Honiara, 17 April 2025 – The Tina River Hydropower Development Project Office (TRHDP PO) today held a meeting with the Water Resources Division of the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification (MMERE) on 16 April, aimed at deepening collaboration on environmental safeguards and advancing biodiversity and water resource management in the Tina River.
The meeting was attended by Director Richard Molea and Deputy Director Robert Iromalefo of the Water Division, alongside Project Office representatives Mr. John Korinihona (Deputy Project Manager), Mr. Sahibzada Tanzeel (Environmental and Social Safeguards Manager), and Mr. Daniel Tuhanuku (E&S Impact Coordinator).
Director Molea provided an overview of the Water Division's regulatory and policy functions, underlining its critical role in national water resource governance, early warning system (EWS) planning and sustainable watershed protection.
Key discussions centered on the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Technical Assistance program, which supports the Government of Solomon Islands commitment to conservation and regulatory enhancement. The program includes:
- Technical support for the draft Water Resources Bill, including concessional finance parties review and development of secondary legislation.
- Institutional capacity building for the implementation of water-related policy frameworks.
- Development of a long-term, revolving biodiversity offset financing mechanism, ensuring sustainable conservation of critical habitats around the project area.
Mr. Tanzeel reaffirmed the Project Office’s support for these initiatives, stating:
“While these actions may proceed independently of the Tina River Project, this meeting served as a vital checkpoint to explore how the Project Office can align efforts with MMERE Water Division to deliver long-term environmental and community resilience.”
A significant outcome of the meeting was the mutual understanding to strengthen inter-agency collaboration, particularly around:
- Catchment management and protection efforts led under the Core Land and Upper Catchment Biodiversity Management Plans;
- Early Warning Systems (EWS); and
- Capacity-sharing arrangements for monitoring and enforcement of water use and conservation in vulnerable upstream areas.
The Project Office also reiterated its ongoing commitment to support the institutional strengthening, including technical expertise for these legislative tools and to build operational capacities within MMERE. The meeting marks a renewed and strategic commitment to working together on environmental sustainability goals, while also fostering a whole-of-government approach to biodiversity protection and climate resilience planning.
The Project Office will now consult internally and with the developer and other stakeholders to assess the best approach for potential project alignment with ADB’s Technical Assistance deliverables, especially as they relate to the broader objectives of the Environmental and Social Management Plans and the Biodiversity Offset Strategy.
Caption: Sahibzada Tanzeel (Project Office ESSM), Richard Molea (Director Water Resources Management Division/MMERE), John Korinihona Deputy Project Manager PO, Robert Iromalefo Deputy Director Water Resources Management Division.
For more information, contact:
Communications Officer: Jeanine Gadepeta email: jeanine.gadepeta@tina-hydro.com
Tina Hydropower development project
+677 25133
About Tina River Hydro Development Project (TRHDP)
The first large scale renewable energy project for the Solomon Islands delivering benefits such as more affordable electricity and improved accessibility to cleaner, more reliable energy sources for communities now and in the future. It is being implemented by the Solomon Island Government with financing and support from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, the Asian Development Bank, the Government of Australia, the Green Climate Fund, Korea EX-IM Economic Development Cooperation Fund, and the World Bank.
Find out more on www.tina-hydro.com
A National Project of Solomon Islands | Tina River Hydropower Tina River Hydropower is a National Project of Solomon Islands and has as its objective to provide more affordable and reliable energy options to Honiara. www.tina-hydro.com |
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