Prime Minister (PM) Jeremiah Manele has called for a comprehensive response from the Pacific Island governments, partners, and regional organisations to safeguard water security.
He issued the plea at day one of the 9th Pacific Water & Wastewater Ministers Forum and the 16th Pacific Water & Wastewater Conference and Expo in Honiara which is now underway. The event will end on Friday.
In his opening address the PM warned that climate change, combined with non-climate pressures, is placing unprecedented strain on water and wastewater services across the Pacific.
Prime Minister Manele highlighted the shared challenges facing island nations, including rising seas salting groundwater, prolonged droughts, extreme weather events, ageing infrastructure, and increasing costs.
He also pointed to pressures within national control, such as pollution, ecosystem degradation, and unsustainable land use, which compromise rivers, catchments, and groundwater systems.
Addressing these challenges requires a wide-ranging approach that protects catchments and ecosystems, invests in rainwater harvesting, develops resilient supply networks, and safeguards groundwater resources, he said.
Prime Minister Manele further stressed the importance of mobilising financing through climate and disaster funding mechanisms and advancing regional proposals to secure international support for Pacific-specific solutions.
He emphasised that water utilities must remain affordable, efficient, and accountable, and that all investments should be guided by the principles of resilience, affordability, and sustainability.
– OPMC
