PGR News from the Pacific

Posted 6:24 PM by Luigi

NZAID: Major partnership to help manage local resources in the Pacific

On World Environment Day, June 5, NZAID, the New Zealand Government’s aid and development agency, and the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP), are jointly announcing a major environment and development funding programme to help Pacific communities manage environmental resources.

“Helping Pacific Island communities to manage local resources, such as coral reefs, local fisheries and native forests, is an important way New Zealand can help the Pacific towards a prosperous future,” NZAID executive director, Peter Adams said today.

Over the next three years, NZAID will be contributing NZ$6 million to the GEF SGP, a corporate programme of the Global Environment Facility, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

“The fund works by encouraging communities to apply for funding support up to US$50,000 per project. Typical projects would involve enabling communities to access information and new technologies, sustainably develop natural resources, rehabilitate local ecosystems, improve livelihoods, and reduce vulnerability to natural disasters,” said Frank Pinto, executive coordinator, UNDP/GEF.

“We want to help Pacific communities conserve and draw lasting benefits from their local resources, which are so crucial for day to day livelihoods. Our partnership with NZAID is a great opportunity to do this,” said Delfin Ganapin, global manager of the programme, who represented Mr Pinto in New Zealand.

The agreement was signed at the start of a 6-day workshop for Pacific grant managers in Auckland, New Zealand, jointly hosted by GEF SGP and NZAID.

The grant programme operates in Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and Marshall Islands. Programmes are expected to be established in Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tonga, Nauru, and Solomon Islands over the coming year.

For more information contact:

Catrina McDiarmid, NZAID
+64 4 439 8314 or +64 21 588 827

Marie Khan, GEF SGP
+1 212 906 5842



	A blog maintained by Tevita Kete, PGR Officer Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Suva, Fiji Islands
This weblog documents the activities of Pacific Agricultural Genetic Resources Network (PAPGREN), along with other information on plant genetic resources (PGR) in the Pacific. The myriad varieties found within cultivated plants are fundamental to the present and future productivity of agriculture. PAPGREN, which is coordinated by the Land Resources Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), helps Pacific countries and territories to conserve their crop genetic diversity sustainably, with technical assistance from the Bioversity International (BI) and support from NZAID and ACIAR. SPC also hosts the Centre of Pacific Crops and Trees (CEPaCT). The CEPaCT maintains regional in vitro collections of crops important to the Pacific and carries out research on tissue culture technology. The CEPaCT Adviser is Dr Mary Taylor (MaryT@spc.int), the CEPaCT Curator is Ms Valerie Tuia (ValerieT@spc.int). PAPGREN coordination and support IPGRI ACIAR NZAID CTA SPC PAPGREN CEPaCT Click on the thumbnail to see a map of the locations of Pacific genebanks. Click here to download a regional directory of genebanks in the Pacific, including information on their location, contact details and holdings. PAPGREN partners Mr William Wigmore Director of Research Ministry of Agriculture Department of Resources & Development P.O. Box 96 Rarotonga Cook Islands Tel: (682) 28711-29720 Fax: (682) 21881 Email: cimoa@oyster.net.ck Mr Adelino S. Lorens Chief Agriculture Pohnpei Office of Economic Affairs P.O. Box 1028 Kolonia Pohnpei 96941 Federated States of Micronesia Tel: (691) 3202400 Fax: (691) 3202127 Email: pniagriculture@mail.fm Dr Lois Englberger Island Food Community of Pohnpei Research Advisor P.O. Box 2299 Kolonia Pohnpei 96941 Federated States of Micronesia Email: nutrition@mail.fm Mr Apisai Ucuboi Director of Research Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forest Koronivia Research Station P.O. 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DIVA-GIS	Tuesday, June 06, 2006 Posted 6:24 PM by Luigi NZAID: Major partnership to help manage local resources in the Pacific On World Environment Day, June 5, NZAID, the New Zealand Government’s aid and development agency, and the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP), are jointly announcing a major environment and development funding programme to help Pacific communities manage environmental resources. “Helping Pacific Island communities to manage local resources, such as coral reefs, local fisheries and native forests, is an important way New Zealand can help the Pacific towards a prosperous future,” NZAID executive director, Peter Adams said today. Over the next three years, NZAID will be contributing NZ$6 million to the GEF SGP, a corporate programme of the Global Environment Facility, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). “The fund works by encouraging communities to apply for funding support up to US$50,000 per project. Typical projects would involve enabling communities to access information and new technologies, sustainably develop natural resources, rehabilitate local ecosystems, improve livelihoods, and reduce vulnerability to natural disasters,” said Frank Pinto, executive coordinator, UNDP/GEF. “We want to help Pacific communities conserve and draw lasting benefits from their local resources, which are so crucial for day to day livelihoods. Our partnership with NZAID is a great opportunity to do this,” said Delfin Ganapin, global manager of the programme, who represented Mr Pinto in New Zealand. The agreement was signed at the start of a 6-day workshop for Pacific grant managers in Auckland, New Zealand, jointly hosted by GEF SGP and NZAID. The grant programme operates in Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and Marshall Islands. Programmes are expected to be established in Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tonga, Nauru, and Solomon Islands over the coming year. For more information contact: Catrina McDiarmid, NZAID +64 4 439 8314 or +64 21 588 827 Marie Khan, GEF SGP +1 212 906 5842 * Comments: Post a Comment	Archive October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 January 2010 RSS Feed Alternative feed Contact Tevita Something new: Agrobiodiversity Weblog: For discussions of conservation and sustainable use of the genetic resources of crops, livestock and their wild relatives. 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