Kosrae State Fair

The Kosrae State Fair was held for two days, September 20 &21th. Farmers and fishermen brought their products to compete for the best of the different varieties of  farm produce and fishes. The FSM PACC and its partners like KIRMA and the  environmental NGO, KCSO, had booths with information. The PACC project display included the Public Announcement about El Nino current which as been detected beginning last August and the days in which we expect higher tides. Not many people came to the information booths, but the Public Announcement was given to the four Mayors and the broadcast news manager for radio dissemination. Mayor were interested in this prediction and told us they will spread the news and check their river dams to check for leaks to be less vulnerable to the expected drought. On Monday, 24th, we heard the radio announcing the prediction of a drought that might affect Micronesia. We will keep updating the drought prediction as more information reaches us.

Utwe students reading the PACC booth display about El Nino current and the expected drought.

PACC Project Mid Term Review

We received the visit of Mr. Peter Hunnam, the consultant from SPREP who came to conduct the project Mid Term Review. He stayed on the island from the 15th until the 18th of September. He met with members of the FSM PACC Steering Committee and other stakeholders. Even thought we revised all aspects of the project, Peter got more information regarding the climate proofing of the road. After analyzing the data he collected, he will give us suggestions to improve our work.

Mr. Peter Hunnam meets with Mr. Simpson Abraham and Mr. Weston Lukymis, director of the Department of Transportation & Infrastructure.

PACC Gender Assessment

From September 11th to the 14th, we received the visit of Mrs. Sarah Whitfield, a consultant from SPREP. She came to make a gender assessment on the PACC project.  She met on the 12th, with representatives of the women and youth groups. She gather information on the roles of males and females on our society and how the PACC pilot project addresses gender issues. The next two days she met individually with Mrs. Salome Martin, the president of the Kosrae Women's Association, Mr. Bell Tosie, The  Kosrae State Youth and Gender Coordinator and Mr. Richard Sigrah and wife Lila, residents of the Okat road, which is the road pilot project. Some of the findings were that many women from did not have idea about the project scope. More recommendations will be delivered after the analysis of information collected in the island. This recommendations will help us improve target gender related issues of our project.

Sarah meets members of women and youth groups.

              Sarah interviewed Richard and Lila about the avantages and disanvantages of the road.

For more information on gender mainstreaming, we have the document " Stocktake of the Gender Mainstreaming Capacity of Pacific Island Government - Federated States of Micronesia ", edited  by Treva Braum, SPC 2012. Contact us for an electronic copy.

El Nino Conditions Developing in the Pacific Ocean

 By mid-August, atmospheric indicators such as weakening of the trade winds and the northward movement of the South Pacific Convergence Zone, indicated a renewed response in the atmosphere to the unfolding El Nino Event. Climate models continue to show further warming across the tropical Pacific Ocean, with temperatures exceeding El Nino thresholds expected before the end of September 2012.

El Nino conditions bring below average rainfall to most part of the Pacific, especially to those places west of the dateline and also to the south. From December 2012 to May 2013, we expect to see below average rainall and perhaps very much below average across the western Pacific.

Information from " Climate Change Matters", Issue 5, September 2012. SPREP's Climate Change Division Newsletter. Image from "Adapting to a Changing Climate" Micronesia Conservation Trust and The Nature Conservancy on behalf of the Micronesia Challenge.

Kizuna Project

 The Kizuna ( Bonds of Friendship) Project is an iniciative between The University of the South Pacific and  the Government of Japan.  This project goal is to build closer relations amongst the youth of Pacific Islands countries and Japan. The Project will provide fully funded two week study tours to Japan for students at the High School and College level. Some of the activities to be done at the trip will include historical and industrial sites, exchange program with schools and volunteer in a community affected by the 2011 earthquake. Fourteen countries fron Oceania will be part of this iniciative. These are Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Is., Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Is., Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and the FSM.  Twenty two students from the FSM were selected to participate, nine of them from Kosrae, twelve from Pohnpei and one from Chuuk. The travel schedule for the FSM studends will be from Spetember 15 until
October 1st.

                                  
                                         Simpson meets with the students and their parents.

Malem Village CC Vulnerability Meeting

On August 20, PACC project was invited by the local environmental NGO, KCSO; to meet with Malem village elders to discuss the vulnerability of  the coast and the upland forest to climate change. Participants included the mayor, farmers, government officials and others. The CC flipchart was used to give some information to the participants on good and bad practices that can can be expected. Aftewards, we split the group in three sub groups to gather their thoughts on their resources, climate threats and non climate threats.
Malem community is organizing to have protected areas in both the coastal-marine and upland (watershed) environments.

3rd Multiparite Review Meeting

During the week of August 7-12, thirdteen Oceania countries met at Yaren, Nauru for the PACC 3rd Multi Partite Meeting. The purpose of this meeting was to review the status of the 13 PACC projects in the Pacific. Also, the participants reviewed the new PACC Plus Funding from the Australian Government. Kosrae was nominated to host the next Multi Partite Review, that will bring over 40 participants from Oceania.

Loss and Damage interviews finished.

Curt, Kaiulani and John help Iris and Ginny with the data imput.  

The first week of August, the ten enumerators finished the questionaires, for a total of 364 households in the coastal areas of Kosrae. The enumerators collected information on the impacts of coastal erosion and high tides in the coastal residents. Also, fifteen in depth interviews were done, relating to coastal erosion. The people interviewed talk about different aspects of the effects of coastal erosion as fisheries, cultual sites, tourism, business, state laws and other. The data imput into the computer was finished on August 8. The results will be analized by Miss Iris Monnerau during September and October. These results will be presented by Miss Monnerau and the FSM PACC project director, Mr. Simpson Abraham next November, in Qatar. Qatar will be the venue for the Convention Of Parties (COP) of the United Nations Convention to Climate Change ( UNCCC). The data provided by this project will inform desition makers about the situation in Kosrae and add important imformation for project proposals and grants seeking.

 Iris and Simpson explain the project to the Kosrae State Legislators.

Iris and Simpson met with Malem senior citizens to gather information of changes during time. They comented of activities done that affected the coast.

Analysis of the households surveys on Loss and Damage.

Ginny and Iris imputing the data.

The data input from the loss and damage surveys has begun today. The enumerator in charge is Mr. Ginny Jose. He has been recolecting the 211 surveys being finished to date, waiting for the software needed to analize the data. Last week, they received the statistical analysis software, SPSS. The ten surveyors have interviewed half of the expected 400 households for this survey. Apart from the socio economic questions, there are open questions where the people could tell their experiences with extreme weather events, which have affected them. Results from this surveys will be produced after their analysis during August and September, and then presented in October in an international meeting at the University of the United Nations in Bonn, Germany. Eigth countries from Africa and Asia will present their data, mostly on the effects of droughts. Kosrae's coastal data will be the only Oceania's country represented in this meeting.

Osamu and Elsina giving Ginny their surveys

Meet Miss Iris Monnereau, consultant of FSM PACC Project

On July 2, the FSM PACC Project received the visit of  Miss Iris Monneraeu. She comes from the Netherlands, to work as a consultant to interpret the data of the Loss & Damage and  the Socio-economic surveys. She gave a  two days workshop to ten enumerators and a note taker on how to conduct the surveys. Four hundred households around the island will be interviewed to obtain socio-economic data and the negative impacts of climate change issues on their properties. There are three enumerators from Lelu and Tafunsak and two for Utwe and Malem municipalities.

On July 5th, the enumerators were taken to Lelu Municipality to practice the data collecting for the surveys. The survey will beging on July 9th,and will continue for a month.                                                                 

Consultants on coastal erosion came to Kosrae

On July 6th, we received the visit of three consultants on shoreline management. They are, Mr. Doug Ramsey, a coastal engineer from the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd., New Zealand. Mr Ramsey, knows Kosrae shoreline very well. He spent two years (1998-2000) in Kosrae, studying our coastline. He published the Kosrae Shoreline Management Plan in the year 2000. Dr. Arthur Webb, a coastal process advisor with SOPAC in Fiji and Mr Fenno Brunken, a climate change advisor with the German Technical Cooperation Agency , based in Pohnpei. Next day, they went with the PACC team to make a rapid assessment of Kosrae's coastline. They analized the current status of the shoreline and the best practices to be less vulnerable to the effects of storm surges.

From left to rigth, Mr. Abraham, Mr. Ramsey, Mr. Brunken, Dr. Webb and Miss Monnereau.

On July 9th, the consultants met with Mr. Simpson Abraham and the Governor, Hon. Lyndon Jackson. Then they met with different stakeholders. They shared with us some recommendations on what is needed to become more resilient to the damage done by storm surges. Their recommendations included the relocation of the coastal road with the infrastructure to higher grounds and the first areas to be targeted. They explained us that using coastal defenses will be only a short term solution. They also emphasised that now is the time to apply to donor agencies for money because the uncertaintantly of funds in the future. The three consultants told us to plan in terms of one or two generations ahead, so we need to begin now.

Mr. Ramsey explaining his recomendations to the participants

Field Trip on Awane Marine Park

photo: Liza S. Simpson

On the second day of the Youth to Youth summer camp, we met with 29 students from Lelu. Carlos gave a lecture about Lelu's proposed marine protected area, Awane Marine Park. Students learned that protected areas reduce the vulnerability to the negative effects of climate change. After the lecture about the importance of the protected area, students were taken for a field trip. We taught the students about the flora and fauna found  in the area.

Youth to Youth Sumer Program

During the week of June 25-29, we participate of KCSO's Youth to Youth Summer program. The FSM PACC project joined KCSO, YELA, KIRMA and DREA in the awareness program for 5, 6 & 7th grade students during summer vacation. One hundred five students from all municipalities participated on the first day. This year theme is Kosrae's Protected Areas. On the fist day, FSMPACC's summer intern, Liza Abraham, gave  a lecture, "Protected Areas and Climate Change".  The rest of the week, we are visiting the proposed protected areas in each village with the students of that municipality.

Loss and Damage workshop and Project

 FSMPACC Project Coordinator, Mr. Simpson Abraham, attended a Loss and Damage workshop in Manila, Phillipines during May 15 - 19.
  The workshop was organized by the United Nations University in Bonn, Germany. Loss and damage is a new concept in climate change research and are the negative effects of climate variability and change that households and communities have not been able to cope with or adapt to.
  A survey of 400 households in Kosrae will begin in July  for a month. These interviews will assess how coastal erosion causes losses and damage among people living in the coastal zone of Kosrae. This study will contribute to a better understanding of what combinations of policies can decrease loss and damage and increase resilience in small island states.
  More information on this project will be posted when the survey begins.

Intern working with us.

Miss Liza S. Abraham is an intern with the FSM PACC project. She is a marine science student in the College of Micronesia National Campus at Pohnpei. She wants to continue studies on her field of studies. She will be working with us for two months. She has the opportunity to gather some skills at our office. Yesterday she was involved in a Question and Answer radio program about the World Environmental Day. We are glad to have her with us, not many kosraean women pursue careers in the environment.

PACC project assistant, Carlos Cianchini, attended a 3D modeling workshop in Honiara, Solomon Islands during the week of May 21-25.  "Participatory Mapping and Community Empowerment for Climate Change Adaptation Planning and Advocacy" train us to prepare three dimension maps to gather local knowledge from the community members to be use in decision making. The workshop was organized by the UNDP ( United Nations Development Program), TNC (The Nature Conservancy) and CTA (The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation) . Carlos presented the PACC project in Kosrae to the workshop participants. High School students prepared a model of Naro area ( Guadalcanal Is.) with their resources and infrastructure. We found that these model are a great tool for gather traditional information of the peoples resources. The community can plan infrastructure needed and avoid projects that would affect their homes and livelihood. We plan to build our own model of the pilot project to see future land use patterns. Other maps could be made for communities who want to set aside protected areas, so they can have their input taken in account. We want to thank Mr. Giacomo Rambaldi and his team for the training. Thanks also for UNDP and the PACC Project for the invitation to assist this workshop.

2008 wave damage to coastal areas

During December 2008 king tides, bad weather produced big waves that affected the coastal infrastructure.

  The main road, which is in the coastal area gets a lot of debris from the beach.

Some houses were affected by the big waves.

Photos: KIRMA

                       

Awareness community visits

                                                         Tafunsak senior citizens.

                                            Malem senior citizens sharing their knowledge.

Awareness Program

Kosrae State has a team of climate change educators. It's interdisciplinary compositon includes environmental educators on  marine ecology, invasive species, terrestrial ecosystems, infrastructure, educators, etc.  They come from the government, non government organizations and community based organizations. FSMPACC is also represented in the group. We have begun conducting community visits to all the villages, focusing first on the senior citizens. We target this group to gather information about the climate before and the changes they have noticed. With this valuable information from our elders, we can share it with younger generations.

Technical Support

To better understand Kosrae's climate, we installed meteorological instruments. These equipments records tide levels, rainfall and solar radiation data that is transmitted via satellite to the FSM National Weather Service in Pohnpei and to the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd. in New Zealand for analysis.

 To make Okat coastal road more resilient and less vunerable to sea level rise, the road is being raised between one to two feet ( 30-60 cm.) and the twelve inches (30 cm.) culverts are replaced for 36 inches (90cm) diameter pipes.

Kosrae State is the first country in Oceania to include climate change adaptation measures into future development activities in a law. Here is the first page of  Kosrae State Law 10-2, 2011

The implementing Agencies of the PACC project are: United Nations Development Program, UNDP; Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme,SPREP; The Government of the Federated States of Micronesia and funded by the Global Environment Facility, GEF. In Kosrae, the Project Management Unit is Kosrae Island Resources Management Authority and the implementing office is the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure.

FSM PACC Project Coordinator

                                                              Mr. Simpson Abraham

" Piloting Climate Change Adaptation in Road Infrastructure in the Coastal Zone in Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia". This project will increase resilience of the socio-economic infrastructure and the adaptive capacity of coastal communities to the negative impacts of sea level rise. 80% of the population and infrastructure is located in the coastal zone.

FSM PACC Definition and Goal

 Federated States of Micronesia's Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change. Our goal is to reduce vulnerability and increase adaptive capacity to the adverse effects of climate change in the coastal zone management sector.