Solomon Islands wants climate and disaster financing to reach Pacific communities faster and more easily, before, during and after disasters. The Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, Hon Wayne Ghemu, made the call in a keynote address to a Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company (PCRIC) side event at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, on Tuesday 10 November 2026.

Minister Ghemu pointed to Severe Tropical Cyclone Maila of April 2026, which he said reached Category 5 and hit Western Province, particularly Simbo Island. The cyclone affected approximately 2,247 people there, displaced 268 and contaminated groundwater sources, he said.

A USD 500,000 PCRIC payout to the Solomon Islands Government on 23 April 2026 helped offset emergency relief costs, the minister said. “Cyclone Maila demonstrated the value of having pre-arranged financing available when our people and governments need it most,” he said.

He also cited the National Disaster Risk Financing Strategy 2024–2027, with its layers of contingency funds, emergency reserves, contingent credit and sovereign insurance. The Central Bank’s TrigaCash microinsurance paid 35 policyholders within two weeks of the January 2026 rainfall, he said.

Minister Ghemu said Solomon Islands had committed USD 1 million to the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF), after hosting its treaty signing in Honiara in September 2025 and ratifying the treaty in January 2026. PCRIC pays out quickly after eligible disasters, he said, and works alongside the PRF, the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage and the Global Shield against Climate Risks.

Long accreditation and approval processes drive up recovery costs and strain national budgets, the minister said. “Finance that arrives after the moment of need risks missing its purpose,” he said.

With the Pacific in cyclone season, he asked regional mechanisms and international financial institutions to simplify access and speed up approvals and payments. Humanitarian warehouses in Honiara and Auki help supply remote and maritime communities, he said.

Source: Based on a statement from the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Disaster Management published on the Solomon Islands Government portal on 11 November 2026. https://solomons.gov.sb/solomon-islands-calls-for-faster-and-more-accessible-climate-finance-for-pacific-communities/