FSM held stakeholders consultation on $4million GEF funding

 

Kolonia, Pohnpei:  More than 60 key States and National Government representatives and NGOs from throughout the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) gathered in Pohnpei, FSM to formulate a project concept paper to access more than $4 million available to FSM from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for improving the FSM environment. 

 The project concept design workshop was held from 11^th - 13^th February, 2013 and was able to identify key priorities as the need to strengthen the nation’s protected areas in all 4 States, as well as to conserve and restore critical ecosystems throughout the Federation in an integrated manner. “This workshop is an early part of a long process but we are fortunate at this stage to have reaffirmed our nation’s collective aim to not only build on work already ongoing in the four States to maintain our intact areas, but also to integrate these efforts with actions to address environmentally important areas that are being threatened by our environmentally destructive actions”, noted Mr. Andrew Yatilman, Director of the FSM Office of Environment and Emergency Management (OEEM).  

 The consultation was part of the response to the request from the FSM for a proposal under phase 5 of the GEF Systematic Transparent Allocation of Resources (STAR) and the country’s participation with the proposed Ridge-to-Reef (R2R) multi-country program for the Pacific.  FSM’s involvement in the “Pacific Islands Ridge-to-Reef (R2R) program” will facilitate further sharing and learning amongst the Pacific nations on effective environmental management. This Pacific-wide program will also support actions on integrated water, land, forest & coastal management to preserve ecosystem services, store carbon, improve climate resilience and sustain livelihood.

 The workshop was jointly facilitated by the FSM Office of Environment and Emergency Management and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

 For further information, please contact OEEM at 320-8815 or write to Mrs. Cindy Ehmes at climate@mail.fm.