Shortage of Onions in Papua New Guinea???? Whaaaaatttt????

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Allow me to share an agony that expats here in Papua New Guinea, specifically in the central city of Port Moresby, whose been enduring for nearly a month the shortage, or more appropriate to state as nowhere to be found‘onions’ and ‘calamansi’ in all supermarkets as well as in wet and dry markets all over the city. Nothing on a similar plight have had happened before, and so we are all caught off guard. Due to desperation, my husband asked a Papua New Guinean colleague to buy us onions on their local village market outside Port Moresby, and it costed us P64.00 per piece!!!

Only expatriates have been buzzing dramatically about the shortage in onions, as Papua New Guineans are not really into cooking. While us Filipinos, are lamenting badly especially my kids frown emoticon, about the non-existence of both ‘onions’ and ‘calamansi’ in our daily comfort Filipino dishes.

In conferment to the given explanations found in Expatriates Association of Port Moresby facebook page, it was said that the ban on the import of fruits and vegetables is beginning to take a visible effect. Lae Chamber of Commerce officer Allan McLay, however rooted the shortage to drought that has affected production of vegetables in the Highlands (vegetable production capital city) and other parts of the country. Others entrenched it to frost that has been badly hitting the vegetable production provinces, likewise.

Drought, frost, temperature rise, forest fire, super typhoons, it is binding and evident that CLIMATE CHANGE is happening NOW!

With that premise, I devise a simple development communication plan for CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION

Message Sources 
Climatic data and forecasts will be originated from the Meteorological Department and other government authorities, government research institutes, also from the universities and scholars doing studies on climate change and adaptation. Other pertinent information may also be gathered from the mass media.

Localised Messages 
Messages have to be laymanised, localised and translated into climatic information, agricultural knowledge model and advisory services significant to the needs of the local community.

Channels
Once message is transformed into understandable forms, they can be shared using a unification of folk media, interpersonal and mediated communication including local information outlets such as the pharmacies and village markets, use of ICTs, film, mobile van, etc.

Community Participatory Learning 
The heart of the matter lies in being able to integrate these different channels and messages into a hub of participatory community learning to build a community of learners on livelihood adaptation to climate change.

Desired Outcomes
Improved adaptive capacity leads to a successful livelihood adaptation options.

Furthermore, a development communication plan should be linked to the national and regional levels for sources of messages and for mainstreaming objectives. Nonetheless, PLANNING is one thing, but IMPLEMENTATION is another thing. The government must reinforce all its agencies and resources to contrive plan, strategies and implementation to mitigate, if not to curb the devastating effects of climate change. I strongly suggest that every government of every nation should put up a National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility that will synthesise the best available adaptation research and produce practical, hands-on tools and information for local decision-makers, particularly in the coastal zone.

And so expectantly, in the next few days, along with a better configured development plan of the Papua New Guinea government, I am hopeful to reconnect and cook our native ‘bistek’ again. Crossed-finger!

READINGS:

http://www.looppng-sb.com/.../review-decision-ban-fresh...
https://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/adaptation