Prime Minister Hon.  James Marape says  Papua New Guinea will look at adapting climate-resilience solutions being used in Tuvalu  to protect its own  vulnerable island and atoll  communities from rising seas, water shortages, isolation and other impacts of climate change.

Prime Minister Marape said  this  following his return from Tuvalu  and Fiji, where he attended Pre-COP31 meetings and witnessed first-hand climate adaptation work  being undertaken in Tuvalu.

He said  the Government would give particular attention to vulnerable and remote island communities, including Mortlock, Carteret and Nissan islands, as well as other small and outlying atolls.

“What I saw  in Tuvalu  has relevance to our  own  people living on small islands and atolls. We cannot talk about helping our Pacific neighbours while  neglecting our  own  vulnerable island communities,” Prime Minister Marape said.

“We will work  with our  universities and technical experts to look at basic land-reclamation and coastal-protection designs, desalination for clean water, solar electricity and other practical climate-resilience solutions that can  be adapted to PNG conditions.

“Our objective is to help our  people remain in their own  island communities wherever this  is practical and sustainable, rather than allowing climate change and isolation to determine their future.”

Prime Minister Marape said  reliable sea transport must also  form part of the programme.

“For our  remote island communities, climate resilience is not only about protecting land. It is also  about ensuring reliable transport so people can  access health, education, markets, government services and the rest of Papua New Guinea,” he said.

“We must make sure these communities are not left behind, are not isolated and have the infrastructure and services necessary to continue living on their traditional islands.”

Prime Minister Marape said  the initiative would form part of the Government’s broader climate-change work  under the Medium Term Development Plan  IV (MTDP IV).

“MTDP IV requires us to engage seriously in climate-change-related activities both within Papua New Guinea and internationally. That  is exactly what we are doing,” he said.

“I went to Tuvalu  and saw  what is being done there. We will take those lessons, work  with our  own  technical institutions and communities, and localise practical solutions for Papua New Guinea.

“Our small island and atoll  communities are part of Papua New Guinea. They must never be forgotten or left behind as we respond to climate change.”