5th Annual Public Health and Hospital Emergency Preparedness Summit

Participants from the four States and the National Government (Office of Environment and Emergency Management), participated on the 5th  Annual Public Health and Hospital Emergency Preparedness Summit which was held on Kosrae from April 14 - 17. FSM PACC Coordinator, Mr. Simpson Abraham, made a presentation about climate change and how could affect the health of the people of the FSM. He talked about how changes in the future climate as more rainfall, will cause more floods and mosquitoes breeding, leading to more mosquito borne diseases as Dengue fever.. He also mentioned the saltwater intrusion that is affecting taro patches in the FSM's atolls, as a result of the sea level rise,which can endanger the food security of the islanders.

Climate Change and Mangroves

The Climate Change awareness team visited  Lelu Elementary School to show an instructional video on Climate Change and how affects our mangroves. This video, prepared by  the Pacific Climate Education Partnership, PCEP from Hawaii with our local experts from KIRMA,  FSM PACC Project, the DOE’s PREL Project and the Science Coordinator; was presented to 3, 4 and 5^th grade students.

Mrs. Ruthey M. Luckymis from KIRMA presents the video to 3rd grade students.

 

 This video includes interviews to mangrove users and we selected Senior Citizens of both sexes to describe us the changes occurred in our mangroves, its tress and animals.  Students had the opportunity to learn about changes degrading the ecosystem and how to minimize negative effects to make us less vulnerable to the expected changes in future climate. After each presentation, we met with the teachers to ask them suggestions to improve the video depending on age group.

Carlos Cianchini from FSM PACC talks about mangrove trees to 5th grade students.

Pilot Project for Climate Resiliense, PPCR

The first week of March, week we received the visit of SPREP’s consultant, Mr. Aaron Buncle.  He came for the PPCR  project  (Pilot Project for Climate Resilience). This project aims to pilot and demonstrate ways in which climate risk and resilience may be integrated into National, State and Sectorial development planning.  Mr.  Buncle met with local agencies and organizations during the week and facilitated a worshop last Friday.  Policy processes were recollected from the participants to fine tune to achieve results. Mr. Buncle is met with  National agencies in Pohnpei during the 3rd week of March.

Mr. Aaron Buncle

 

Another  team of consultants came to Kosrae during the second  week of April  to work on the development of SPC’s Pilot Project for Climate Resilience (PPCR). The objective of this project is to improve the use of local, National and regional knowledge and information on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. This will strengthen the capacity to manage climate change risks to food security and the critical infrastructure. The consultants met with the Governor and the project’s Steering Committee members on Monday. The rest of the week, the consultants met with the different stakeholders from Fisheries, Agriculture, Water and Coastal Zone Management to gather information of current status of work and their needs. Kosrae and Christmas Island were selected among the different countries in the Pacific to carry on this project.

 

The consultants team was composed by Bruce Chapman ( leader), Arthur Webb ( coastal processess), Ian White (Water), Mary Taylor (agriculture) and Ursula        ( fisheries).

 

The Kosrae Shoreline Management Plan – Repositioning for Resilience

Last March 21^st , The Kosrae Shoreline Management Plan, was officially presented to Kosrae Governor Honorable Lyndon H. Jackson. During the closing ceremonies of the 4^th FSM Environmental Conference, Mr. Fenno Brunken of the German Cooperation Agency (GIZ), gave the Governor the document. The new Plan is a revised and updated version of the original one prepared in the year 2000.

On July 2012, a group of consultants came to Kosrae for this project. The consultants were Mr. Douglas Ramsay, a coastal engineer at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) in New Zealand; Dr. Arthur Webb, a coastal process advisor with SOPAC and Mr. Fenno Brunken , a CC advisor with GIZ. They met wih the Governor and different stakeholders.

 

During April 2013, Mr. Ramsay came to Kosrae and met with the Governor, his Cabinet, the State Legisature, representatives of the housing and utilities, the engineers and the general public in the five villages. He presented the varied impacts of coastal erosion and some adaptation strategies to make us more resilient to the expected changes in the futures. Sea walls are temporary solutions, a best alternative will be moving inland. Extreme changes are not expected in two generations, but we should nonetheless begin preparing now.

 

The consultants suggested the rehabilitation and improvement of the existing farm roads as an alternative to the threatened coastal road. These roads will be climate proofed with the guidelines to be developed from the FSM PACC Pilot Road Project. Mr. Ramsay based his analysis of the Kosrae’s coastal erosion by his extensive experience on the island from 1998 – 2000, while working for Kosare Resource Management Authority (KIRMA). He prepared the Original Kosrae Shoreline Management Plan of the year 2000.

 

This Management Plan was funded by the German Technical Cooperation Agency, GIZ and SPC North Pacific.

 

 

To download a copy of the Kosrae Shoreline Management Plan, please go to kosraecoast.com

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