We need to build resilience across our health centres and medical facilities; we have to deliver food and water security that can withstand the both current and future climate change impacts.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad highlighted this while speaking at the announcement of the COP 29 delegation meet organised by Ministry of Environment and Climate Change in collaboration with the British High Commission.
Prof. Prasad says all this is just part of what is required to achieve long-term climate security in Fiji.
He says 100’s of village-health-centres-schools that are outside our national grid that need off-grid renewable energy solutions; some 80,000 Fijian children still unable to do their school homework or just read without access to electricity and who urgently need to be connected to sustainable energy; we have long term residual damage to infrastructure ranging from island airports to jetties, schools and health centres in urgent need of repair and reconstruction in some cases as a result of successive extreme weather events.
The Deputy Prime Minister says despite this - ensuring our circumstances are understood and recognised is not an easy task.
He says while there are a range of parties and groups that seek to erode the basis of our special circumstances, there are many that fully support our needs.
Prof. Prasad says however, the situation is complicated by the intensifying debate on the contributor base.
He says the traditional demarcations between who provides and who receives is fiercely contested.
Prof. Prasad adds careful navigation of these issues continues to be required at the diplomatic level, but his firm view is that wherever politics prevent or distort progress, we must ensure we are oriented by the science and always be the first to call for pragmatism and appropriate comprise.
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