2nd Joint National Action Plan - A Sectoral Approach to Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management 2016 – 2020.

This Joint National Action Plan II (JNAP II)- A Sectoral Approach to Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management 2016 – 2020 describes the Cook Islands response to the severe challenges presented by a range of hazards, most notable of which are cyclones, sea surges, flooding, droughts and climate change. The purpose of JNAP II is to provide a framework and guidance to the Government of the Cook Islands and all community actions to strengthen resilience and better respond to the country's vision. The goal of the JNAP II 2016-2020 is: Strengthen climate and disaster resilience to protect lives, livelihoods, economic, infrastructural, cultural and environmental assets in the Cook Islands in a collaborative, sectoral approach.
The JNAP II addresses the need to improve food security. For the strategy area of water and food security, the goal is to improve water quality, efficiency and conservation and to strengthen livelihoods and capacity for climate adaptation in agriculture and fisheries. Actions include: 1) Promote long term water security for all islands to cope with prolonged dry spells and other impacts of climate change; 2) Improve food security, reduce import reliance and strengthen resilience to the impacts of climate change through the development of the agriculture industry at the community and national level; 3) Strengthen and build resilience in the fisheries sector, ensuring a higher resilience to the impacts of climate change; 3) Strengthen the capacity to regularly monitor and report the salinity, water quality of freshwater used for water supply on all islands.
The JNAP II promotes environmental sustainability, focusing on promoting sustainable land use practices for the protection and conservation of environment and the efficient management of waste. The Actions under the Strategic Direction of Environmental Sustainability include: 1). Develop land use plans and development guidelines to strengthen planning authorities for effective management of land planning issues related to climate change adaptation and disaster risk management. 2). Improve the conservation and management of marine and terrestrial biodiversity, to the impacts of climate change. 3). Promote integrated management of the coastal zones to build resilience to natural hazards and slow onset disasters including climate change, ocean acidification, coral bleaching and coastal erosion due to sea level rise. 4). Improve and promote solid and hazardous waste management systems to address environmental and climate related risks. 5). Strengthen sanitation infrastructure to address health, environmental and climate related risks on all islands.
The Document describes the 5 year plan of action to implement Goal 13 of the National Sustainable Development Plan 2016-2020 (NSDP), which is to strengthen resilience to combat the impacts of climate change and natural disasters. With a twin track approach and a multi-hazards focus, the Document is developed in the form of a comprehensive costed strategic matrix containing nine strategies with specific outcomes. The strategic matrix has three thematic areas, i.e. a.Climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction; Climate change mitigation & low carbon development; and c. Disaster preparedness, response, recovery and reconstruction. The nine sector based strategies are then grouped under these thematic areas. The nine strategic directions are: 1) Good governance; 2) Water and food security 3) Environmental sustainability; 4) Research, monitoring and information management; 5) Cook Islands culture and identity; 6) Energy and transport; 7) Infrastructure; 8) Climate and disaster risk; 9) Health and welfare. It addresses both structural and non-structural issues. For instance, under the Thematic Area Three, the strategic areas include: i) promotes reliable infrastructure and low carbon development; ii) Strengthen climate and disaster risk resilience through integrated planning and programming at the national and community level and enhancing early warning systems; iii) Strengthen human health and welfare during response and recovery of climate and disaster impacts. Actions under ii) are: 1). Develop and implement a national programme for community based integrated vulnerability assessment, climate change adaptation and strengthen disaster risk management and planning; 2). Enhance national capacity to provide early warnings for slow and fast-onset hazards, including those related to climate change; 3). Strengthen capacity for search and rescue at sea and on land; 4). Strengthen and build resilience in the tourism sector to the impacts of climate change and disasters.
A steering committee (JNAP SC) will be established. The JNAP SC will be responsible for the promotion of the JNAP II with development partners and to seek funding and assistance with implementation. The JNAP II is to be financed through new and existing funding mechanisms including the national budget process, aid funding, climate change funding and disaster related humanitarian aid.