Manpower to help address the impacts of climate change is now available at the Papua New Guinea University of Natural Resources and Environment (PNG UNRE), an official says.
PNG UNRE acting Head of School of Environment and Climate Change (SECC) department Jason Paliau told The National that such staff was available among pioneer students who would be graduating at the end of this year.
Paliau said the biggest concern for Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) was manpower to address climate change impacts but the problem will soon be over with the graduation of their pioneer students.
SECC was introduced in 2019. Under the school, we have two departments, SECC and Renewable Energy and Environmental Engineering (REEE).
We had our first intake for REEE last year and also started off with delivering their courses.
The school at the moment has no Dean so I am the acting HOD for SECC and REEE.
Climate Change is a cross-cutting issue that affects different types of sectors.
We are educating the students’ mitigation and adaptation measures to minimize impacts of climate change.
Jason Paliau
According to Paliau, SECC and REEE had not yet been accredited but an assurance was made earlier this year by the Department of Higher Education Research Science and Technology (DHERST) to be accredited and work was in progress.
Paliau said under the two programs, most students enrolled as self-sponsored and would await accreditation from DHERST to undergo their TESAS scholarship.
Our major challenge is the development of courses mainly on engineering.
We don’t have enough lecturers.
Some of us are taking more than five courses and that’s a big challenge but we are slowly recruiting.
Paliau