MAUURURU BORA BORA! Four days of incredible sessions have been concluded for students, citizens, and stakeholders of Bora Bora. A IANOS delegation attended the trainings discussing decarbonisation and environmental protection on the Polynesian island. The training sessions were realised with the excellent organisation and leadership of IANOS Commune de Bora Bora with support from New Energy Coalition, AkuoEnergy and European Renewable Energy Federation.
Bora Bora has a strong network of associations. Their work focusses on organising cultural events and training citizens on topics such as Polynesian history and environmental protection. Furthermore, the Tavana (Mayor) Mr. Gaston Tong Sang highly prioritises the protection of the natural environment and has achieved major leaps waste and water management of Bora Bora. This combination of strong community spirit and progressive environmental leadership provides the perfect breeding ground for community-focussed renewable energy projects. Bora Bora could be on the brink of realising similar leaps in the penetration of a renewable energy supply, as they have achieved with their water and waste treatment infrastructure.
Video recap of the training session on Bora Bora.
On the first day the water and waste treatment infrastructure was presented by Polynésienne des Eaux and Engie representatives to the IANOS consortium.
The second day kickstarted the discussions of how Bora Bora can develop renewable energy and protect its natural environment while providing a livelihood for its local citizens. The training was attended by representatives from the Municipal and city council, French and Polynesian government, resort managers and owners, and cultural and educational associations. Presentations were given about local initiatives, as well as best practices from the IANOS project and its Lighthouse islands Terceira and Ameland.
On the third day we saw high school students of Lycée Polyvalent de Bora Bora present their creative ideas for protecting the life of the lagoon. Some interesting alternatives to the current fossil-based energy supply were also presented. Lastly, they sang the beautiful European hymn ocean protection, written by the students of Bora Bora.
The fourth and final day of the trainings gave space for citizens to express their ideas and opinions on sustainable development on Bora Bora. This was led by the cultural and educational association of Bora Bora, that presented its work on educating the community. At the end, a workshop was held where citizens provided interesting ideas that were discussed by a panel consisting of the Tavana and IANOS representatives.
All in all, some productive days filled with enormously interesting discussions that will benefit the community-based approach for future renewable energy projects on Bora Bora! A special thanks to Commune de Bora Bora, AkuoEnergy, Air Tahiti Nui, EREF, EDP, RGA, AEC, Municipality of Ameland, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, PlanAir, Polynésienne des Eaux, ERED, EDT ENGIE Vaitehi, Ia Vai Ma Nora Bora-Bora.
This training session also concludes all training session during the IANOS project.
H2020-LC-SC3-2018-2019-2020 / H2020-LC-SC3-2020-EC-ES-SCC
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency Grant agreement no. 957810
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under
grant agreement No 957810. This website reflects only the author’s view and the European Climate, Infrastructure and
Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), under the powers delegated by the European Commission, is not responsible
for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
