A new billboard emphasising the theme of climate change mitigation was erected recently along the main Modilon road into Madang town.
The new billboard placement also coincides with the swearing-in of a first-ever Madang Provincial Climate Change Committee.
The billboard sits inside the fence of Works Department compound promotes the mitigation them which reads “Enhancing Adaptive Capacity of Communities to Climate Change-related floods in the North Coast and Island Regions of PNG”
A team from the Climate Change Development Authority was in Madang to officiate at the swearing-in of the new committee.
Officials from CCDA encouraged the new committee in Madang to come up with a five-year policy and implementation plan which is in line with the national authority to access funding support.
The then acting director of CCDA, Joe Pokana who was part of the delegation to Madang congratulated the new committee members and encouraged them develop plans for implementation to coincide with the national policy.
“We are taking a small step but hopefully we can make a big difference, and hope to see that the new committee has a plan to implement,” Pokana said.
Madang Provincial Administrator, Daniel Aloi, acknowledge the presence of CCDA officials to Madang to facilitate the swearing-in of the new committee.
Aloi said as a province he is thankful to CCDA for the initiative taken to promote the agenda of climate change to the Madang community.
He said climate change is not only a core business of the non-governmental organization. It is everybody’s business.
Aloi added that the Madang administration would make sure that climate change is taken on board.
“We need to acknowledge that climate change issues are administered,
“First thing we will do now is for the committee to be given recognition in the provincial executive council (PEC) so that it is catered for in the appropriation,” Aloi said.
Picture: The new Climate Change bill-board near Department of Works Compound along Modilon Road in Madang. Picture by JAMES G. KILA