The Marshall Islands was called to honor on Saturday night that it has become only the second country in the world to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of “clean water for all.” An all-volunteer women’s organization in the Marshall Islands was credited for spearheading a five-year project to provide simple water filtration systems for home use to every family in this watery nation of low-lying coral islands. The Marshall Islands is the second, behind Liberia, to deliver on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal number six to provide clean water to every resident, said Darrel Larson, director of Sawyer…
Author: Kerebi DAVID
The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog is travelling to New Zealand and Rarotonga to present their report on the Safety Review of the Advanced Liquid Processing System or ALPS-treated water at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Japan’s discharge of more than one-million tonnes of treated nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean is expected to start imminently, following the release of the report. “As stewards of the Pacific Ocean, it is incumbent upon us to leave no stones unturned in our collective effort to leave behind for our future generations a healthy and resilient ocean,” Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) chair and…
Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso, this week opened PNG’s first Climate Proofing Provincial Wharf in Alotau, Milne Bay Province. This state-of-the-art infrastructure is a pilot project built in partnership with the Milne Bay Provincial Government, Climate Change Development Authority and the Asian Development Bank at a cost of K36 million. During the opening, DPM Rosso said it was an honor to open this great infrastructure for the people of Milne Bay. “We have stressed both in-country as well ad abroad about less rhetoric (inap lo toktok planti tumas) however we have not done enough about climate change.” “This opening here…
A District Development Authority (DDA) Watch website was recently launched by advocacy group Act NOW, for ordinary Papua New Guineans to access information and know what is happening within their respective district authorities. Act NOW Information Coordinator Ms. Cathy Tukne, who was at the forefront of establishing the DDA Watch website, explained that the website is an information hub for the public. Ms. Tukne stated that anyone with a smart phone can go to www.ddawatch.org and access the website. She said, whoever that goes on that website can type any DDA and all the 93 districts in total, excluding NCD…
The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) is preparing to dump about 1.3 million tonnes of contaminated water into the Pacific over three to four decades, as it decommissions the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, 12 years after it was devastated by a tsunami. Via a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency, Japan’s approach to discharge treated nuclear wastewater into the Pacific is consistent with relevant international safety standards. However, Papua New Guinea Opposition Leader Joseph Lelang is calling on the Prime Minister James Marape to reject a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and oppose Japan’s request…
Australian Government has given its support to the SME sector through a partnership with the Women’s Micro Bank (Mama Bank). A K3.5million Revolving Fund from the Australian Government to the Women’s Micro Bank to support export crops in PNG was recently launched. These funds will enable exporters to finance SMEs to purchase quality raw materials for exports and the facility will be available to exporters and SMEs dealing with coffee, cocoa, copra, and vanilla. The Australian Government supports PNG’s overall economic growth and recognizes that the agriculture sector is a key component of national progress and prosperity. Mr Nic Jonsson,…
PNG professional boxer Junior Kauko Raka is now in his final stages of training for this month’s fight against Vietnam’s Van Thao Tran. Raka fights in the super featherweight (59kg) category and has accepted the July 15 invitation from VSP Promotions at Ho Tram Resort and Casino in Vung Tau, Vietnam. The non-title fight depicts opportunities that Raka needs for increased ring time on the wider pro boxing space so that his profile gets more exposure than at present. Working this at the local level would be a cheaper option; however the lack of credible opponents is a continuous challenge…
A six weeks long online Dedicated Mentoring Program (DMP) which started in April ended today, which saw nineteen officials from government and non-government organizations (NGOs) receive certificates today for active participation. The DMP aimed was to train government officials across different sectors on the development of project concept notes and funding proposals to access international climate finance through the Green Climate Fund Mechanism to fund Papua New Guinea’s climate actions. The participants also participated in a five weeklong Green Growth Fellowship Program (GGFP) from within the same period of time from April up to the end of June. The GGFP…
Today marked the final day of the 2023 Papua New Guinea Disaster Response Exercise and Exchange. The joint exercise, co-hosted by USA and PNG at the request of the government of PNG, built on the capabilities of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force and National Disaster Center to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a disaster. Working together hand-in-hand, experts from Papua New Guinea, the United States, and the United Nations used a scenario-based table-top exercise to evaluate and implement the national disaster response framework. Major General Reginald Neal, Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Pacific arrived in…
At the invitation of the Government of Papua New Guinea, the Papua New Guinea Defence Force and the U.S. Army co-hosted a Disaster Response Exercise and Exchange (DREE) in Port Moresby June 26 – 30 to share best practices on disaster response with key stakeholders across PNG. Disasters can strike unexpectedly, causing significant damage to communities, infrastructure, and human lives. In the face of such challenges, a well-prepared and knowledgeable response is critical to recovery. Recognizing the need for comprehensive disaster response preparation, the PNGDF and U.S. Army Pacific curated a five-day seminar that brings together academics, community leaders, and…