The first steering committee meeting for the Global Climate Change Alliance Plus – Scaling Up Pacific Adaptation (GCCA+SUPA) FSM project was held on 20th January 2021 at Truk Stop Conference Room in Weno, Chuuk. The meeting coordinated by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Chuuk was officially opened by Mr Brad Mori, the Director for EPA Chuuk, the agency managing the project in FSM. It included representatives from the Department of Marine Resources, Environment Health and Sanitation, International Organization for Migration (IOM), Chuuk Public Utilities Corporation, Polowat Government Liaison, Pulap Government Liaison, Chuuk Women’s Council, the Adaptation Fund Project and the Ridge to Reef (R2R) FSM Project.

The meeting objectives were to (i) introduce the GCCA+SUPA project in FSM, (ii) discuss measures for scaling up community resilience to water stress and extreme weather events in Chuuk, and (iii) gather inputs from stakeholders on project implementation plans and budget. The key meeting outcomes included an approved project workplan and budget, support for continued stakeholder collaborations in project delivery and consensus to apply lessons learnt from past projects to ensure effective project delivery and outcome. 

Using lessons learnt from past projects and working closely together with our local partners are key to achieving success in the delivery of the GCCA+SUPA project in the FSM” Mr Brad Mori, Director EPA Chuuk, 20th January 2021

The GCCA+SUPA Steering Committee will meet once a quarter or as needed.

In Chuuk State, access to potable water is limited particularly in the outer islands which are predominantly made up of low-lying atolls. The situation worsens in times of extreme weather events such as typhoons, storm surges and droughts where communities depend entirely on rainwater catchments and groundwater wells for freshwater supply.

     

Left: Location of Pulap, Polowat and Pulusuk; Right:  Polowat Atoll

 

The GCCA+SUPA project in the FSM focuses on the improvement of access to potable water in 3 atoll islands, namely Polowat, Pulusuk and Pulap, situated in the westernmost area of Chuuk State. The project will install and upgrade community rainwater harvesting systems and support maintenance training of locals on the monitoring, treatment and maintenance the systems. To improve community preparedness for droughts, the project will install a rain gauge in Polowat Atoll and train locals on data collection and management.