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2 [Solomon Islands] Abbreviations ADB Asian Development Bank AHC Australian High Commission ARDS Agriculture and Rural Development Strategy AusAID Australian Agency for International Development Assistance AWRF Australian Water Research Facility CBO Community Based Organisation EU European Union FMP II Forestry Management Project II HDI Human Development Index IWC International WaterCentre MoH Ministry of Health NCSA National Capacity Self Assessment Project NGO Non-government Organisation RWSS Rural Water Supply and Sanitation SOPAC South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission SPREP South Pacific Regional Environment Program TA Technical Assistance UNDP United Nations Development Program UNEP United Nations Environment Program WRD Water Resources Division, Department of Mines and Energy WWF World Wide Fund for Nature 2 3 [Solomon Islands] Report written by: Morgan Wairiu and Bronwyn Powell International WaterCentre 2006 For the Australian Water Research Facility (funded by AusAID) Acknowledgements: The AWRF Team would like to acknowledge the ongoing support of the Water Resources Division and to thank all those consulted in the preparation of this report. 3 4 [Solomon Islands] Table of Contents 1 Introduction and Overview 6 1.1.......................................................................................................................... Purpose of report 6 1.2.......................................................................................................................................Key issues 6 2 Current situation for water and sanitation 8 2.1....................................................................................................... Drinking and household use 8 2.2.......................................................................................................................... Power generation 11 2.3.............................................................................................................................Agricultural use 12 2.4.........................................................................................................................Mining operations 13 2.5................................................................................................................................. Industrial use 13 3 Country Context 14 3.1....................................................................................................................... Biophysical context 14 3.2................................................................................................................................. Social context 16 3.3............................................................................................................................. Political context 18 3.4.......................................................................................................................... Economic context 20 4 Regulatory and institutional framework 23 4.1 .....................................................................................Planning and policy regulatory bodies 23 4.2................................................................................................................Legislation and policies 26 4.3........................................................................................ Government programs and priorities 28 4.4.............................................................................Agencies involved with water management 30 5 Other organisations involved in water32 5.1.................................................................................................................Research organisations 32 5.2.....................................................................................................Higher Education Institutions 33 5.3............................................................................................... NGOs and community activities 33 5.4................................................................................................................................. Private Sector 34 6 Donor Programs and priorities 35 6.1............................................................................................................................ European Union 36 6.2...........................................................................................................................................AusAID 36 6.3............................................................................................................................................ NZAID 36 6.4..........................................................................................................................Republic of China 37 6.5.................................................................................................................................................JICA 37 6.6.................................................................................................................................... World Bank 38 6.7..................................................................................................................................Canada Fund 38 6.8...................................................................................................................................SOPAC/ EU 38 6.9..................................................................................................................................................GEF 39 6.10........................................................................................................................... UNDP/UNOPS 39 7 Existing research and monitoring of condition 39 7.1............................................................................................................................... Water research 40 7.2......................................................................................................................................... Mapping 40 7.3..................................................................................................................................................Risk 40 8 Common Issues and the Way Ahead 41 4 5 [Solomon Islands] List of Figures Figure 1.1 Sources of drinking water in Solomon Islands Urban Areas (JICA 2006) .....9 Figure 2 Discharge system in Honiara (JICA)....................................................................9 Figure 3: Average monthly rainfall for Honiara (1955-2000) representative of Solomon Islands ...........................................................................................................15 Figure 4: Monthly rainfall distribution of the provinces of Solomon Islands ................16 Figure 5: Population 1970-1999 & Projections to 2014 ...................................................18 Figure 6: Exchange Rate: SI$ to US$1.00..........................................................................21 Figure 7: Change in Real GDP (1997-2003).....................................................................21 Figure 8: Structure of the Water Resources Division.......................................................24 List of Tables Table 1: Access to improved water and sanitation in the provinces 10 Table 2: APACE-Supported Hydro Development in the Solomon Islands 12 Table 3: Distribution of rural population by province in 1999DENSIYRSONS) 17 Table 4: Population of Solomon Islands in 1999 17 Table 5: Real Gross Domestic Product, 2003-2006 (CBSI annual report 2006) 22 Table 6: Legislative and policy documents. Source: SOPAC 2007 26 List of Annexes Annex A. References Annex B. Persons Met Annex C. Map of Solomon Islands Annex D. Biophysical information Annex E. Government of Solomon Islands Structure Annex F. Issues raised during situational analysis Annex G. Detailed research proposal for AWRF in Solomon Islands Annex H. Potential catchment areas for AWRF case study 5 6 [Solomon Islands] Introduction and Overview This situation analysis is a combination of a desk review completed in January 2006, and a follow-up in-country visit undertaken in July 2006. The delay between these two activities was primarily due to the unrest surrounding the May elections. Purpose of report The purpose of this document is to outline the current context of water in the Solomon Islands: water is central to all aspects of life and is a cross-cutting issue affecting community, economy, environment and health. The institutions responsible for the management of water are described, as is the governance and regulatory context. This report was developed as a background reference for the development of the research activities of the Australian Water Research Facility. However, it provides a useful overview of the sector for government officers, donor organisations, researchers, and others wishing to better understand the water sector of the Solomon Islands. Research is by its nature limitless, and there are many unanswered questions relating to water in the Solomon Islands. The Australian Water Research Facility (AWRF) team has described what it sees as pressing needs that it can best address, namely catchment management. Initially an urban/ peri-urban case study is recommended, with the possibility of expanding into rural areas as the project progresses. AWRF is conscious of the need for any research to be practical and useful for the Solomon Islands its development, and this will be a continuing consideration throughout the program’s activities Key issues Solomon Islands has abundant rainfall and natural water resources in nearly all provinces
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