Solomon Islands: The value and importance of biodiversity
Speaking in Honiara this week it was reported that Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare acknowledged the proposed signing of two Memorandum of Understand (MOU) under the Ministry of Culture & Tourism.
Prime Minister Sogavare said despite the Covid-19 pandemic he was pleased to note that the ministry has held fruitful meetings with the Malaita and Central provincial governments with two MOUs to be signed soon.
The MOU’s will set out the pathway for collaboration between the tourism & culture ministry and the Provincial Governments, for joint execution and implementation of key tourism projects over the next financial year.
I was especially interested to read in the Solomon Times Online today that one of the MOU’s will also support the idea to revisit and recommit to the Forest Lake Eco-Tourism Project and Cruise Ship program for Malaita Province,” the Prime Minister was quoted saying.
I am not over familiar with the Forest Lake Eco-Tourism Project envisaged for Malaita but t do know the Solomon Islands remains keen on biodiversity for without biodiversity the country will lose its aesthetic, spiritual and educational values and significance, which are integral to wellbeing and traditional way of life.
The Solomon Islands Government National Biodiversity Strategic and Action Plan 2016-2020 outlines there is a growing realisation that the country’s biodiversity is also under increasing pressure from multiple sources of threats, for example, from habitat loss, overexploitation and climate change.
I would hope, therefore, that with such a realization, the government will, indeed, recommit to the Forest Lake Eco-Tourism Project this year.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
