The Bahomea and Malango Community Benefit Sharing Trust Fund has begun developing a five-year strategic plan to guide the distribution of benefits from the Tina River Hydropower Development Project to communities in Central Guadalcanal.
The fund’s Board of Trustees and Fund Management Office held a two-day strategic planning workshop on October 15–16 at Parangiju Mountain Lodge in Central Guadalcanal, laying the groundwork for the 2027–2031 plan.
Facilitated by consultant Lilly Lomulo, the workshop brought together trustees, fund management staff and institutional partners to establish an operational roadmap for the fund’s transition into a standalone project implementation entity.
Board chairman Denson Denni said the plan would help establish the fund’s long-term operational independence and ensure that hydropower revenues delivered sustainable benefits to communities.
He said the strategic priorities included infrastructure, education, livelihoods, food security, social inclusion, climate resilience and community empowerment.
The fund aims to ensure that benefits from the hydropower project are distributed equitably across the target communities of Bahomea, Malango and Ado/Belaha.
Established in 2023 under the Charitable Trusts Act, the fund forms part of the World Bank-funded Solomon Islands Community Benefits Sharing Project – Phase 2.
It is designed to channel power-generation revenues into long-term socio-economic development, climate-resilient infrastructure and community development initiatives in areas affected by the hydropower project.
Denni said the board had a fiduciary responsibility to safeguard community assets and establish a transparent framework for managing the benefits.
The workshop’s outcomes will be consolidated into a synthesis report and draft strategic plan, including an implementation workplan, key performance indicators and financing strategies.
Once finalised and formally approved by the board, the plan will guide the fund’s transition from grant-funded pilot operations to long-term benefit allocations following the hydropower project’s commercial operation date.
The Tina River Hydropower Development Project is Solomon Islands’ first large-scale renewable energy project. It is intended to improve access to cleaner, more reliable and affordable electricity.
The project is being implemented by the Solomon Islands government with support from international development partners, including the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the Australian government and the Green Climate Fund.
