Project helps communities adapt to climate change

 THE Office of Climate Change and Development (OCCD) is assisting in a project which would help communities in National Capital District and Central adapt to climate change, executive director Varigini Badira says.

Badira said the coastal community adaptation project was funded by USAID to assist people adapt to risks and impacts of climate change.

He said the project was implemented by DAI, an international development company engaged by USAID with technical support and advice from OCCD.

Badira said the five-year project covers Gabagaba, Tubusereia, Pari, Boera, Lealea and the island communities in the two provinces.

He said a risk mapping exercise was carried out initially to collect the views of the two communities from December 2012 to January 2013.

It identified risks that included longer droughts, flooding, increased storm intensity, accelerated coastal erosion, stronger king tides and sea level rise.

Badira said all the communities wanted was clean drinkable water.

“The people are dependent on water trucked in from Port Moresby at a very high cost. 

“Those who cannot afford it have no choice but to drink contaminated water from boreholes or rain water catchment tanks which then causes diarrhea, typhoid and malaria.”