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Country Profile - Solomon Islands

Climate change will be a major impediment to the achievement of sustainable development in Solomon Islands, as all economic and social sectors are likely to be adversely affected, and the cost of adaptation will be disproportionately high, relative to gross domestic product (GDP). In attempting to integrate adaptation strategies into its sustainable development agenda, Solomon Islands will be confronted by many challenges including insufficient resources, prioritization of adaptation measures and uncertainties over climate change projections and adaptation strategies. The need to implement adaptation measures with some urgency has been often reinforced by the adverse impacts already being experienced in the country and highlighted in numerous national and regional workshops, meetings and conferences. It has been suggested that risk-reduction strategies together with other sectoral policy initiatives in areas such as sustainable development planning, disaster prevention and management, integrated coastal zone management and health care planning should be employed.

National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPA)

National adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs) provide a process for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to identify priority activities that respond to their urgent and immediate needs to adapt to climate change – those for which further delay would increase vulnerability and/or costs at a later stage. The Solomon Islands National Adaptation Plan of Action (NAPA) has determined, through a broad national consultative process, that agriculture, human settlements, water and sanitation and human health are priority vulnerable sectors requiring urgent support to enhance resilience against the predicted impacts of climate change. The majority of the population of 508,000 (2007) live in rural areas and are predominantly dependent on agriculture, forestry and fisheries for food security and livelihoods. The 84% of people living in rural areas (World Bank 2007) rely mainly on their traditional food production systems, traditional knowledge, and strong communal systems and on agriculture, fishing and small business activities to support livelihoods. The majority of rural dwellers reside on hilly and mountainous areas and along very low lying coastal areas with very high exposure to abnormal and extreme weather and climatic events. The following summarizes the NAPA for the Solomon Islands.

June 23, 2009