Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07SUVA549
2007-11-28 08:51:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Suva
Cable title:
Update: GEF-PAS and Sustainable Integrated Water Resources
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000549
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
BANGKOK FOR REO AND USAID
COMMERCE FOR NOAA
STATE PASS TO INTERIOR FOR USGS AND OIA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV EAID XV FJ GEF UNDP
SUBJECT: Update: GEF-PAS and Sustainable Integrated Water Resources
and Wastewater Management (IWRM)
REFS: A) Suva 245 B) Suva 463 C) Suva 532
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000549
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
BANGKOK FOR REO AND USAID
COMMERCE FOR NOAA
STATE PASS TO INTERIOR FOR USGS AND OIA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV EAID XV FJ GEF UNDP
SUBJECT: Update: GEF-PAS and Sustainable Integrated Water Resources
and Wastewater Management (IWRM)
REFS: A) Suva 245 B) Suva 463 C) Suva 532
1. Summary: The Regional Environmental Specialist (RES) from Embassy
Suva's Pacific Environmental Hub participated in the 3rd steering
committee meeting for the GEF Sustainable Integrated Water Resources
and Wastewater Management (IWRM) Pacific regional project in Suva,
Fiji, from November 5 to 8. Despite recent major changes in the way
GEF operates in the region, South Pacific Geosciences Commission
(SOPAC) staff decided to go ahead with this meeting to further
develop the IWRM regional project proposal, since, according to
SOPAC, at least 7 countries have identified IWRM as a GEF Pacific
Alliance for Sustainability (GEF-PAS) regional priority.
Nevertheless, many meeting participants seemed confused by the
GEF-PAS process and its implications for the IWRM proposal.
Participants also had questions about how the call by Pacific
leaders at the Forum meeting in Tonga in October to dissolve SOPAC
will affect the project. End summary.
2. SOPAC organized this meeting using GEF project development
funding to provide countries with an update on the status of the
IWRM proposal (introduced in reftel A),which now will be
reformulated to meet GEF-PAS requirements (reftel B); to review and
agree on demonstration project design and regional components of the
project; and to provide information on the practicalities of
executing the project.
--------------
Participation
--------------
3. Meeting participants included representatives from IWRM country
focal points, UNDP (Suva and Bangkok offices),UNEP (Nairobi Office)
and SPREP. Embassy Suva-based RES Sandeep K. Singh was invited to
present national-level lessons learned from the previous GEF/UNDP
International Waters Project, which she had coordinated for Fiji
prior to her joining the embassy. Other participants included NGOs
and academics working in the Pacific on water issues, although
overall NGO and private sector participation was not strong.
--------------
Overview
--------------
4. Meeting sessions included presentations, working groups and
discussions on the IWRM, lessons learned from previous regional
projects and how IWRM fits into the GEF-PAS framework. SOPAC, SPREP
and UNDP-Bangkok representatives made presentations on the GEF-PAS
process but many participants did not appear to fully understand and
left the meeting with unanswered questions.
5. The SPREP representative, Pacific Islands Adaptation to Climate
Change (PACC) Chief Technical Advisor Taito Nakalevu, told
participants that, while most countries have identified climate
change adaptation and IWRM as regional priorities under GEF-PAS, PNG
has opted for a climate mitigation project. According to SOPAC's
IWRM Advisor, SOPAC has received 7 country priority listings, all of
which have identified IWRM and climate change adaptation as regional
priorities. SOPAC and SPREP are hopeful that the remaining countries
would also identify climate change and IWRM as their priority
areas.
6. SOPAC representative Marc Overmars reported that, out of the 14
countries that are part of the IWRM project, 3 (Fiji, Tuvalu and
Nauru) have yet to finalize their demonstration project proposals.
He said that most of the countries have managed to identify
co-financing. Responding to queries by country representatives on
the Pacific Islands Forum leaders' call to dissolve SOPAC and
transfer its functions to SPREP and SPC (reftel C),Overmars assured
participants that this move would not have any serious implications
for the future of the IWRM project.
7. Comment: SOPAC activism may have secured a place for IWRM as a
regional priority in the GEF-PAS submission to the GEF Council next
April. It is unclear, however, whether SOPAC's lobbying of
governments actually translates into increased national ownership of
SUVA 00000549 002 OF 002
the project. What is clear is that there remains considerable
confusion about the GEF-PAS process among Pacific island
governments, particularly as it relates to initiatives such as IWRM
that were in the pipeline or under development before GEF-PAS was
launched. End comment.
DINGER
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
BANGKOK FOR REO AND USAID
COMMERCE FOR NOAA
STATE PASS TO INTERIOR FOR USGS AND OIA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV EAID XV FJ GEF UNDP
SUBJECT: Update: GEF-PAS and Sustainable Integrated Water Resources
and Wastewater Management (IWRM)
REFS: A) Suva 245 B) Suva 463 C) Suva 532
1. Summary: The Regional Environmental Specialist (RES) from Embassy
Suva's Pacific Environmental Hub participated in the 3rd steering
committee meeting for the GEF Sustainable Integrated Water Resources
and Wastewater Management (IWRM) Pacific regional project in Suva,
Fiji, from November 5 to 8. Despite recent major changes in the way
GEF operates in the region, South Pacific Geosciences Commission
(SOPAC) staff decided to go ahead with this meeting to further
develop the IWRM regional project proposal, since, according to
SOPAC, at least 7 countries have identified IWRM as a GEF Pacific
Alliance for Sustainability (GEF-PAS) regional priority.
Nevertheless, many meeting participants seemed confused by the
GEF-PAS process and its implications for the IWRM proposal.
Participants also had questions about how the call by Pacific
leaders at the Forum meeting in Tonga in October to dissolve SOPAC
will affect the project. End summary.
2. SOPAC organized this meeting using GEF project development
funding to provide countries with an update on the status of the
IWRM proposal (introduced in reftel A),which now will be
reformulated to meet GEF-PAS requirements (reftel B); to review and
agree on demonstration project design and regional components of the
project; and to provide information on the practicalities of
executing the project.
--------------
Participation
--------------
3. Meeting participants included representatives from IWRM country
focal points, UNDP (Suva and Bangkok offices),UNEP (Nairobi Office)
and SPREP. Embassy Suva-based RES Sandeep K. Singh was invited to
present national-level lessons learned from the previous GEF/UNDP
International Waters Project, which she had coordinated for Fiji
prior to her joining the embassy. Other participants included NGOs
and academics working in the Pacific on water issues, although
overall NGO and private sector participation was not strong.
--------------
Overview
--------------
4. Meeting sessions included presentations, working groups and
discussions on the IWRM, lessons learned from previous regional
projects and how IWRM fits into the GEF-PAS framework. SOPAC, SPREP
and UNDP-Bangkok representatives made presentations on the GEF-PAS
process but many participants did not appear to fully understand and
left the meeting with unanswered questions.
5. The SPREP representative, Pacific Islands Adaptation to Climate
Change (PACC) Chief Technical Advisor Taito Nakalevu, told
participants that, while most countries have identified climate
change adaptation and IWRM as regional priorities under GEF-PAS, PNG
has opted for a climate mitigation project. According to SOPAC's
IWRM Advisor, SOPAC has received 7 country priority listings, all of
which have identified IWRM and climate change adaptation as regional
priorities. SOPAC and SPREP are hopeful that the remaining countries
would also identify climate change and IWRM as their priority
areas.
6. SOPAC representative Marc Overmars reported that, out of the 14
countries that are part of the IWRM project, 3 (Fiji, Tuvalu and
Nauru) have yet to finalize their demonstration project proposals.
He said that most of the countries have managed to identify
co-financing. Responding to queries by country representatives on
the Pacific Islands Forum leaders' call to dissolve SOPAC and
transfer its functions to SPREP and SPC (reftel C),Overmars assured
participants that this move would not have any serious implications
for the future of the IWRM project.
7. Comment: SOPAC activism may have secured a place for IWRM as a
regional priority in the GEF-PAS submission to the GEF Council next
April. It is unclear, however, whether SOPAC's lobbying of
governments actually translates into increased national ownership of
SUVA 00000549 002 OF 002
the project. What is clear is that there remains considerable
confusion about the GEF-PAS process among Pacific island
governments, particularly as it relates to initiatives such as IWRM
that were in the pipeline or under development before GEF-PAS was
launched. End comment.
DINGER