By JOE GURINA
PAPUA New Guinea is amongst other countries in the Pacific region that has adopted the National Adaptation Plan to embrace from the rapid impacts of climate change.
The National Adaptation Plan (NAP) is the first for the country to be launched this week and marks an important milestone for the country, paving the way to address its climate change adaption challenges.
Acting Managing Director for Climate Change & Development Authority William Lakain said the plan was developed through an extensive consultation process over two years involving all stakeholders, both at the national and sub-national level.
He said the plan will help fight against the impacts of climate change.
He said the plan provides a clear vision for adaptation and identifies priorities to be addressed in partnership with sector agencies, academic institutions, development partners, and private sector entities over the next five years, and beyond.
Lakain highlighted that the plan looks at addressing the nine priority areas for adaptation identified in the country’s National Determined Contributions (NDC) and National Communications to UNFCCC.
He said the NAP was also developed through an open, inclusive, gender responsive and transparent process ensuring at the outset that it is country-driven and in align with PNG’s higher-order policy documents including Vision 2050, the Medium-Term Development Plan III, the enhanced National Determined Contributions (NDC), United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, to name a few.
He thanked UNDP, the implementation partners, USAID Climate Ready and other development partners, national and sub-national stakeholders and academics.
Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change, Simon Kilepa in his remarks stressed the importance of the PNG NAP as an anchor to advance climate change adaption actions in the country.
“The NAP will certainly help to translate the climate change adaption “toktok” into climate action. This NAP plan will go a long way in coordinating between different players, in integrating climate change into the sectoral development plans and help to mobilize climate finance to build climate resilience in our valuable communities,’’ Kilepa said.
He challenged all stakeholders, development partners, key sector agencies and non-government organizations to collaboratively work with CCDA to execute effective adaption actions.
