Cycling for change

CLIMATE CHANGE

By BENJAMIN KEDOGA
CONSIDERING that Milne Bay is the largest maritime province in Papua New Guinea, this is a big ask for the cyclist.
Thus, to understand what motivated the group to venture into this new way of carrying out awareness on this global phenomenon this story will focus on the Trobriand Island, situated in the Kiriwina/Goodenough electorate of Milne Bay.
According to Wikipedia, Trobriand Islands, also called Kiriwina Islands, coral formations in the Solomon Sea of the South Western Pacific, Papua New Guinea, 90 miles (145 km) North of the South Eastern most extension of the island of New Guinea.
Despite being faced with the obvious challenges of climate change not much awareness is carried out to engage the local population in discussions and mitigating the effects of climate change.
In a recent interview with the Milne Bay Cycling Club president Elliot Tovaboda, he said they are facilitating the cyclothon in collaboration with Kiriwina Goodenough District Development Authority, Milne Bay Tourism Bureau and Project 360.
“There is a lack of climate change governance and readiness to adapt to the effects of climate change in the district.
“We will use the cyclothon to raise awareness amongst the people on climate change and raise funds to support development and implementation of a district climate change programme,” Tovaboda said.
Tovaboda says through this programme they aim to target three adaptation initiatives, which includes, governance, awareness and fundraising.
“We aim to have a Kiriwina/Goodenough climate change programme developed and operational to raise climate change awareness to more than 50 per cent of Kiriwina and Goodenough people and also to raise funds through a cyclothon and donor funding, “he said.
The president says there is lack of climate change governance and poor adaptation readiness at the District level.
According to his own findings, Tovaboda says there “currently there is no climate change programme and no district climate change officer, adding also that people still continue to use unsustainable gardening and fishing techniques”.
This is despite the fact that impact of climate change is obvious.
In light of this, Tovaboda and his team are in the process of trying to assist the KG District develop a District Climate Change Programme, work with Milne Bay Administration to place a Climate Change Officer in the district and raise funds to support the implementation of the program.
In the recent interview he said they’ve received a favourable response from the District administration.
“Good news is I was invited by the local member of parliament of Kiriwina/Goodenough to meet with him and his district leadership team. He announced during the meeting that the district will be supporting the event, with the purchase of several bicycles to support our initiative.”
Tovaboda says climate change effects are observed daily by the people of Trobriand Island, including sea level rise, salt water intrusion into arable land, declining fish catches, drop in soil fertility, variable and adverse weather patterns.
“I am sure they are aware of this global issue. However, they are not responding positively by changing their mindsets and lifestyle. I believe an intensive and strategic awareness is needed,” he said.
The Milne Bay Cycling team are planning to host a major fundraising drive for their project in June this year.

• The story was done with the support of EJN (Earth Journalism Network).