USD24 million climate funds launched
The US government has announced a USD 24 million grant towards climate change adaptation activities in the Pacific. The money would be made available over the next five years to twelve Pacific nations. Funds will be made available to qualifying civil society organisations that have activities geared towards reducing the island nations’ vulnerabilities and ‘achieve sustainable, climate resilient-development at community level’. The announcement comes amidst complaints from tiny Tuvalu that bigger countries are out-muscling them over United Nations funds earmarked for climate change adaptation. Tuvalu has also slammed the ‘complex criteria’ with which countries must meet before accessing UN funds.