Mr. Reginald White, Marshall Islands Met Services Director
2 July 2013 Nadi, Fiji - Better information management and coordination has been the key to overcoming the recent drought in Marshall Islands at the beginning of the year.
Former Chairman of the Pacific Meteorological Council (PMC) Reginald White said information management and coordination are the two key tools that enabled the Marshall Islands to overcome the recent drought.
Although the recent drought was not as severe those in 1992, 1997 and 1998, he said its impact was stronger due to the increase in population of the country over time.
More than 75% of the northern islands of Marshalls had low rainfall which affected crops, water and increased the likelihood of water borne disease such as diarrhea and pink eye.
It is estimated that it has cost more than cost USD$5 million to respond to the drought in the Marshall Islands, with White highlighting the quick response of donor partners; Australia, US, Japan and New Zealand.
White says information sharing between the Meteorological Agency and National Disaster Managers and Emergency has been important in responding to the drought.
"The Met Services provided advisories and warnings and emergency and disaster responders were able to coordinate and manage the information which make it easier for donor partners to step in with the much needed assistant," White said.
He stressed that involving the Met Services and Disaster Managers and emergency office is the way forward for the Pacific in addressing disaster and the impact of climate change on communities.
Meanwhile he said the situation of the drought in Marshall islands is improving now that rain is expected for this week and next week.
"However it will take time for the recovery of food crops and the water table since it has been mixed with salt. It would take another few months with more rainfall for conditions to get back to normal."
Marshall Islands Minister-In-Assistance to the President, Tony deBrum being interviewed by Fiji TV
6 December 2012, Doha, Qatar - Marshall Islands Minister-In-Assistance to the President, Tony deBrum, after a meeting between the Alliance of Small Island States and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, announced that "the next Pacific Islands Forum Leader's summit, hosted by the Marshall Islands in August 2013 will be a key milestone leading up to the 2014 global leaders climate meeting. It is time the world focused not only on our vulnerability, but on our leadership. The Pacific will not only call on other nations to break the "you go first" deadlock, but as incoming Chair, we will be challenging our own members, including small islands, to raise climate change to the top of the political agenda."
Interview with Hon. Tony A.
deBrum, Minister in Assistance to the President of the Marshall Islands
6 December, 2012 - The tuna supply of the Marshall Islands is
threatened by the impacts of climate change.
The Islands is part of the Nauru Group consisting of eight
countries that supplies 52 percent of raw tuna to the world market.
Marshall Islands Minister in Assistance to the President,
Tony deBrum says the rich marine ecosystem of the Marshall Islands is bleaching and degrading,
thus not reflecting a positive future for the thriving industry.
According to the Minister in assistance to the President, the Marshall Islands is only two meters above the sea level
and is in the world's top five list of most vulnerable areas to climate
change.
Just like other Pacific Island Countries, the Islands is
also hoping that Industrialised nations commit to a five-year second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
With the Marshall Islands earmarked to host the 44th
Pacific Islands Forum next year, deBrum is optimistic that the issues of
climate change would be one of the leading agendas of the Pacific leaders.
To take the first step itself in mitigating the impacts
of climate change, the Marshall Islands will have all its houses and buildings
powered by the solar energy by the end of next year.
The Islands is also venturing into ocean thermal energy
conversion projects..
21 June 2012, Rio de Janeiro - A representative of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Mr. Tony Debrum, the Minister-in-Assistance to the President of the Marshall Islands, presented the challenges and successes of the Micronesia Challenge at a side event hosted by the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA).
The Micronesian Challenge is a commitment by the governments of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, and the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands to conserve at least 30% of near-shore marine resources and 20% of terrestrial resources across Micronesia by 2020.
Mr. Debrum highlighted the challenges faced in bringing the three governments and territories of Guam and the Northern Marianas together to create the Micronesia Challenge, saying that within the sub region of Micronesia itself there are differences in language, culture, and types of governments.
Mr. Tony Debrum, the Minister-in-Assistance to the President of the Marshall Islands
“People think that we are all the same people, living in the same neighbourhood,” he said.
“Despite this, I think in all the attempts to unify islands in this way, this has been the most successful.”
The event opened with remarks from Ambassador Ronald Jumeau, the Seychelles Ambassador of Climate Change and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Issues, who stated that, in the islands, the discussions of sustainable development and biodiversity are one and the same.
“We cannot talk about development in islands communities without talking about oceans, and coral reefs, and fisheries, and marine tourism,” said Ambassador Jumeau.
Agreeing with this point, Mr. Debrum disputed media reports that the Micronesia Challenge is missing the area of focus by not addressing the issues of public health and improving of social wellbeing.
“I want to add on to Ambassador Jumeau’s remark earlier. We cannot separate these efforts as they are all the same thing to us.”
Following Mr. Debrum’s presentation were similar presentations on the Caribbean Challenge Initiative, and the West Indian Ocean Coastal Challenge, both of which cited the Micronesian Challenge as inspirations for their inception.
The theme of the event was “Securing the island future we want” and focused on highlighting the leadership of the island regions, as well as a discussion on debt-for-adaptation as a potential mechanism for financing and thoughts on investing in nature.
Hon. Mr. Ruben Zachkras, Minister In Assistance to the President, Republic of the Marshall Islands
Madame President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
“While the Marshall Islands understands the reluctance of some nations to fully commit to binding and definitive agreements at this time, we are also deeply concerned that if there is not a consensus to undertake serious preventative and restorative action on a global scale, time may run out.”
Those are the words spoken in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit by late Marshall Islands President and Iroij His Excellency Amata Kabua. Two decades later, and today – in Cancun – time is a luxury that the most vulnerable, those at the frontline, can no longer afford to squander on impossibly grand political agendas. However imperfect the start – the international community needs to upscale action now, and to look beyond both the petty differences of negotiators, and the underlying deep political wounds.
I can repeat all of the words that Marshallese have been saying for twenty years – that our nation is barely one meter above sea level, with no higher ground – that our nation is now facing a serious risk of losing our statehood to sea level rise. I can repeat our well-known prior positions. But you have heard these views so many times that perhaps your ears have become too numb.
But today I will do more than again repeat our urgent call – today I will tell you what is now taking place on the ground in one of the world's lowest lying nations. We are committed to implementing our national climate policy - leading towards firm action on adaptation particularly by conserving at least 30% of our near shore marine resources and 20% of our agro forestry resources by 2020, and to cut our own emissions – already very insignificant - by 40 percent by 2020. These are very real actions we have no choice but to carry out to give our local communities hope for a climate-resilient future. This is a future that we can only achieve through our own political commitment – coupled with the solidarity and partnership from the international community.
The Marshall Islands will be a visible test for the ultimate success – or failure – of fast start finance. In the higher politics of an important effort to boost better accounting for fast start finance, everyone seems to have lost focus of the overwhelming urgency of effective implementation, and of the need for mutual actions by donors and recipients needed to ensure results. The longer we wait – even a few years – the greater the costs and risks. It is unacceptably dangerous to delay action – not only a moral outrage, but on the cusp of a very legal wrong which will be squarely at the doorstep of the United Nations.
The Marshall Islands is already taking our own bold steps to help mobilize fast start financing – with our own Fast Start response. Our climate roadmap has laid the foundation for a national policy. Our national energy plan is the basis of our emissions commitment to cut emissions by 40% – and spells out exactly how we will achieve it. But behind the policies are government officials, who have mobilized a national climate coordinating committee, are moving to initiate and advance a host of concrete project initiatives to upscale and dramatically expand our adaptation and energy efforts, while also building our capacity.
We are not the only ones who seek to have our commitment acknowledged and fulfilled. The Republic of the Marshall Islands also strongly supports the 23 million people of Taiwan, who seek to have their own emissions actions – one of the strongest in the Asian rim – acknowledged through active observer participation in the UNFCCC.
Finally Madame President,
In the midst of what threatens to become a perpetual negotiation, we have forgotten the very foundation of the UNFCCC Convention itself – which already binds all of us to some very fundamental commitments and actions.
The international community has an inarguable responsibility to respond to the political crisis on climate with innovative solutions which build momentum through action – through defining what we can do instead of what we cannot – and to stretch our collective aspirations to ensure the survival of low-lying nations, even when present pathways are uncertain and ultimately inadequate.
It is the achievement of action by which future generations will sit in judgment of our vital conclusions.
Let me conclude by thanking you Madam President and the Government and people of Mexico for the excellent arrangement and leadership in steering these critical discussions.
Marshall Islands Minister in Assistance to the President, Hon. Mr Ruben Zackhras
7 December Cancun, Mexico - The Republic of the Marshall Islands has initiated a climate roadmap to respond effectively to the challenges of climate change and the need for Fast Start finance to facilitate this.
Marshall Islands Minister in Assistance to the President – Hon. Mr. Ruben Zackhras explained the roadmap in a session today titled ‘Making Fast Start finance work: A low lying island nation perspective.’
“Our national climate roadmap, adopted by cabinet in September, and our forthcoming policy provide an effective framework for energy and adaptation – these are the vehicles for our Fast Start projects to reach across the whole of our government, and across all of our islands,” Zackhras stated.
“Fast start finance means donor responsibilities – but it also requires political will from recipients to address some very complicated issues. Political leadership on Fast Start from the highest levels is a key ingredient to success.”
Zackhras says the Marshallese cabinet, government officials, NGOs and local communities are now taking positive action to come forward with proposals and initiatives.
“We will use these to develop an initial portfolio and match it with donor support,” he says.
“We must be optimists and engage with donors in mutual discussions. Identifying ‘lessons learned’ will make Fast Start finance work. There are some difficulties to address, but negative messages on Fast Start do not help us.”
The Minister also announced that they have made progress in securing their first Fast Start project – which they will shortly finalise with the US.
“This involves the provision of a technical adviser who will help our government bring our climate roadmap and climate policy to life, this was the first priority, and first step in our roadmap.”
Zackhras started his speech by stating that as a low-lying small island nation, climate change is – for the Marshallese – an issue of survival and statehood.
“We cannot wait for a perfect global agreement – we must start visible action now, even as we build our capacity,” he said.
