Overseas appointment a first for Cook Islands

Local Consultant, Chris Manu, leaves Rarotonga next week with his family to take up a USAID project position as Regional Infrastructure Advisor with the global company AECOM, a provider of professional technical and management support services to a broad range of markets, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government.
Chris will be based in Bangkok, Thailand and will be responsible for facilitating access to finance from US Government on Climate Change Projects in 13 Asian and 15 Pacific Island countries including the Cook Islands, worth billions of dollars.
Chris is the first Pacific Islander to reach a status of Advisor working on US Government Projects. The position is initially for 2 years.
Chris will be responsible for working with developing country governments and funding organizations to coordinate program activities by providing technical assistance related to project preparation, support design and implementation of capacity building activities, assist with organization of regional capacity building and networking activities, and supporting program communications and reporting.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded AECOM a five‐year contract to help Asian and Pacific countries obtain international climate change funds more quickly.
Obtaining funds from the existing pool of climate change and adaptation resources is often slow due to their complex requirements and the inability of some countries to prepare proposals that meet international fund requirements.
USAID’s new program – called the Climate Change Adaptation Project Preparation Facility for Asia-Pacific (ADAPT‐Asia-Pacific) – will bring Asian and Pacific governments and fund managers together to clarify the procedures for different adaptation funds and provide a marketplace for investment project proposals.
At the same time, ADAPT‐Asia-Pacific will train government agencies to prepare sound investment projects, and in some cases help them formulate project proposals for climate change adaptation funds. ADAPT‐Asia-Pacific will also share information on best practices, climate fund eligibility requirements, and application procedures throughout the region.
The program is expected to commence firstly including Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor‐Leste, and Vietnam.
And then latter: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Is, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Is, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Worldwide resource requirements for climate change funding, as discussed last year under the Cancun Agreements, are expected to rise to $100 billion per year by 2020 according to Michael Yates, Mission Director for USAID’s Regional Development Mission for Asia-Pacific.
“Asian-Pacific countries are considered the most vulnerable to the impacts of global climate change, and ADAPT‐Asia-Pacific will help unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in international funds for projects to reduce the risks associated with extreme weather events, such as better management of ecosystems as critical buffers and refined land‐use plans and building codes.”

Chris and Boxing
Before relocating to Bangkok at the end of March, Chris, as Vice President of Cook Islands Amateur Boxing Association (CIABA) will be taking along with Navy Epati (Manager), Graham Taylor (Coach) 3 boxers to represent the Cook Islands in the upcoming Olympic qualifying Oceania Boxing tournament to be held in Canberra, Australia from 20th – 25th March. The Boxers are: Eddie Daniels (middle weight), Sonny Nooroa, (heavyweight) Jubilee Arama (Super Heavy). The CIABA raised its own funds for this tournament. Chris will continue to promote international boxing for the Cook Islands while in Asia.
Chris has also been an active President for the Tupapa Maraerenga Panthers Rugby League Club and leaves the club in a good position to win this year’s competition.

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