Overview:
For the first time, infrastructure officials from four Pacific Island nations came together in Palau this week to confront a challenge that threatens the very ground beneath their feet. With roads buckling from rising heat, coastlines eroding, and sea levels creeping toward inhabited land, the Joint Regional Seminar on Asset Management — hosted by JICA June 15–19 — marked a turning point in how Micronesia plans to fight back. Here’s what brought them together, and what’s at stake.
Koror, Palau – Representatives from four Pacific island nations gathered in Koror this week for the inaugural Joint Regional Seminar of Capacity Building in Asset Management, a five-day program focused on improving the management and maintenance of roads, bridges, and heavy machinery across the region.
Hosted by the Bureau of Public Works and JICA, the seminar brought together leaders, engineers, infrastructure specialists, and partners from Micronesia and Japan. The program was held primarily at the Koror State Assembly Hall and concluded on June 19.
As part of the seminar, participants visited key infrastructure sites in Palau, including the Japan-Palau Friendship Bridge, maintenance work at Meyuns Causeway, and the construction site of the new Minatobashi Bridge Project.
One of the main objectives of the seminar was to provide a platform for participating countries to share experiences and identify practical solutions to challenges in maintaining critical infrastructure. Delegates also examined international case studies and new technologies that could be adapted to Pacific island conditions.
The program included presentations from regional and international experts, including infrastructure specialists from Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, and a Pacific Quality Infrastructure Principles adviser. Participants also heard country reports from Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Kiribati.
Organizers said the seminar is expected to strengthen regional cooperation and help lay the groundwork for future collaboration among Pacific island countries on infrastructure asset management.
The seminar concluded with presentations from participating countries outlining lessons learned, recommendations, and plans for continued regional cooperation. (By: Ngewakl I. Soaladoab)
