Project description

Title: Coping with climate change in the Pacific island region
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Pacific Island Region: Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
Lead executing agency: Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)
Overall term: 2009 to 2015

Context

The Pacific island states are especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. Today inhabitants of many islands are already enduring extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes and floods, coastal erosion and – especially in atolls – water shortages. The predicted rise in sea levels, increased number of hurricanes, altered precipitation patterns and hotter temperatures will aggravate these environmental dangers in coming decades. The majority of the population depends on the natural resources from farming, forestry and fisheries, which are susceptible to the effects of climate change.

People are not yet sufficiently prepared for the approaching climate change. There is a lack of knowledge, reliable data and adaptation strategies such as alternative farming and forestry methods. In addition, the effects of climate change and possible adaptation strategies have not yet been incorporated into policy frameworks or regulatory structures.

Objective

The competence and capabilities of the local population, the national governmental authorities and regional organisations are enhanced in order to cope with the effects of climate change and combat its causes.

Approach

The programme supports two regional organisations, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP), in improving their information packages, advisory services and training opportunities on the topic of climate change.

The governments of the island states are advised on developing strategies to prepare the key sectors of the economy for the anticipated climate-related events. As climate change impacts on almost all sectors, such as farming, tourism and fisheries, existing development plans and policy guidelines will need to be reviewed for climate appropriateness and adjusted accordingly.

In its work, the programme focuses on natural resources found on land and in coastal waters, as well as on tourism. It promotes sustainable energy supplies to reduce greenhouse gases. In Fiji, the programme supports relevant actors in protecting forests; the financing of these protection measures is ensured through the sale of CO2 certificates.

In addition, measures are being implemented at community level through pilot projects in all project countries.

Results achieved so far

Fifty journalists have been trained for reporting on climate change topics. The multiplier effect of the journalists and further awareness raising activities benefit many inhabitants of the Pacific island states. As those directly affected by the effects of climate change, they are now better informed on the correlation between global warming and the natural resources on which their lives depend, and can make more informed decisions. For example, regular radio programmes on climate change are broadcast in Vanuatu, reaching more than a third of the population.

In one of the pilot projects in Vanuatu, inhabitants of the island of Pele founded a forestry association to counteract the negative effects of climate change through reforestation and to generate income.

At the end of 2009, the Tongan cabinet adopted the policy framework document on the forestry management of the country, which contained more than thirty references to climate change.

Teams from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community are now integrating climate change as a cross-cutting theme in their work. Climate change is a central topic of debate in various forums and networks, e.g. at the meetings of the forest authority directors in the Pacific island region and in regular newsletters. The library and information managers are making specific knowledge on topics related to climate change available to all interested internal and external parties.

Further information

• Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)
  http://www.spc.int/...
• Climate change portal of the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
  http://www.sprep.org/climate_change/...
• FAO on the impact of climate change on food security in the Pacific island region
  http://www.fao.org/climatechange/...