Solomon Islands

A warming climate has the ability to have rippling affects across many sectors and threatens to significantly interrupt the way we interact and depend on our natural resources. The Solomon Islands, like many island nations, is facing increasing challenges in relation to water and sanitation, with increasing hydrological hazards and periods of increased temperatures and infrequent rain. Women and girls, who are often the primary water users, are most affected by these changes.

CARE partnered with UNICEF and the Ministry of Health to improve the consideration of different needs of women and girls in implementation of national government policies and wash strategies. CARE conducted a gender assessment of the rural water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) context in the Solomon Islands, recommending improvements and developing tools to enable inclusive programming and activities.

CARE is also supporting the national government prepare for disasters, ensuring that often marginalized groups, including women, children and people with a disability are included throughout the disaster management cycle in partnership with Live & Learn Solomon Islands.

CARE in the Pacific

Though spanning more than 10,000 square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean, the people of the Pacific face many of the same challenges, including pervasive gender inequality, limited economic opportunities, and high vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters. Services in the Pacific’s often remote areas are limited, so many people don’t have access to clean water sources, basic sanitation and essential health CARE, which is particularly critical because of the frequency and impact of natural disasters in the region. Despite a growing economy, income opportunities are also limited, particularly for women. Violence against women and girls is a serious social and economic problem across the Pacific, and women are underrepresented in local and national decision making.

CARE has been working in the Pacific for almost three decades, with country offices in Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu and projects in Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Samoa. We work with and support local partners across the region, including the Pacific NGO Live & Learn, the Pacific Red Cross Societies and MORDI Tonga Trust.