SUVA -- A mail-group based network that links development professionals and practitioners together to share knowledge, innovative ideas and practical experiences to help solve problems related to climate change in the Pacific was launched on Tuesday.

The AusAID Counsellor-Regional, Romaine Kwesius and the United Nations Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Knut Ostby jointly launched the Pacific Solution Exchange Climate Change and Development Community (CCD) in Suva, Fiji. ?

The focus of the community on climate change and development emphasizes the importance of ensuring that climate change adaptation and mitigation measures are considered in the context of broader development issues and promote better development outcome and effectiveness through integrated planning, budgeting and implementation.

"The challenge in this area is to improve cooperation and integration and address the need to draw on good practices as well as the lessons learnt from less successful ventures from both within the region and outside," said Ostby.

He added that he believed the Pacific Solution Exchange community provided a real opportunity for policy makers and practitioners to work together to solve problems and identify climate change solutions that best meet the needs of Pacific Island countries.

AusAID Counsellor-Regional, Romaine Kwesius said that Australian assistance for climate change adaptation was delivered through the 328.2-million-US-Dollar International Climate Change Adaptation Initiative (ICCAI) and that 80 million dollars of this program would be delivered in the Pacific over the next two years, building on the significant support that has already been delivered.

Joining the CCD Community will allow members to tap into the knowledge, expertise and experiences of other professionals and people working in a wide range of areas connected to both climate change as well as those working to improve aid management and development performance more generally.