Despite the down-side of COVID19, the Joint Coordinated Committee (JCC) between Ministry of Forestry and Research with the Japanese International Corporation Agency managed to discuss, share ideas and deliberate on progresses made with the Sustainable Forest Resource Management (SFRM) Project in an online meeting.
Local experts from the Ministry of Forestry and Research (MoFR) with JICA experts in Japan convene the meeting together with other key parties from the Prime Minister’s office, the SI Japanese Embassy, SINU including representatives from identified piloted sites.
Forestry Permanent Secretary and JCC Chair, Dr Vaeno Vigulu in his remarks acknowledges participants for their availability and their efforts to be part of a very important dialogue inspite of the global pandemic.
“During this trying times, we did manage to make progress this far and eventually activities under the SFRM Project are progressing. These progresses would have not eventuate without the participation of you all in sharing of skills and ideas.
“Special thanks especially to Japanese International Corporation Agency and its experts here in country and those in Japan for master-minding all these; off course the hardworking foresters who have been part of this ongoing progresses and the piloted communities as well.”
PS Vigulu adds the progress made this far into identifying livelihood activities such as agroforestry, piggery and selective tree cutting demonstrates a clear path that indicates sustainable forest resource management is possible and can be done anywhere in any community here in the country.
The testimony also shown by the two piloted communities of Falake on Malaita and Kumoniboli on Guadalcanal respectively for being resilience and adaptive into such current situation of COVID19 is even encouraging, in trying to engaging themselves in community activities reducing less movements into urban centres, he further adds.
“That said, I would like to acknowledge the communities for their commitment and efforts in working hand in hand with the JICA SFRM Project and the Ministry of Forestry and Research towards the project’s implementation.”
JCC Co-Chair, Mr Motoyuki Uegaki also relayed his gratitude through the online meeting from Japan that JICA is grateful for the commitment and strong partnership shown by the Ministry of Forestry and Research including the piloted communities and all other parties that involve in the implementation of the project activities.
“I would like to thank all the stakeholders for the efforts and strong commitment in the collaboration, without the leadership of the core partners; the project would have not progressed to the stage where we are now.
“Year 2020 was indeed a challenging year having all Japanese experts leaving Solomon Islands because of COVID19, however with the dedication and commitment shown; the Ministry of Forestry and Research progressed all project activities on the ground with the continuous online meetings.
“I believe what has been shared and discussed in the online meetings has been effectively absorbed by the forestry staffs and is being transferred to the piloted communities for proper management and conservation of their forest resources.”
Mr Uegaki adds he expects an even stronger effort and commitment from all the stakeholders’ involvement in the SFRM Project into year 2022 as the projects starts to scale down.
Thus, what is being shared and discussed in this online meeting is very important to further strengthen the current implemented activities, he says.
“I am looking forward that the successes made during this period will be shared in the next JCC meeting and I am urging all stakeholders to continue the good work, hard work and commitment shown this far.”
MoFR Press