The Low Carbon Sea Transport Project team in the Marshall Islands participated in an event to present the highlights of the Lagoon Component of the project. The event was organised together with the National Energy Office (NEO) and underscored activities aimed at reducing emissions in short distance maritime transport. It was held in the NGO Waan Aelõñ in Majel (WAM)’s premises, as they play an important role in preserving and documenting the traditional canoeing culture of the Marshall Islands and Pacific Community’s commitment to climate action.
Our collaboration with the NGO WAM and the GIZ Low Carbon Sea Transport project aims to revitalize lagoon shipping in Marshallese communities (…) The yellow catamarans you see on the lagoon and that I will hopefully be able to sail during my time here, the WAM Catameran and the WAM Proa, are results of these efforts, designed by WAM and GIZ project partners.
Dr. Andreas Pfaffernoschke, German Ambassador to the Marshall Islands
Copies of the construction manuals for WAMs canoes were gifted to Ambassador Pfaffernoschke and to the President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands Dr. Hilda Heine. Further copies of the construction manuals will be distributed to various organizations and schools within the country and they will be implemented into the school curriculum where students will be able to learn about the new designs and of the projects involved.
After the event, guests were allowed to hitch a short ride on WAM’s HarryProa canoe in Majuro’s lagoon. Among those who attended the event was US Ambassador (in), Australian Ambassador (In), ROC Taiwan Ambassador (In), and GIZ Phillippines and Pacific Islands Country Director Immanuel Gebhardt.
Find out more about this project in the Marshall Islands:
The innovative canoe designs, the WAM HarryProa and WAM Catamaran, were designed by both WAM and the University of Applied Sciences Hochschule Emden-Leer for Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH as part of GIZ’s RMI Low Carbon Sea Transport project with financing by the International Climate Initiative (IKI).
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From left to right: German Ambassador Dr. Andreas Pfaffernoschke, WAM Director Alson Kelen,and RMI President Hilda Heine pose together with canoe construction manuals. Credits: Chewy Lin Photo and Film
Geovannie Johnson
geovannie.johnson@giz.de
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