Climate Change Resilience
The importance of climate change information and knowledge management (IKM) and its critical role in adaptation and resilience planning was at the core of discussions held with delegates from across the Government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and Griffith University.

The workshop which aimed to identify information and knowledge management needs and barriers in PNG was part of the Pacific iCLIM Project, which aims to enhance regional capacity in climate change IKM across the Pacific region.

The project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and is implemented by Griffith University in partnership with SPREP.

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Group photo of the workshop participants. Photo: Madeleine McGan

Hosted by the Office of Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA), the workshop saw participants agree on priority actions for establishing a strategic framework and work plan for the CCDA, as the lead government climate change agency.

Mr Alfred Rungol, Manager, Measurement Reporting and Verification & National Communication of CCDA highlighted their commitment to prioritising information and knowledge management to ensure better planning and decision making – "it's important that our communities across PNG have access to this information," said Mr Rungol.

Participants discussed challenges of information dissemination in PNG, including limited internet infrastructure in remote areas and language barriers. They also explored options for stronger inter-government collaboration, and the key enablers for successful implementation of the CCDA's IKM goals.

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During the workshop. Photo: Madeleine McGan

In closing the workshop Ms Emma Arasi, the Assistant Records and Archives officer of SPREP, re-iterated SPREP's support to its member countries for climate change information and knowledge management, "we're grateful for the attendance of the participants and their continued support for this project," said Ms Arasi.

PNG is one of four new countries participating in phase two of the Project, which also includes the Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa and Tuvalu. The Project builds on SPREP's Pacific Climate Change Portal, a go-to regional hub for climate change data, which was launched in 2012.

Direct link to the PCCP - https://pacificclimatechange.net/