Seek funding to fight climate change

 NON-government organisations have been invited to apply for funding for their campaigns to reduce the impacts of climate change in the country.

Pacific-American Climate Change Fund deputy chief Payton Deeks said the third and final cycle of the fund was open to local entities to have access to.

Deeks said grants were available to qualified entities through an open and competitive process.

The project started in October 2013 and funded by the United States Agency for International Development is implemented in 12 Pacific countries, including Papua New Guinea. 

It initiated three funding cycles to support community-based organisations undertake climate change adaptation activities. 

Deeks said the first cycle grant solicitation was in March 2014, which awarded nine grants to local non-government organisations in the Pacific region to fight climate change. 

“Second Cycle was announced on June 11, 2014, and grants are anticipated to be awarded on September 1, this year.

“Cycle 3 has just opened for new applications and concept papers are due by August 10.

“The project continues through September 30, 2018, but we anticipate that Cycle 3 will be final funding for community-based organisations,” Deeks said.

“The budget for the five-year project is $24 million (K66,024,670), with $5 million (K13,755,138) expended and another $10 million (K27,540,648) committed to date.”

Deeks said only two organisations in Papua New Guinea had been awarded grants to date – Care International and Conservation International. He said combating climate change is an international agenda that all countries were trying to work towards it.

“Climate change is a real threat to the world and most importantly to the Pacific island nations,” he said.

“As the island nations are seriously prone to the changing climate with the increasing sea level trying to claim these islands, it is best we invest more in these nations.

“Our assistance can help them plant more trees and mangroves to maintain the natural cycle and make seawalls to stop the sea from claiming their land.”

Deeks urged Papua New Guinean non-government organisations that are qualified enough to send application to have access to the funding to combat climate change as the second cycle funding was available.