Palau lias an equatorial, marine environment. No cyclones have been recorded though near passages are not unusual when high waves can be a problem. Palau has a strong program for preserving the environment, particularly that of the major tourist attractions including the Rock Islands and the reefs where some of the best diving in the world is found. Marine biodiversity is high and land biodiversity moderate. Strict USA
1. Article 6 of the Convention on Biological Diversity/ requires each Party to develop or adapt national strategies, plans or programmes for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and to integrate, as far as possible and as appropriate, the conservation and sustainable use of biological
diversity into relevant sectoral or cross-sectoral plans, programmes and policies.
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Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 11 Pages
One of the recommendations emerging from the COP-8 (Decision XIII/8 [6]) promoted a series of regional and/or sub-regional workshops on capacity building for NBSAPs. These will
be held with the aim to discuss national experiences in implementing NBSAPs, the integration of biodiversity concerns into relevant sectors, obstacles, and ways and means
for overcoming these obstacles. It was recommended that these workshops be held (subject to the availability of funding) prior to COP-9, to provide an opportunity to directly support
This report briefly summarises the opening ceremony for the new Lateu settlement in the Torba Province, Vanuatu. It is part of the Capacity Building for the Development of Adaptation in
Pacific Island Countries project (CBDAMPIC) funded by the CIDA and executed in the Pacific region by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). Proceedings
Climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction (DRR) have similar aims and mutual benefits.However, to date the climate change and disaster risk management communities1 have operated largely in isolation from each other for a number of reasons. This situation must change as a matter of urgency.Adaptation and DRR policy makers, experts and practitioners must communicate and collaborate with each other effectively to ensure a comprehensive risk management approach to development at local, national and international levels of government
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Climate change2 is one of the most pressing issues for the Pacific Island countries (PICs). The impacts of climate variability and extreme events (cyclones, floods, droughts, sea
Integrating community based disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA)
is identified at the policy and practical level as crucial to aid effectiveness. Successful integration
reduces both duplication of efforts and confusion at the community level. This research focuses
on Pacific community based DRR and CCA initiatives, and draws upon the knowledge and insight
of key stakeholders from multiple backgrounds to develop an understanding of the current status
In Solomon Islands, the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) project focused on food security, with a goal
to contribute to reduced vulnerability and increased adaptive capacity to adverse effects of climate change in
Solomon Islands. The pilot sites for the demonstration projects were the low lying atolls of Ontong Java and, in a
second phase, Sikaiana. These atolls are extremely isolated and are highly vulnerable in many respects. Climaterelated
threats mainly come from sea level rise and extreme weather events, and impacts on food security include
It is now widely acknowledged within the scientific community that the global rate of sea- level rise is quickening - and is likely to continue to do so as a result of anthropogenic
climate change. It is expected, therefore, that any resulting increase in the frequency or intensity of extreme sea-level events will cause serious problems for the inhabitants of low-
lying coastal communities and islands during the 21st century.
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Call Number: [EL[
Physical Description: 16 p.
Tuvalu, a small island nation in the Pacific, has in recent years lost about one metre of land around the circumference of its largest atoll due to changes in storm conditions and rising sea levels. Tuvalu is one of the worlds lowest lying countries, with its highest point standing a mere four and a half metres above sea level. Half of Tuvalus population of 11,000 people live just three metres above sea level
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Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 32 p.
The Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC (IPCC AR4) Working Group II (2007) identifies small island states as being among the most vulnerable countries of the world to the adverse impacts of climate change. Hay, el al.y (2003) in discussing the Pacific's observed climate noted that compared to earlier historical records during the twentieth century, the southern Pacific had experienced a significantly drier and warmer climate (by 15 percent and 0.8°C, respectively).
Samoa, a small islands country in the south pacific comprises of four main inhabitated islands and 6 smaller uninhabitated islands. The islands of Samoa lie between latitudes of 13° 15°S to and longitudes of 168° -173° W. The total land area is estimated to be around 2820 km2 whereby Upolu holds 1115 km2 and Savaii with 1700 km2. The capital Apia is located on the northern part of Upolu and is approximately 130 km from Pago Pago, American Samoa, 3000 km from Auckland, New Zealand, 4500 km from Sydney Australia, and 4300 km from Honolulu, Hawaii.
The Earth currently finds itself in the midst of what some have termed the "Anthropocene Era" - a period during which human activities have become a dominate force affecting not only the
planet's landscape, but also its atmosphere. Since the dawn of the industrial evolution of the mid-18th century, humans have contributed to substantial increases in the concentration of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide has increased by 36%, methane by 17%, and nitrous oxide by 151%. These changes in the global atmosphere are directly linked to over
In 2007, the UNFCCC Secretariat prepared a report on
"Investment and Financial Flows to Address Climate
Change".11 The report covers mitigation and adaptation in
various sectors over the period to 2030. The report defines
an investment as the initial (capital) cost of a new physical
asset with a life of more than one year, such as the capital
cost of a gas-fired generating unit or a water supply
system. A financial flow is an ongoing expenditure related
to climate change mitigation or adaptation that docs not
The main purpose of this paper is to help policy makers,
particularly those in developing countries, think about the national policy instruments needed to contribute to the
fight against climate change, how such needs can be articulated in order to seek internal and external financial resources and how these needs may be reflected in negotiations of a future climate change agreement. This paper is an input to a series of workshops which the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will organize in developing countries with the aim of improv-
Climate change is one of the greatest threats to our
planet and its people. Reducing emissions of greenhouse
gases (GHG) is called mitigation. Responding to the impacts of climate change is called adaptation. A certain amount of adaptation will be necessary, no matter what we do. But, there will come a point where it will not be possible to adapt our way out of the problem.
Climate change is real and Asia is already experiencing its adverse impacts. Projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggest that such impacts will become even more intense in the future. While the contribution of developing countries in Asia to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is increasing rapidly, per capita emissions are still low and developmental challenges remain significant.
The Fifth Pacific Climate Change Roundtable was held from 12 - 14 May 2015 at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel, Apia Samoa. The conference was jointly organized by the PCCR Steering Committee, consisting of country representatives, development partners and CROP agencies, hosted by SPREP and Government of Samoa with major funding support from the Government of Switzerland. The meeting brought together some 183 participants from Pacific Island Countries and Territories, regional and international agencies, nongovernmental organizations, private sector, academia and development partners.
For Pacific SIDS, the need for adaptation to climate change has become increasingly urgent. Long-term climate changes, including the increasing frequency and severity of extreme events such as high rainfall, droughts, tropical cyclones, and storm surges are affecting the lives and livelihoods of people in PICs. Coupled with non-climate drivers, such as inappropriate land use, overexploitation of resources, increasing urbanization and population increase, development in the region is increasingly undermined.
The Pacific Climate Change Film Project is an innovative partnership between the British High Commission, Suva, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 6 Pages