Tuvalu: Funafuti Urban Dialogue, Tuvalu, 2 and 5 July 2010

In preparation for the development of an urban management plan for Funafuti, (as stipulated in the Te Kakeega II), the Ministry of Home Affairs and Rural Development hosted a Funafuti Urban Dialogue workshop on the 2 and 5 July. The Ministry requested technical assistance from UN-HABITAT and UNESCAP Pacific Office and CLGF Pacific Project provided financial and technical support.
The workshop was attended by 40 persons. Participants included representatives from the Funafuti Kapule (including community, women and youth representatives), Departments of Environment, Health, Land, Education, PWD and representatives from the Ministry of Communication and Transport and the Office of the Prime Minister. The workshop was opened by the Honourable Willy Telavi, Minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development, and was attended by the Head of the Funafuti Kapule (Ulu Fenua), Mesako Usufono.

In his opening speech, the Minister highlighted the transformation of Funafuti into an urban area, the continued population growth, the increasing pressures on services and infrastructure and the lack of an adequate institutional set up to coordinate develop and manage this transformation. He stated that rational pro-actions to manage urbanisation as vital.
Outputs included a definition of an urban area in the Tuvaluan context and identified 5 strategic areas for intervention: urban environments (services), housing, land, planning and quality of life. It was agreed that an urban working committee be established and chaired by the DRD, MHARD with due recognition of the importance of genuine collaboration and effort for inter-agency communication and coordination and a need to build clarification of roles and responsibilities.