Project Preparation Training for Climate Change Adaptation ^Featured

Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Climate Ready Project, the training programme aims to further develop the skills of government and non-government stakeholders in prioritizing areas that align with their climate adaptation plans and goals, designing effective adaptation projects, and improving access to external financial resources that could support them.

Acting Chief Executive Officer for MEIDECC and Director for Meteorology, Mr. ‘Ofa Fa’anunu said, the priority climate actions in Tonga are highlighted in the Tonga Climate Change Policy 2016, Tonga JNAP 2 on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management 2018-2028, Nationally Determined Contributions and the Tonga Green Climate Fund (GCF) Country Programme.

“Tonga and with its current capacity is very limited to effectively implement these actions. Consistent provision and flow of financial resources, the availability of technologies that are most feasible to country’s circumstances and capacity building are means of support for successful implementation of these climate change actions in Tonga. We therefore, call the international community especially developed countries for their continued assistance and support with us.”

He stated that accessing to climate financing is one of the major capacity constraints in Tonga.

“Limited human resources with the required skills to develop quality project concepts and proposals is also a key capacity gap. I am confident that this one-week training is a great opportunity for professional capacity development for all the participants who are here with us today and rest of the week and for Tonga as a whole.”

Mr. Fa’anunu also expressed his sincere gratitude to the USAID Climate Ready Project for their financial and technical assistance to Tonga including the establishments of the JNAP Secretariat, the Climate Resilience Monitoring and Evaluation Post graduate course at the USP Tonga Campus and Tonga’s current efforts in fulfilling the Green Climate Fund accreditation requirements.

Representative from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Climate Ready Project, Suva Fiji, Mr. Noa Tokavou said, “We are hoping that after this training, the participants will have the basic idea of how to develop a project concept note and a project proposal, following the information required and how to approach the climate finances.”

“We are responsible to countries in terms of a gap in capacity building or to write project proposals. Most cases, we need consultants to come in and write proposals for us but hopefully this training will begin the process for locals to be able to write concept notes and project proposals.”

The training is facilitated by a Climate Change Specialist from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Dr. Keitth Bettinger, and Dr. Ryan Longman from the University of Hawaii.

- MEIDECC