Nothing is more important to climate‑vulnerable nations than to have the means to adequately adapt to frightening extreme weather events, rising seas and changes to agriculture caused by climate change.
This was the statement made by COP23 President and Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama while launching Fiji’s National Adaptation Plan at COP24 in Katowice, Poland.
Bainimarama also reiterated his call to the industrial nations to free up the many billions of dollars needed for adaptation purposes through the Green Climate Fund.
The Prime Minister says that Fiji’s National Adaptation Plan involves a continuous and progressive process to ensure a systematic and strategic approach to adaptation in all government decision‑making.
He stressed that Fiji is placing a particular emphasis on agriculture, fisheries, biodiversity, health and a range of adaptation action in all of our communities, from cities to small rural and maritime communities.
Bainimarama adds that these range from building sea walls and relocating communities threatened by rising seas to strengthening our infrastructure through improved building codes to withstand the extreme weather events that are becoming more frequent and intense.
The Prime Minister says that formulating this Plan has been an inclusive exercise involving a wide range of stakeholders in government, civil society and the private sector and acknowledged the world leaders present at COP24 for the great contributions they have made.
He says that Fiji now has a blueprint that is not only comprehensive and holistic but one that Fiji can build on as time goes by.
Bainimarama says that as the climate threat increases, Fiji is going to learn by bitter experience what works and what doesn’t and be able to adapt our plans to meet whatever contingency emerges.
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