Solomon Islands national situation analysis

Type Report
Title Solomon Islands national situation analysis
Author(s)
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2013
Publisher CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems
City Penang
Country/State Malaysia
URL http://aquaticcommons.org/11219/1/AAS-2013-16.pdf
Abstract
The CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems (CRP AAS) was approved by the CGIAR Fund Council in July, 2011. Solomon Islands, one of five countries targeted by the program, began its rollout with a five month planning phase between August and December of 2011. Subsequent steps of the Program rollout include scoping, diagnosis and design. This report is the first to be produced during the scoping phase in Solomon Islands; it addresses the national setting and provides basic information on the context within which the AAS Program will operate. The macro level subjects of analysis provide initial baselines of national level indicators, policy context, power relationships and other factors relevant to the Program.

Aquatic agricultural systems are defined as farming and fishing systems in which the annual production dynamics of freshwater and/or coastal ecosystems contribute significantly to total household income. In Solomon Islands, the 80% of the population described as rural, subsistence-oriented, small holder farmers and fishers form the backbone of the Solomon Islands rural economy. The AAS Program aims to improve the well-being of AAS dependent people, which is consistent with the goal of the Solomon Islands National Development Strategy (2011-2020) to build better lives for all Solomon Islanders.

The AAS Program targets the poor and vulnerable, defining poverty as having three dimensions: income and asset poverty, vulnerability, and marginalization or social exclusion. Based on existing studies, this document describes the national situation in Solomon Islands with respect to these dimensions. Classical poverty indicators are not necessarily available, accurate or particularly relevant to Solomon Islands. Nevertheless, according to available measures, Solomon Islands does rank as one of the lowest of all Pacific nations on the Human Development Index, and people who experience ‘hardship’ or ‘stap no gud’ in villages and urban areas are identified by Solomon Islanders as those who are unable to afford basic needs, lack permanent shelter and are unable to access basic services. Key summaries in this report relate to reliance on AAS, governance, land tenure and current government and donor initiatives with respect to agriculture and fisheries.

There are a number of existing and planned national policies and strategies for poverty alleviation in Solomon Islands and those related to AAS include increasing agriculture, livestock and fisheries productivity to sustainably enhance food security and improve livelihoods. A further area of significance to AAS that has been highlighted at the national level is gender disparity. The probability of meeting targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) that “promote gender equality and empower women” by 2015 is considered to be low for Solomon Islands. Women’s participation in politics and formal employment are two notable areas where performance is particularly poor. Development efforts to reduce poverty in rural areas are also recognized as having gendered dimensions, particularly when economic activities are concentrated around natural resources such as logging, minerals and fisheries. Lack of appropriate mechanisms to govern the use of natural resources on which rural families depend accentuates these concerns.

Scoping reports for specific target provinces will be prepared as rollout of the AAS Program proceeds. These will contribute to the participatory design of the Solomon Islands program and the establishment of baselines for assessing program impact.

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