BY DOUGLAS VAHIA
Prime Minister, Matthew Wale, has underscored the immediate human cost of the climate crisis on Pacific Island nations, stating that a recent visit to Tuvalu serves as a stark reminder of the challenges facing saltwater communities across the region.
In a statement Prime Minister Wale said his visit to the low-lying nation mirrored the environmental threats directly affecting coastal populations in the Solomon Islands, particularly those in the Langalanga and Lau Lagoons, Fanalei, and Ontong Java.
He said the climate crisis cannot be treated as an abstract diplomatic negotiation because the physical impacts are already fundamentally altering the shorelines and livelihoods of Pacific islanders.
Addressing the Pacific Pre-COP31 Leaders’ Plenary, the Prime Minister said that after 31 years of global climate negotiations, current scientific projections indicate the world remains on track to overshoot the critical 1.5°C warming threshold.
He confirmed that this deficit in global climate action manifests locally through devastating visible consequences, including seawater intrusion into food gardens, damaged educational infrastructure from extreme weather, and the degradation of coral reefs that sustain local villages.
PM Wale highlighted the severe economic toll of these climate events, noting that Tropical Cyclone Malia alone resulted in damages exceeding US$30 million for the Solomon Islands.
He acknowledged that regional leaders are actively responding to these challenges through the framework of the Belau Pacific Leaders’ Declaration, which demands urgent global intervention to curb emissions and manage temperature overshoots.
Mr Wale committed that the Solomon Islands will advance the core principles of the Taku Pakasoa Declaration at the upcoming COP31 negotiations, while continuing to support the Pacific Resilience Facility, an initiative currently funding community-level mitigation projects across nine Pacific countries.
[Prime Minister Matthew Wale addresses the Pacific Pre-COP31 Leaders’ Plenary in Nadi, Fiji. Photo credit: PMO]
by Charley Piringi Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reaffirmed his nation’s steadfast commitment to the Pacific Islands, declaring that “the Pacific’s future is our future” as world leaders gathered in the region to confront the escalating climate emergency.& Reflecting on the severe threats facing the region, Albanese said, climate...
The post Australia Pledges Unwavering Support as Pacific Nations Unite in “Taku Pakasoa” Climate Declaration appeared first on In-depth Solomons .
BY TONY IROGA
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has called on national stakeholders and development partners to build a climate-smart and shock-responsive social protection system to protect vulnerable children and families in the Solomon Islands.
Speaking at the National Dialogue on Social Protection held at the Heritage Park Hotel on Tuesday October 6, UNICEF Pacific Social Policy Specialist Kenneth Anyanzo highlighted the urgent need to address rising poverty, inequality, and climate hazards across the country.
The national dialogue was attended by representatives from the Social Welfare Division within the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, alongside officials from education, finance, planning, women and family affairs, disaster management, civil society organizations, and development partners.
Mr Anyanzo said the Solomon Islands continues to face serious socioeconomic and environmental challenges, were natural disasters, illness, or loss of income can quickly push struggling households deeper into poverty.
UNICEF Pacific Social Policy Specialist Kenneth Anyanzo delivered his speech. Photo- Tony Iroga.
“For children, these shocks can have consequences that extend well beyond the immediate crisis, including interruptions to education, poorer nutrition, reduced access to health services and increased risks of protection concerns,” Anyanzo said.
He emphasized that social protection goes beyond emergency aid and serves as a vital tool to manage risk, reduce poverty, and help families withstand future crises.
“We need to consider the realities of the country, the dispersed islands and rural communities, the different capacities of provinces, the importance of informal and subsistence livelihoods, and the exposure to natural hazards and climate-related events,” he said.
Anyanzo stressed that an effective framework must prioritize children, persons with disabilities, the elderly, women, youth, and remote island communities.
“No single ministry can achieve this alone,” he noted, calling for close coordination across health, education, finance, disaster management, and provincial authorities.
He acknowledged the Government of the Solomon Islands and the Social Welfare Division within the Ministry of Health and Medical Services for their leadership.
He also expressed appreciation to the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) for funding the initiative and supporting nationwide community consultations.
“People experiencing vulnerability are not simply beneficiaries of social protection. They are partners in shaping the solutions,” Anyanzo emphasized.
He urged participants to focus on practical, evidence-based priorities that align with the National Development Strategy 2016–2035 and the country’s preparation for Least Developed Country (LDC) graduation.
[Participants pose a group photo during the consultation on Tuesday Octorber 6 at HP. Photo- Tony Iroga]
BY JOSES SAREN
The E-Commerce Implementation Unit (EIU) of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration has commenced a two-week advanced digital content creation training in Honiara.
The training, which began on October 5 and runs until October 16, is being delivered in partnership with Reggae Haus and Reveal Pasifik.
According to the EIU, the programme brings together selected intermediate and experienced content creators, freelancers, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), communication practitioners and digital entrepreneurs.
The two-week programme focuses on advanced photography and cinematography, visual storytelling, commercial production, professional lighting and audio, editing, colour grading and post-production.
Participants are also covering digital platforms, multi-platform social media content, client management, commercial workflows and digital business.
The training includes practical work in a simulated professional production environment, where participants are developing commercial-ready visual campaigns.
Participants are expected to produce a professional commercial film, a vertical social media campaign and a photography campaign suite by the end of the programme.
The EIU said these projects are intended to give participants practical experience and portfolio-quality work they can take into the marketplace.
The programme also aims to strengthen the local creative sector by helping content creators produce higher-quality digital material and enabling MSMEs to improve their presence and competitiveness online.
It is further intended to create new commercial opportunities for local creatives and contribute to the growth of e-commerce and the wider digital economy.
The training is part of efforts to build practical digital skills and strengthen the capacity of Solomon Islands’ emerging creative and digital business sector.
[Participants of the EIU’s advanced digital content creation training in Honiara. Photo EIU]
PM Matthew Wale calls for urgent climate action as Pacific leaders push to keep the 1.5°C target within reach. Prime Minister Matthew Cooper Wale says 31 years of international climate negotiations have failed to deliver the level of action needed to keep global warming within the 1.5 degrees Celsius target. Speaking during a Pacific Pre-COP31 [...]
The post PM WALE: 31 YEARS OF CLIMATE TALKS HAVE FALLEN SHORT appeared first on Tavuli News (Solomon Islands) .
by Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson of AAP in Funafuti, Tuvalu The world’s biggest climate event should not become “another talk shop” while Pacific nations struggle to survive rising sea levels and intensifying natural disasters. Tuvalu climate change minister Maina Talia issued the warning to a delegation of world leaders visiting the small...
The post Besieged Tuvalu Warns COP31 Can’t be Climate Talkfest appeared first on In-depth Solomons .
Pacific nations are taking full ownership of their climate future, while ensuring major global emitters remain accountable. Speaking at a Pre-COP31 side event in Nadi, Solomon Islands Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, Wayne Ghemu, delivered a clear message to the international community: self-reliance does not replace...
The post Pacific Nations Drive Climate Resilience While Demanding Global Accountability appeared first on In-depth Solomons .
A Solomon Islander, Dr Michael Oto’ara Ha’apio, will be promoting the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) at the Pre-COP31 in Nadi, Fiji. The event started Monday. The CCFAH is an initiative created by the Commonwealth in 2015 to help small and vulnerable states unlock international climate finance. It targets...
The post Ha’apio Champions C’wealth Climate Funds at Pre-COP31 appeared first on In-depth Solomons .
所罗门群岛人Dr Michael Oto’ara Ha’apio将在斐济纳迪的预COP31上推广英联邦气候金融获取中心(CCFAH)。该活动于周一开始。CCFAH是英联邦于2015年创建的一项倡议,旨在帮助小型和脆弱国家解锁国际气候融资。它的目标是...
该文章最初发布于In-depth Solomons。
Prime Minister Matthew Wale has called for greater investment in reefs, mangroves and coastal ecosystems as Pacific island states face growing climate risks. Speaking at a high-level political session of the Pacific Action for Climate Transitions (PACT) Pre-COP31 event in Nadi, Fiji, Wale said natural ecosystems provide critical protection against...
The post PM Wale Calls For Greater Investment in Nature-Based Climate Solutions appeared first on In-depth Solomons .
by Charley Piringi Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has delivered a fierce, unapologetic message to global diplomats, declaring that the Pacific is done asking for the world’s “sympathy.” Addressing the pre-COP31 summit gathering in Suva tonight, Rabuka dismantled the conventional framing of regional helplessness, warning global diplomats that the sinking...
The post ‘We Are Not Asking for Sympathy’: Rabuka Tells World Leaders that ‘Pacific Risks are Human Risks’ appeared first on In-depth Solomons .
Pacific leaders meet in Fiji ahead of COP31 to discuss climate finance, the 1.5°C target and ocean-climate issues. Pacific leaders have gathered in Fiji for the opening of the Pacific Pre-COP31 High-Level Meeting, with climate finance, the 1.5-degree Celsius target and the role of the ocean among key issues being discussed ahead of COP31. Following [...]
The post Rabuka Urges Global Leaders to Listen to the Pacific’s Climate Warning appeared first on Tavuli News (Solomon Islands) .
PM Matthew Wale calls for greater investment in nature-based solutions to protect Pacific communities and build resilience. Prime Minister Matthew Wale has called for greater investment in nature-based solutions. The Prime Minister highlighted that the Pacific’s reefs, mangroves and coastal ecosystems are critical infrastructure for protecting communities from climate impacts. Speaking at a high-level political [...]
The post INVEST IN NATURE, NOT JUST SEAWALLS appeared first on Tavuli News (Solomon Islands) .
Kiribati's Minister for Women, Youth, Sport and Social Affairs has set out a proposal for an ex-post reimbursement window in multilateral climate funds, in an article published on the Devpolicy Blog.
Pacific leaders and academics meeting at the University of the South Pacific called for faster climate action, better access to climate finance and recognition of island realities as pre-COP31 began in Fiji on 5 October.
by Charley Piringi Prime Minister Mathew Wale departed Saturday for Fiji’s Pre-COP31 talks and a Tuvalu visit to observe rising sea levels alongside global leaders. “We want to take them (international leaders) to Tuvalu to see direct evidence of sea-level rise and its impact on low-lying islands,” Wale told reporters...
The post Pacific Takes Climate Fight to the Frontline appeared first on In-depth Solomons .
BY JOSES SAREN
Prime Minister Matthew Wale will push for stronger climate finance and greater recognition of Pacific concerns as he joins regional and international leaders in Nadi, Fiji, ahead of the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31).
Wale is expected to highlight climate finance, blue and green capital and key signals for COP31 during the Pre-COP31 High-Level Meeting, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.
For Solomon Islands and other Pacific island states, the meeting is an opportunity to press for stronger international action to address the impacts of climate change.
Following his arrival in Nadi, Wale and Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology Wayne Ghemu held a briefing with Solomon Islands officials.
Wale’s first bilateral engagement is with Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, PMO said.
The programme continues tomorrow with Wale’s address to the High-Level Political Session, where he is expected to call for the region’s concerns to be reflected in global climate action.
PMO said Wale will then hold further bilateral meetings with fellow leaders and partners before attending a traditional welcome ceremony hosted by Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.
On Tuesday, Wale will travel with other leaders to Tuvalu as part of the Pre-COP31 Leaders’ programme before returning to Nadi for the Leaders’ Plenary, it said.
The plenary will bring together Pacific and partner leaders, including the prime ministers of Australia, Fiji, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Palau and Vanuatu, for high-level discussions on shared regional issues ahead of COP31.
Wale is scheduled to depart Fiji and return to Honiara on Wednesday.
[Prime Minister Matthew Wale and delegates brief in Fiji ahead of bilateral engagement with Cook Islands PM Mark Brown. Photo- OPMC.]
BY CHARLES STENTNETT
The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR), has announced a four-month ban on the harvesting, selling, purchasing and in possession of the Grouper fish species.
This is a few days after it announced another ban on sea cucumber or Bech de mer to be effective as of October 31st 2026.
An announcement from the Ministry said that the ban is effective as of October 1st 2026 to January 31st 2027.
It said that during the 4-month ban, people are urged to comply with the ban and support efforts to protect the Grouper stock and ensure sustainable fisheries for future generations.
The announcement said that during that period, people are expected not to catch, sell, buy or trade the Grouper species anywhere in the country.
作者:查尔斯·斯滕内特
渔业和海洋资源部(MFMR)宣布对石斑鱼种类的捕捞、销售、购买和持有实施为期四个月的禁令。
这项禁令是在宣布另一项关于海参(Bech de mer)的禁令后几天生效,该禁令将于2026年10月31日生效。
该部的公告表示,禁令自2026年10月1日起生效,至2027年1月31日结束。
公告指出,在这四个月的禁令期间,呼吁公众遵守禁令,并支持保护石斑鱼资源的努力,以确保未来世代的可持续渔业。
公告还表示,在此期间,公众不得在全国范围内捕捞、销售、购买或交易石斑鱼种类。
Island SunEnvironment & Climate环境气候·2026-10-04Original ↗原文 ↗
by Charley Piringi Solomon Islands Prime Minister Mathew Wale departed yesterday for Fiji’s Pre-COP31 talks and a Tuvalu visit to observe rising sea levels alongside global leaders. Prime Minister Wale said, “We want to take them to Tuvalu for them to see direct evidence of sea-level rise and its impact...
The post “This is our moment”: Pacific Leaders demands Pacific lead global climate agenda as Tuvalu sea levels double global average appeared first on In-depth Solomons .
BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
The Guadalcanal Provincial Fisheries Division has reminded communities, fishers, and operators in Marau Sound and Birao Ward in East Guadalcanal, to comply with key requirements governing fishing activities.
An official statement issued yesterday from the division said that anyone engaging persons from outside Guadalcanal Province must ensure customary fishing rights and permissions are properly documented and submitted to fisheries authorities for verification.
The Division also said commercial operators are required to obtain a valid Guadalcanal Provincial business licence before commencing fishing operations.
The statement further adds that all activities must comply with national fisheries laws, provincial ordinances, and customary community rules.
This comes after concerns were raised about the use of underwater fishing equipment by outsiders in Marau Sound.
The Guadalcanal Provincial Fisheries Division warn that unauthorised activities may constitute offences and could lead to enforcement action.
The Division in its statement urges customary rights holders, community leaders, and fishers to follow proper processes before allowing fishing in their grounds.
“Cooperation is vital to ensure the sustainable management and protection of marine resources in Marau Sound,” the Division said.
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by Charley Piringi Ahead of next month’s major UN climate summit (COP31) in Turkiye, the Pacific region is sending a resolute message to global leaders: “Retreating is not an option.” Speaking during a pre-COP31 virtual meeting today, Tagaloa Cooper, Director for Climate Change Resilience at the Secretariat of the Pacific...
The post “Retreat is Not an Option”: Pacific Stands Firm on Climate Frontlines for Our Survival appeared first on In-depth Solomons .
BY TONY IROGA
THE Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification (MMERE) and the UK Government yesterday agreed on the next stage of an energy programme to establish a new independent energy regulator in Solomon Islands.
The new regulator will allow independent power providers to operate, reducing reliance on imported diesel and lowering electricity costs through renewable options such as solar, a statement by the UK High Commission yesterday said.
It is advancing the necessary reforms, with the UK providing technical and legal expertise to draft secondary legislation covering economic licensing and technical certification for electrical workers.
British High Commissioner Paul Turner met MMERE Permanent Secretary Chris Vehe yesterday to sign the agreement.
UK-contracted legal expert William Kadi, a former Chevening scholar, is drafting the legislation under MMERE supervision before submission to the Attorney General’s Chambers.
With Prime Minister Matthew Wale aiming for lower tariffs, MMERE and the UK plan to complete the draft legislation by early 2027.
MMERE emphasised that establishing an independent regulator is a critical step towards diversifying the nation’s energy sector and making power more affordable for local communities.
“This legal work will be important for advancing the wider energy programme that the World Bank is taking forward, including on tariff and institutional reforms,” Mr Turner said.
He added that the UK will continue working with the World Bank and ADB, while maintaining support for major projects such as the Tina River Hydro Project through the Global Environment Facility and multilateral funding.
Photo: Supplied
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