The Network of Indigenous Peoples Solomons, (NIPS) welcomes the Green Climate Fund’s approval of USD86m for the Tina River Hydro Development Project recently in Sondong, South Korea.
Vice President and Coordinator of NIPs, Ms Aydah Gwaena Akao, who was part of the delegation says this is a milestone for Small Island Developing States and especially the Pacific region.
“What has transpired so far in the Tina River Hydro Project is the good work between indigenous land owners and community leaders; Tina River Hydro project Team; Provincial Government; National Government through the Ministries of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, (MECDM); the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification,(MMERE); the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (OPMC), Development Partners and all other stakeholders such as Civil Society Organisations of the country working collectively in a national project to mitigate the global challenge of Climate Change. This also sets the right direction for the Government’s engagement with its people together with International donors,” Ms Akao said.
NIPS also applauds the land owning tribes, chiefs and leaders of the surrounding communities of the Tina Hydro project including other communities in Guadalcanal and the Guadalcanal Province for consenting to such an important national project.
On the part of the Civil Society community, Akao says NIPS continues to look forward for future cooperation between relevant stakeholders in the country in national projects that will be beneficial to the people of Solomon Islands – most especially those that will allow full and equal participation and engagement of the People in the local communities including women and youth.
“The decision to finance climate change mitigation national projects like Tina River Hydro Development Project fulfils the Green Climate Fund’s mandate and objective to support a paradigm shift in the Global response to Climate change, in particular Least Developing Countries (LDCs), Small Island States (SIDS), and African States,” she adds.
Solomon Islands is a party to the UNFCCC and NIPS applauds the initiative the government and the important stakeholders have taken to be part of the collective human actions to respond to climate change through the GCF funding approval for Tina River Hydro development project as its national global obligation.
The GCF board also approved funds for seven other projects and programs – one each for Egypt, Tajikistan, Tanzania and India and two projects for Morocco.
The Green Climate fund was established by 194 countries who are party to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2010. (UNFCCC)
It is governed by 24 board members, representing various countries, and receives guidance from the Conference of the parties to the Convention (COP).
It is designed as an operating entity of the Convention’s financial mechanism and is headquartered in the Republic of Korea.
The GCF Mission is to expand collective human action to respond to climate change.
The fund aims to mobilize funding at scale to invest in low-emission and climate–resilient development on our home planet.
Aydah Gwaena Akao
Vice President and Coordinator
Network of Indigenous Peoples Solomons (NIPS)