Palau commences climate change and disaster risk finance assessment

With a view to advancing Palau’s national climate change and disaster risk management priorities, representatives from government ministries, state governments and non-governmental organisations gathered in Koror this week to participate in the Introductory Workshop for Palau’s Climate Change and Disaster Risk Finance Assessment.

A joint assessment team led by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), with the Pacific Community (SPC) and the USAID/SPC Institutional Strengthening in Pacific Islands Countries to Adapt to Climate Change (ISACC) Project and in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Palau, will be consulting with a broad range of stakeholders throughout the assessment from 14th – 22nd February.

Opening the workshop in Koror, Director of the Bureau of Budget and Planning, Mr. Casmir Remengesau highlighted the challenge for Small Island Developing States in planning for and responding to climate change and the need for access to global resources. Of the assessment he stated, “It will strengthen our ability to access global climate finance to address national adaptation and mitigation priorities”. The United States Ambassador to Palau, Ms. Amy Hyatt, stated “Pacific leaders have identified climate change as one of the top five regional priorities. In response to this, the United States is pleased to be able to provide assistance and contribute to this joint undertaking by United States Agency for International Development, the Government of Palau, the Pacific Community and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat”.

The joint mission team will undertake an assessment on the practical application of options for improved access to, and management of, climate change and disaster risk finance for Palau. Palau is the eighth Pacific Island Country to undertake a national climate change and disaster risk finance assessment.

The assessment and resulting report and recommendations will identify opportunities to develop or update relevant policies and plans, strengthen human capacity, enhance institutional coordination and ensure that cross-cutting issues like gender and social inclusion are mainstreamed and supported.

This is beneficial not only to support improved and direct access to international climate finance mechanisms, but will also enhance donor confidence and utilisation of country systems more broadly.

The Palau Climate Change Office under the Bureau of Budget and Planning, Ministry of Finance are an integral partner in this work. The team will return to Palau to present and validate their preliminary findings with stakeholders in April 2017. The assessment has been made possible through support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/ Pacific Community (SPC) Institutional Strengthening for Adaptation to Climate Change (ISACC) Project.

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Palau

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