A consultant was selected to carry out activities for the Solomon Islands component of the Pacific Programme for Water Governance (PfWG) to promote the application of effective water governance in institutions, systems and structures in the Solomon Islands.the project is to run over a 12 month period.

 

The consultant was to undertake initial consultations with relevant stakeholders, review the existing water governance situation, and identify constraints, opportunities and future directions and together with SOPAC develop a programme rationale and establishment of selection criteria for IWRM/governance issues in the Solomon Islands.

 

The Solomon Islands was selected in 2005 as one of three Pacific Island Countries, in accordance with PfWG selection criteria, to benefit from the initiative. KEW Consult Ltd, a consultancy firm based in Samoa, is the consultant for this project and currently working in collaboration with the Solomon Islands Government and SOPAC to develop and enhance new and existing water governance initiatives through appropriate policy and legislation formulation as well as public awareness programmes.

 

Programme activities for 2006 commenced with a visit to the Solomon Islands by one of KEW’s consultants, Ms Veronique Provo, to collect important water related data and initiate dialogue with relevant Government stakeholders in the water sector. The host organisation was the Department of Mines and Energy, Ministry of Natural Resources. That visit/assignment was followed by a 4 day observational/water study tour to Samoa, involving a delegation of Government Heads of 3 distinctive water organisations, namely Mr Robinson Fugui, Director of Environmental Health, Ministry of Health, Mr John Waki, General Manager of Solomon Islands Water Authority and Mr Charlie Bepapa, Director of Mines, Energy and Water, Ministry of Natural Resources. The Water Study Tour was a result of the volatile events that took place following the general elections in Honiara in April, which precluded the ability of Latu Kupa and Kisa Kupa of KEW Consult to travel to Honiara to engage in consultation with key stakeholders over water policy and regulatory issues. The outcome of the study tour was positive, particularly as Samoa has already made significant progress in enhancing its water governance processes and systems and lessons could be learnt from their experience. A working group for the governance programme, involving the three S.I delegates was duly established to further advance the aims of the SIWG programme.

 

A further consultation was scheduled to be held in November with wider stakeholders and follows on from the consultation meeting that was held in September with Government and NGO stakeholders during the time of the SOPAC meeting in Honiara. That meeting was hosted by SIWA and drew out various issues relating to the draft policy. Now that the SIWG programme is drawing to a close, the major challenges that remain is for the consultation and awareness programmes to continue with the assistance of William Garaema, Programme Coordinator, who was recruited specifically to coordinate consultation and awareness programmes on the draft policy and legislation and maintain a close link with KEW Consult. It is hoped that more funds would be secured to ensure that the draft policy and legislation are finalised after effective country-wide consultation has been achieved.

• Assignment in Solomon Islands
• Report on Visit to Apia, Samoa
• Solomon Islands Draft Water Policy
• Proposed Solomon Island Water Resources Act
• Solomon Islands Programme for Water Governance Final Report
• Solomon Islands Programme for Water Governance Summary