Pacific nations talk disaster resilience

Representatives from seven Pacific island countries met with scientists and economists from the region to discuss and map out the way forward for disaster resilience during a forum
on green power infrastructure and poverty reduction in Port Moresby this week.
Prof Naoyuki Yoshino, of Asian Development Bank Institute, in his opening remarks at the forum on Wednesday, challenged the participants not only to come up with best practices but implement them in their own countries.
“There is a lot of talk in papers but if we are not implementing them (resolutions) it is useless. I hope this forum produces some concrete ways to step forward,” he said.
He said the Pacific region was covered with both onshore and offshore natural resources with bright sunshine and has the capability of producing green power more efficiently than other regions.
“It is important for the Pacific region to think of our own way rather than depending on other regions.”
According to Prof Yoshina, sustainable economic development could be achieved in the region if there were better mechanisms to finance and maintain green power or solar energy infrastructures.
“Green power is important for Pacific economies because it would provide jobs for green infrastructure engineers and boost economic growth by reducing poverty and income disparities.”