Republic of the Marshall Islands

The review team consisted of Herbert Wade (rural electrification), Yves Lambert (renewable energy) and Marion Ferguson (community and social development). The PREFACE programme is an $3.45 million joint effort of Australia and France with the goal of advancing social and economic development through the use of sustainable renewable energy technologies in the Pacific region. The stated purpose of the project is to increase the utilization of sustainable renewable energy technologies, in particular solar photovoltaics and wind energy technologies, in island and rural communities.

This report was prepared by Gerhard Zieroth. The use of coconut oil as a substitute for diesel fuel is attracting increasing interest. This MSc thesis enhances the understanding of this technology and points out directions for its future application in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) as well as other Pacific Island Countries. The research work was undertaken by the PIEPSAP project in cooperation with RWTH University in Aachen and it is based on a literature review and field data obtained in RMI and Fiji.

This report was prepared by Herbert Wade and Peter Johnston for UNDP Regional Centre in Bangkok. The purpose of this assignment was to undertake a rapid needs assessment and gap analysis of the fifteen Pacific Island Countries that potentially can participate in the UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Energy Program for Poverty Reduction (REP-PoR).  Ideally, such a study would involve travel to each country to allow extensive local input and as much discussion in-country as possible.

Participants List

Final status report on the Gender Equity in Climate Change Adaptation and Low Carbon Development.- International Climate Initiative. 

Energy Audit Report.

Marshall Islands National Energy Policy 2002. 

The Climate Change Finance Assessment in the Republic of the Marshall Islands seeks to underline the experience of RMI in accessing and managing climate change finance, and to identify opportunities to:

1. Improve access to resources, so that RMI might be able to solicit further support for implementing its response to climate change; and

This project was a joint initiative by the Government of RMI, MEC, UNDP and SOPAC. The objective of the study is to determine the feasibility of the use of coconut products for electricity generation in rural atoll communities in the Marshall Islands as a strategy for import substitution and to enable rural communities to participate in value-adding economic activities while creating jobs in the non-formal sector as well as improving and sustaining their livelihoods. 

This report was prepared by Gerhard Zieroth under the PIEPSAP Project. During the PIEPSAP consultations, the stakeholders repeatedly expressed the need to explore the option to use locally produced coconut oil as a substitute fuel. Both the Minister of Resources and Development and the Minster of Public Works are particularly interested in decentralized coconut oil extraction that is seen to open a range of opportunities for economic development of the outer islands. It would contribute to rural income poverty alleviation and economic development.