The Integrated Forest Management (IFM) Project in the Solomon Islands is moving into the next phase with an inception workshop with provincial government heads and relevant agencies of Malaita Province which was held in Auki recently.

Undersecretary Technical, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, Chanel Iroi said. “The objective of the inception workshop is basically to facilitate the process, to provide information within the project to all relevant stakeholders at the provincial level and also for the project to seek and learn from you the key provincial sectors about the issues and the status of efforts relevant to this project.”

“These are issues that relates to climate change, environment and conservation, sustainable land use management, sustainable forest management and development issues in general.”

FAO as the implementing agency for the Project indicated its appreciation to the partners in IFM Project towards this undertaking.

Assistant FAO Representative for Solomon Islands, Mrs Rosemary Kafa make mention specifically acknowledging the Malaita Provincial Government and landowning communities for willingly accept to venture into the IFM project. Kafa said that meeting also provided an overview of the components of the projects with outlines of the structural setup and implementation arrangements, the project’s annual work plan and to portray the various activities that would be conducted in the course of the project.

Malaita Provincial Secretary, Frederick Fa’abasua urged provincial participants to make good use of the meeting,  to contribute constructively through discussions and see how they can help in any way.

The Provincial Secretary expressed his gratitude that the province is fortunate to be identified and chosen as one of the five provinces to play host to the Integrated Forest Management Project.

Malaita Province is amongst four other provinces identified as one of the key partners under the IFM project – with a pilot project site at Are’Are Maramasike in the Southern region.

Background

The Integrated Forest Management Project in the Solomon Islands is a Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded project which is being implemented in the country through the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The project is to assist the Government of the Solomon Islands to implement integrated management of protected and productive forest landscapes for sustainable community development and multiple environmental benefits.