The tiny island of Nauru which is the world’s smallest republic has become the sixth country to ratify the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Framework pact.
Another five more nations namely the Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, Somalia, Ghana and Djibouti have committed to ink the International Solar Alliance Framework Pact in the ongoing annual meeting of the African Development bank in Gandhinagar.
This is the first time that India is hosting the annual meetings of the AfDB and its sister institutions. India had joined the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 1983.
Nauru is a tiny island republic in Micronesia located in the northeast of Australia. Nauru has a population of 10,200-odd individuals.
The highest point in the island measures only 65 metres above sea level.
Hence, the island remains vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.
Nauru has a hot and humid climate and normally don’t experience cyclones.
Around 30% of the country’s power needs are met through solar power installations.
The tiny republic has set a target for attaining 50% of energy production from renewable sources by 2020.
ISA: Know More- On the first day of the COP-21 summit, the International Solar Alliance was launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande.
- It is a union of countries with abundant sunlight.
- Under this alliance, 121 countries that fall within the tropics {i.e. between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn} have been invited to make collaborative efforts to harness solar energy to generate the electricity.
- Most of these countries are from Asia, Africa and South America.
- There are three objectives behind the International Solar Alliance.
- First is to force down prices by driving demand; second is to bring standardization in solar technologies and third is to foster research and development.
