Micronesia – The Republic of the Marshall Islands and other low-lying coral atolls are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Marshall Islands’ Foreign Affairs Minister, Tony deBrum, recently stated, “We’re starting to see climate change impacts in our local communities. While natural events have always occurred in small islands, it is irrefutable that there are climate drivers.”

To help mitigate the effects of climate change, IOM Micronesia has just signed a funding agreement of AUD 600,000 with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to further fund the Climate Change Adaptation, Disaster Risk Reduction, & Education (CADRE) programme. The primary purpose of the additional investment is to enable the completion of three climate adaptation/disaster mitigation projects in the Republic. The additional projects comprise sanitation, rainwater harvesting, typhoon-resistant structures, and solar powered streetlights. 

The programme has achieved considerable success in the RMI over the past three years. A total of 16 schools in the RMI benefit: IOM trainers visit grade 9 students in each school to share a two-week module of lessons on climate change and disaster preparedness – 1,119 male and 1,207 female students have completed the course. IOM also works with school leaders in the development of emergency management plans and school drills – over 3,000 students in the RMI have participated. Teachers also benefit from pre-service and in-service training, and the general public is targeted with the public information campaigns.

The CADRE programme commenced with a household survey in communities surrounding CADRE schools, exploring knowledge, attitude, and practices around climate change and disaster preparedness. The baseline surveys from 2012 revealed that just 3 per cent of respondents in Ebeye and 20 per cent in the capital Majuro were able to provide an accurate explanation of the causes of climate change. The end line surveys found that 36 per cent of respondents in Ebeye and 60 per cent of respondents in Majuro now have an accurate understanding of the cause of climate change. The increase in public knowledge underscores the potential impact of investment in the education sector.

IOM Micronesia Chief of Mission Stuart Simpson commented, “The CADRE programme is also about the power of knowledge transfer from school age children to adults, and its potential role in positively influencing key development objectives.”

For further information please contact Stuart Simpson, IOM Federated States of Micronesia, Tel: +691 320 8735 Email: ssimpson@iom.int