The Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimi­nation Commission is working towards issuing protective climate change measures for women and children with disabilities in rural and maritime com­munities.

The comment was made by the proceedings commis­sioner, Pravesh Sharma at the Talanoa Forum at the Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa at Denarau, Nadi on Thursday.

Mr Sharma spoke on be­half of the commission after it received a grant alongside Samoa by the Asia Pacific Forum funded by the European Union to fight the effects of climate change.

He said apart from women and children with disabili­ties in rural, remote and maritime communities, the commission would also look at how climate change af­fected women and children in the urban areas.

“We need to protect them and we just need to convince the bigger countries, the ones who are responsible for emissions, to come on board and assist us,” Mr Sharma said.

“The funds we receive from APF will be generated to­wards university students to go out and do research for us.”

He said the commission was empowered to ensure that every person had the right to a clean and healthy environment for the benefit of present and future world generations.

“Climate change has had a harmful impact on Fiji’s environment and has trans­formed it from having a tropical climate preferred by tourists to a threat to Fiji’s inhabitants,” he said.

“Little attention in par­ticular has been paid to the human rights impact of climate change and the role that National Human Rights Institutions can play in cre­ating a platform for those affected to raise their con­cerns.”

Mr Sharma added that the commission had also identi­fied climate change and its adverse impact on the hu­man rights of vulnerable communities in Fiji as a priority.

“Also understanding the challenges faced by the coastal, rural and maritime communities,” Mr Sharma added.

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