Island nation Fiji today signed a declaration of partnership with India's The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) for assistance in tackling climate change effects and achieving environmental sustainability.
The declaration was made on sidelines of the ongoing World Sustainable Development Conference (WSDS 2018) here.
It was signed by Joshua Wycliff, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government, Housing and Environment of Fiji and Ajay Mathur, the Director General of TERI.
"The declaration provides a framework for technical collaboration and assistance by TERI to measure, manage, support and pilot activities and models towards achieving Fiji's environmental protection objectives as well as its Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement," TERI said in a statement.
As an island nation in South Pacific Ocean, Fiji is especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
The pacific region, already exposed to extreme weather conditions like cyclones and floods, is likely to see these conditions exacerbated due to climate change, the statement said.
Wycliff said strong partnerships and collaborations such as this are vital components of the global effort to tackle climate change and achieve environmental sustainability.
"We aim to create robust frameworks for sustainable development that can meet the aspirations of our people while also mitigating the effects of climate change," he said.
Under the declaration, TERI seeks to provide technical assistance in a variety of areas including waste and pollution management, developing 'green' energy efficient buildings, remote monitoring and reporting of environmental impact assessments as well as aligning policies with environmental aims.
The approach to sustainable development and climate change mitigation is centred around the twin aims of managing the unavoidable and avoiding the unmanageable, Mathur said.
"On one hand this includes creating resilient infrastructure and strong policy frameworks, and on the other leveraging technology and expertise to move to sustainable practices," he said.
"We hope to create the models that can be replicated across developing countries, and island nations in particular," he added.
This declaration follows the successful India-Pacific Sustainable Development Conference (SDC) held in Suva, Fiji in May 2017.
TERI was the knowledge partner for the SDC, an event that was organised under India's Forum for India-Pacific Islands Co-operation (FIPIC) agenda.
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