Establishing the need for and sustainability of accredited and quality assured TVET qualifications for climate change adaptation and disaster risk management in the Pacific islands region

Abstract

The Pacific Small Island Developing States (P-SIDS) are extremely vulnerable to climate change impacts and natural hazards due to their geographical location, topography and major economic sectors (agriculture, tourism and fisheries). The sustainable development and even the mere existence of these P-SIDS are under threat. Regionally, leaders are aware of this vulnerability and many climate change adaptation and risk reduction projects have been conducted by different stakeholders. Limited availability of appropriate training in the region has led to: lack of locally trained people to implement and monitor projects; use of donor funds to support foreign experts; unsuccessful projects causing maladaptation or increasing vulnerability and risk. A regional needs and gap analysis has identified that formal qualifications which account for local contexts are required to build national capacity to: accurately monitor and assess impacts of climate change and natural hazards; identify solutions to reduce these risks; and plan, manage and implement risk reduction projects to reduce damage and losses. The development of regionally-specific quality assured qualifications in this context is ground breaking and is the impetus for the European Union Pacific Technical Vocational Education and Training in Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Adaptation Project (EU PacTVET). Structures for quality assurance of regional qualifications as well as the “regionalization” and mutual recognition of qualifications need to be put into place. Responsive and accredited regional qualifications should ensure that the interventions managed by those having these qualifications are really supporting sustainable development, thereby: limiting the impacts of climate change and natural hazards; empowering locals to become involved actors in their own development; and limiting maladaptation and generation of new risks