Climate Change Resilience
"The launch of this project is the successful outcome of a challenging journey over the past 2 years by the Government of Vanuatu working with SPREP and the GCF to deliver this project." – Mr Stuart Chape, SPREP

Its history in the making for the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and Vanuatu as the island nation embarked on its very first fully funded Green Climate Fund Project, also the very first project of its kind for SPREP as an Accredited Implementing Entity to the GCF.

The USD 20.5M Vanuatu Climate Information Services for Resilient Development Project (CISRDP) will support the mainstreaming of climate change into five key development sectors; tourism, agriculture, fisheries, infrastructure and water; across national, provincial and community levels.

SPREP, as the only Pacific island regional Accredited Implementing Entity to the GCF is the implementing agency of this project with the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazards Department (VMGD) as the executing agency.

DSC 0084
Participants of the Vanuatu Climate Information Services for Resilient Development Project inception workshop. Photo: SPREP/P.Malsale

"SPREP will continue to grow its capability as an Accredited Entity so that it is better able to respond to and work with Members to access funding to deliver against their climate change and environmental priorities," presented Mr Stuart Chape, Acting Director General – Strategic Policy and Technical Programmes of SPREP.

"We hope this will be the first of many such projects in the region, and I acknowledge the partnership with, and leadership of, Vanuatu in securing this historic project."

Mr Stuart Chape presented at the opening ceremony of the inception workshop for the Vanuatu Climate Information Services for Resilient Development Project in Port Vila in February.

SPREP is guided by a new 10 year strategic plan for 2017 – 2026 endorsed by SPREP Members in 2016, the new strategic plan establishes climate change as the over-arching concern for SPREP's programme delivery over the coming decade, linked to increased emphasis on improving ocean and ecosystem governance and management.

Along with being an Accredited Implementing Entity to the GCF, SPREP is also a Regional Accredited Implementing Entity to the Adaptation Fund.

The inter-governmental regional organisation is working with the Federated States of Micronesia Department of the Environment Climate Change and Emergency Management this year, to deliver a USD 9M Project to enhance the climate change resilience of vulnerable communities in FSM.

While the Adaptation Fund Project in FSM will hold its inception workshop this month, February saw the inception workshop for the Green Climate Fund Project take place in Vanuatu. Both activities start 2018 in a positive light for the Pacific islands as they address the climate change challenges, with SPREP committed to achieving more.

"SPREP's role as an Accredited Entity for the GCF and the Adaptation Fund will strengthen our ability to deliver strategic plan outcomes for our Pacific island Members across the region," said Mr Chape.

"This goes hand in hand with an increased emphasis in basing SPREP project staff in-country to ensure better day-to-day support and service delivery to our Pacific island Member governments."

The CISRDP is a four year project in Vanuatu for which its official opening took place on Thursday 22 February, 2018.

SPREP became a Regional Implementing Entity under the Adaptation Fund of the Kyoto Protocol in November, 2013 and became an RIE to the Green Climate Fund in March, 2015.

The Climate Information Services for Resilient Development Project (CISDRP) spans four years from 2018 to 2021 with a total budget of USD 20.5M including a grant from the Green Climate Fund of USD 18.1M. The CISDRP is executed by the VMGD and SPREP, with the delivery partners, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), APEC Climate Centre (APCC) and the Australia Bureau of Meteorology (BoM).