Climate-proof road opens in Kosrae, FSM A new improved coastal road designed to withstand high tides and heavy rainfall is now open for residents of Kosrae in the Federated States of Micronesia FSM. The much needed road provides the people of Tafunsak safe road access in all types of weather. In May this year the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) project celebrated this major achievement with the official opening of the climate-proof road, the engineering design of which has factored in the worsening conditions over the next decades. The 7 km stretch of road was originally built to withstand a maximum hourly rainfall of 178 mm however according to FSM PACC Project Coordinator Mr Simpson Abraham, climate projections suggest that rainfall in FSM may become much heavier as a result of climate change. “We have carried out engineering works which included raising some sections of the road by up to one and a half metres, changing the specifications of the building materials, adding culverts and improving drainage,” he explained. “The road can now endure rainfall up to 254 mm/hour.” The importance of such climate proofing for island infrastructure was emphasised by guest speakers at the event, who included the Governor of Kosrae, Hon. Lyndon H. Jackson and the FSM Vice President, H.E. Alik Alik. This project serves as a regional demonstration of how coastal infrastructure can be climate-proofed. Representing the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Deputy Director General Mr Kosi Latu said, “the excellent work which we have witnessed with the PACC project here in Kosrae provides a platform for other similar infrastructure to follow. This pilot project has, I believe, many benefits and lessons which can be replicated in other parts of FSM and for that matter the rest of the Pacific.” To help others replicate the success of their project, the FSM PACC team is developing guidelines based on the experiences with the Kosrae coastal road. These will be published and disseminated across the region as part of the PACC programme’s knowledge management drive. Experiences and lessons learned from the PACC project were also incorporated into the recently revised and endorsed Kosrae Shoreline Management Plan, which provides a comprehensive strategy for building resilience of Kosrae’s coastal communities and infrastructure into the future. Reducing the vulnerability of coastal infrastructure is one of three focus areas for the regional PACC programme. Four of the 14 participating countries – FSM, the Cook Islands, Samoa and Vanuatu – selected this as their priority issue for PACC investment. They have demonstrated a range of approaches, but a common theme has been the combination of community involvement and decision-making with state-of-the-art climate science and engineering. The other participating countries are demonstrating adaptation measures for food security and water resources management. The PACC programme is funded by the Global Environment Facility and the Australian Government with support from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Climate Change Capacity Development (C3D+). The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is the implementing agency, with technical and implementing support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). IMAGE: Ribbon Cutting FSM
Posted on: Wed, 04 Jun 2014 10:20:45 +0000
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