Understanding Coastal Change Toolkit Development Workshop

A toolkit for teaching coastal erosion is been prepared by the Micronesia Conservation Trust (MCT), the Pacific Islands Managed and Protected Area Community (PIMPAC) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC). These are the same organizations that prepared the "Adapting to a Changing Climate" Flipchart and Toolkit. This workshop is bringing together coastal experts to work with community members, Government and Non-Government Organizations to share information and experiences with coastal erosion issues. The outcome of these workshops is the development of a toolkit for coastal erosion awareness. The team of coastal experts and facilitators met previously in Palau and during this week, they met in Kosrae.

Workshop participants preparing a map about the features of a shoreline and the impacts of erosion and accretion.

Coastal engineers, Mr. Doug Ramsay from NIWA and Dr. Arthur Webb from SOPAC, were the principal consultants.  FSM PACC joined other Government and NGO's  to learn and share coastal erosion issues on Kosrae. There is a need to educate the people about what causes coastal erosion and what is needed to make us less vulnerable to its negative effects. Coastal erosion has been addressed by engineering projects, which are temporary solutions, that can cause damage in nearby areas. With tis toolkit on Coastal erosion, Government Officials, Utilities Companies and the general public will receive the information required for protecting our coastline, the people and the infrastructure.

The workshop was held the last week of January, with three days of meetings and one afternoon of field trip at one of the islands threatened coastline at Malem Municipality.  Funds for the workshop were provided by MCT, PIMPAC, TNC and the Coping with Climate Change in the Pacific Region Program from the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GIZ-CCPIR).

Field trip to Malem coast

 

Related information on blog posted on May 8, 2013. "Coastal Engineer Updates the Kosrae Shoreline Management Plan of 2000".

Extreme El Niños Could Hit Twice As Often - Yahoo News

Extreme El Niños Could Hit Twice As Often - Yahoo Newshttp://news.yahoo.com/extreme-el-ni-os-could-hit-twice-often-180222387.html?soc_src=copy

Merging of Kosrae Disaster Coordination Office and FSM PACC

PACC PMU is actively involved in the revision of the draft Kosrae disaster management plan. The impacts of climate change variability, now proven as it leads to different catastrophe and affecting the livelihood of the people. This plan was formulated few years back but still has some gaps that needed to be incorporated. The current substance of the report does not include climate change and risk reduction, hence the revision now inclusive of climate change and disaster risk as required by Kosrae state law 10-2 (CC Act 2011). As a result of the State Law 10-2 (CC Legislation), Governor Jackson executed an MOU merging Kosrae Disaster  Coordination Office (DCO) and FSM PACC as one office to be consistent to the CC legislation. This is also timely for  enactment of the FSM national climate change policy and disaster risk reduction passed by FSM congress in September 2013.

Both Offices share the new Disaster Coordination building in Tofol, Kosrae since December 9th.

 

Building in the Coastal Zone Recomendations Information Package

The FSM PACC and KIRMA ( Kosrae Island Resources Management Authority) had produced and is available for the public, recomendations for building in the coastal zone for those who do not own land upland. This information package can be obtained at the Housing Program at DREA, Dept. of Resources and Economic Affairs), the FSM Development Bank, KIRMA and the FSM PACC office. It includes information on how far to build from the shoreline and how to reduce the vulnerability of structures in the coastal zone.

This information was developed by Coastal Engineer, Mr. Doug Ramsay. He came back this last summer to update the Kosrae Shoreline Management Plan and make suggestions on how to become less vulnerable to the expected changes in climate. The information is provided in Kosraean language and includes building and taking care of the coastal zone, the mangroves and sand mining.

                                      The information Package for building in the coastal zone.

Consultant to Prepare Proposal for Upscaling the Work on the Pilot Road in Okat.

Mr. Jonathan W. McCue, from Sustainable Seas, is a consultant who came to Kosrae to prepare a proposal regarding the FSM PACC Project. He is to make an assessment of the pilot road project in Okat. He will prepare a proposal to funding organizations to upscale the work on the road, so it can be replicated in other roads in Kosrae and the other FSM States,. Other uses of the funds to be requested will be used to implement the Kosrae Strategic Development Plan for 2014-2023 and the Shoreline Management Plan. Mr. McCue made a courtesy visit to Kosrae Governor, Honorable Lyndon Jackson on December 3rd and the Kosrae State Legislature on the 4th.

Pilot program for Climate Resiliense (PPCR)

The Federated States of Micronesia has been chosen as one of the three countries in the Pacific Ocean to participate in the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience, PPCR. This project is a joint program between SPREP, SPC, PIFS, ADB and the World Bank. It aims to pilot and demonstrate ways in which climate risk and resilience may be integrated into National, Sectorial and Local development planning and action. The project seeks to merge disaster risks with climate change. The project will last for 33 months.

Two consultants from SPREP came on the first week of December to meet with the stakeholders of climate change adaptation and disaster agencies. They are Mr. Andre Volandras, PPCR Program Manager and Mr. Aaron Buncle, the project's  Mainstreaming Specialist. They made a courtesy visit to Kosrae Governor, Honorable Lyndon Jackson. They also met with the Governor's Cabinet Members to explain them the scope of the PPCR Project.

Kosrae was selected because his previous work done on the island like the State Law 10-2, The Shoreline Management Plan, Regulations for  Developing Projects,etc.

 

From left to right: Hon. Lyndon Jackson, Mr. Andre Volandras, Mr. Simpson Abraham and Mr. Aaron Buncle.

 

 

 

Project presented to Governor's Cabinet members.

 

FSM fighting to lower greenhouse gas emissions under Montreal Protocol

19 November 2013, Gender day UNFCCC , Warsaw Poland - Here at the UN Climate talks, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is supporting a proposal for the Montreal Protocol to take action to reduce HFC's, by doing so this will contribute to the UNFCCC goal of limiting greenhouse gases.
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC's) are a common thread between the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Montreal Protocol. In taking action against them within the Montreal Protocol this will help ensure the two international agreements complement each other.
HFC's are factory-made chemicals used in refrigeration, air conditioning and fire suppressants. They are known as super greenhouse gases which are hundreds to thousands times more powerful than carbon dioxide and are replacements for the gases which have damaged the ozone layer that have been banned under the Montreal Protocol.
As they do not deplete the ozone layer, the emissions of HFCs are included in the "basket of gases" under the Kyoto Protocol. FSM agrees the most effective way to control the manmade gases such as HFC's is to reduce manufacturing them. The best way to do so is to include this under the Montreal Protocol.
The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of substances responsible for ozone depletion.

"As we see it, this will complement the UNFCCC process. We believe this approach as we have to take all the steps we can to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are on the frontline of climate change, we must try everything we can - pursue all initiatives," said H.E Ambassador Jane Chigiyal, Permanent Representative to the United Nations for FSM.
"We believe that a proposal from the European Union is very similar to our approach towards this. We all have the same mutual goal to close the emissions gap and we think that doing so through the Montreal Protocol to reduce HFC's would make a difference. "
According to a brief on HFCs, this gas currently represents about 1% of all greenhouse gas emissions but is the fastest growing in the world, increasing by as much as 10 - 15% per year.
Without action now, HFC emissions are projected to increase to as much as 20% of total greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
"If we fail to prevent the growth of HFC's, this will undermine efforts to limit global average temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celsius," said Chigiyal.
"There is growing support for this within the Montreal Protocol and we will continue trying."
FSM also holds a seat on the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties which provides guidance for ongoing work of the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocool, organisation of sessions and operation of the Secretariat. It also provides advice to the President of the COP and takes decisions when it comes to overall management of the intergovernmental process.
FSM has a delegation of five at the 19th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention to Climate Change which is held in Warsaw, Poland from 11 to 22 November.

 

Nanette Woonton | Media and Public Relations Officer<br> Attachée de relations publiques<br> <b>Phone</b> | +685 21929 +685 21929 FREE end_of_the_skype_highlighting Ext 305 | Fax | +685 20231 | Website | www.sprep.org | Email | nanettew@sprep.org |