Ensuring that the people in six outer islands of Chuuk, Pohnpei and Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) have access to clean water for consumption and are managing their water systems well to ensure their health and safety, was the main objective of a training carried out by the FSM Adaptation Fund (AF) Project in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Whilst the focus of the FSM AF project is to implement water security measures such as repairing water tanks and wells as an adaptation option to addressing continuous water shortages in six outer islands of the three States – Pohnpei, Chuuk and Yap, the need to address sanitation and hygiene is at the forefront of adaptation solutions.
Adaptation Adviser, Mr. Correy Abraham, in his opening remarks stated that “the training will help us, as a collaborative team, expand our project and link them to the importance of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene- the three simple things we always take for granted, but the three simple things that can strengthen our resilience in climate change.”
The next steps as discussed by participants to initiate WASH activities in the targeted outer islands will be to set-up organising committees comprising of different offices and organisations who are experts in water and waste management; develop standards to monitor and identify potential risks to water systems; and conduct evaluation surveys to better understand communities’ water and wastewater capacity.
The participants at the training for trainers were representatives from the project’s counterparts at State Government level such as Environment Protection Agency (EPA), and project operations and finance officers. These trained personnel are then expected to train representatives from the outer islands of the three States.
The virtual training was made possible through a partnership with UNICEF Pohnpei Office and the FSM AF Project.
Mr. Richard Moufa, Project Manager for the FSM AF project emphasised the importance of partnering with organisations such as UNICEF that has extensive experience and have tools in place to strengthen skillsets and knowledge in water, sanitation, and hygiene.
He stated the UNICEF commitment to partner with the project is instrumental in “providing technical guidance to develop and promote resilient WASH activities for communities to be able to function well and provide adequate water, sanitation and hygiene at all times in a changing climate”.
For more information, please contact Ms Filomena Nelson, Climate Change Adaptation Adviser, at [email protected].