Solomon Islands Climate Change and Disaster Management Project

AID has been supporting the Anglican Church of Melanesia (ACOM) in the Solomon Islands to build local community strengths to prepare for disasters, increase their food security and address the adverse impacts of climate change. Although much has already been achieved, the project is planned to be implemented in five dioceses: Central Melanesia, Guadalcanal, Hanuato’o, Ysabel, and Central Solomons and we need your help.

There are significant challenges the church faces in implementing the project, including post-COVID-19 effects on inter-island travel in the country and even climate change itself which has made weather patterns less predictable and therefore can play havoc with planning to do trainings to fit in with communities’ planting and harvesting seasons.

Despite the challenges, there is a strong commitment by communities and schools to work together with ACOM on this project. A total of 1,850 people are currently benefitting from this project, including 1,080 children.

Achievements to date

• Work is proceeding on the Bishopsdale Coastal Protection site to reduce coastal erosion due to sea-level rise and high swells.
• Two water tanks have been supplied to St Stephen’s Anglican College in Pamua. These tanks also serve three nearby communities, as well as the 500-strong college community, and a Rural Training Centre.
• Food security demonstrations have taken place at St Nicholas School Farm, greatly impacting on the learning of the senior agriculture students at the school and at Norman Palmer Community High School. AID has also supported the provision of tools, equipment and other agricultural requirements to the School Farm, which serves more than 150 agriculture students, both female and male.
• Each month, ACOM has been networking and sharing lessons learnt on Disaster Preparedness and Climate Change with officers from the Solomon Islands National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) and the Solomon Islands Climate Action Network (SICAN).
• Two Climate Change and Disaster Preparedness awareness training were conducted in the Diocese of Central Solomons on Savo Island with Paibeta Community High School and the Panueli Community.

Your donation to the Archbishop’s November Appeal will help local communities prepare for disasters, increase food security and address the adverse impacts of climate change.