The World Bank is focusing on climate change The issue of gender equality in the Pacific Ocean, Operations Managing Director Anna Bjerde Even if its biggest shareholder, the United States, reduces aid in these regions during its visit to Australia.
After meeting Fiji's Pacific Islands economy minister, Bjerde said countries in the region continue to worry about the accelerated effects of climate change and are seriously concerned about rising food security and debt levels.
The bank says six Pacific Island countries are at high risk of debt difficulties.
The World Bank will move the regional vice president from Washington to Singapore and move its supervisors from Australia to Fiji and Papua New Guinea, approaching a $3.4 billion Pacific aid program that has grown seven times over 10-5 years, she said in an interview Monday.
“We are working to design projects that really take into account the vulnerabilities of the countries we work for. In this part of the world, countries are vulnerable to the effects of climate change.”
“We haven't really changed our language around it,” she added.
Designed to increase flood resilience, the Pacific Roads Project will withstand changing climates and provide better infrastructure counted in climate finance programs, Bjerde said.
The World Bank focused on encouraging women's workforce to resolve women's economic growth, she said after meeting women leaders in Fiji who emphasized the need for childcare so that women can work.
On Monday, Bjerde also met officials from the Australian government, the region's largest bilateral donor.
Under the reforms introduced last year President Ajay BangaThe World Bank has begun to roll out regional-wide programs to have a major impact among the Pacific countries with fewer populations.
Eight countries have joined an arrangement to stop small island states being blocked From the international financial system, health programs targeting non-communicable diseases could reach 2 million people across the Pacific and train 16,000 health workers.
The trade program is designed to provide faster and cheaper access to goods, she said.
Banga will be attending the Pacific Islands Forum, the region's annual leadership meeting for the first time in September.
– Reuters and
