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FSM Government partners with SPC to address gap in accessing of climate change adaptation funding

Palikir, Pohnpei (FSM Information Services): February 6, 2014 - The FSM, like many small island countries, has limited resources to adapt to the serious impacts of climate change. As impacts become more pronounced and adaptation requirements continue to extend beyond national resources, external funding will be even more critical to addressing such requirements.

Global funding for climate change adaptation has increased over the past few years and yet these resources continue to elude small countries like FSM. It is the aim of a partnership between FSM Office of Environment and Emergency Management (OEEM) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) under an EU-funded project to build capacity of stakeholders in FSM to better access climate adaptation funding.

National, State Government officials and NGO representatives gathered in Pohnpei this week, February 3-6, 2014 to participate in the first of a series of project proposal writing workshops being held in each of the four States of the FSM. The workshops objective is to increase participants' ability to secure project funding and raise awareness on climate change issues in the local communities as well as improve their skills in project proposal identification, writing and project management. "Skills in writing proposals are among the top areas that FSM is lacking," says Andrew Yatilman, Director of OEEM.

These workshops are part of the Global Climate Change Alliance: Pacific Small Island States (GCCA: PSIS) Project that is being implemented by the Government of FSM and eight other Pacific Island Countries with the assistance of SPC and funded by the European Union.

More specifically, the workshops are introducing the logical framework approach to project proposal development and management. This project methodology is commonly used and encouraged by development partners.