Oceania

"Plastic Free July may last for one month, but the choices people make every day can have a lasting impact on the health of the Pacific's rivers, coastlines and oceans." This was the key message from GIZ Pacific as it concluded a month of activities under the CleanSeas - Preventing Marine Litter in Pacific Island Countries Project, encouraging staff, partners and the wider community to rethink their relationship with plastic and adopt more sustainable everyday practices.

Implemented by GIZ Pacific on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN), the CleanSeas Project supports Pacific Island countries to strengthen efforts to prevent marine litter through improved waste management, stronger partnerships and greater public awareness.

The GIZ Pacific, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), and the Pacific Community (SPC), in partnership with Fiji's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC) launched the CleanSeas - Marine Litter Prevention in Pacific Island Countries Programme in Fiji, marking an important milestone in the country's efforts to reduce plastic pollution and protect its marine environment. The launch was followed by the Fiji National Inception Workshop, which brought together representatives from government, development partners, civil society organisations, academia and the private sector to strengthen collaboration, identify national priorities and lay the foundation for implementation of the 4-year initiative.

Community leaders, conservation organizations, and development partners from across the Bismarck Solomon Seas region gathered during the Melanesian Ocean Summit to showcase how locally led marine conservation initiatives are helping advance global biodiversity, climate, and ocean commitments while strengthening food security and coastal livelihoods across Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and the Solomon Islands.

In Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG), governments and development partners officially launched the GIZ-implemented "Protecting Freshwater Resources for Increased Climate Resilience in the Pacific Islands (PacFresH2O) Project," marking a major step toward improving climate-resilient water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems in PNG and the Solomon Islands.

Key government agencies and partners gathered for the Final Internal Validation Meeting of the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Blue Carbon Policy Roadmap on August 15, 2025 at the Climate Change Development Authority (CCDA) in Port Moresby. The roadmap reflects months of collaboration and a shared commitment to climate resilience, biodiversity, and sustainable coastal livelihoods.