[ Source : Pacific Island Forum / Facebook]

Director of Programs and Initiatives at the Pacific Islands Forum, Zarak Khan, has highlighted the prolonged procedures hindering access to the Green ClimateFund and the urgency of simplifying these processes.

Khan emphasizes the limited number of Pacific nations, including Fiji, the Cook Islands, and soon Tuvalu, with accredited entities able to directly access GCF funds at the national level.

However, the accreditation process, which takes between three and four years, has proven to be a significant barrier, leaving communities vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

The Pacific Resilience Facility, designed to mobilize climate financing and address disaster risk, aims to streamline procedures while adhering to international standards for donor fund management.

Khan adds that the private sector and internationally appointed professionals will round out the board.

PIF has also acknowledged the challenge of working directly with communities to develop project pipelines using national systems and governance.

The primary focus remains on overcoming the historic imbalance between adaptation and mitigation projects in the region.