The water systems of the world — aquifers, lakes, rivers, large marine ecosystems, and open ocean — sustain the
This guidebook outlines how to use communication as more than just a tool for outreach, but rather as a mechanism to catalyze change in a community’s attitude and behavior.
This CMEP report provides a summary of climate change impacts on coasts and seas in the Pacific island region, and how Pacific islands can respond.
This report synthesizes the emerging evidence of climate impacts at different temperature thresholds for Pacific islands. All evidence points to vast differences in impacts in a 1.5˚C world, compared to the +3˚C world to which our current policies and climate change pledges are leading us. For Pacific islands and marine and coastal ecosystems in the region, these differences cannot be overstated; even a 0.5˚C difference (between 1.5˚C and 2˚C) may mean that critical tipping points are crossed.
This paper discuss impacts of climate change on corals according to standardized metrics. It also deals with non-climate drivers because of the synergistic effects they have with climate drivers affecting Pacific corals.
This paper discuss the profound effects of climate change on oceanic fish habitats, food webs, the fish stocks they support and, as a consequence, the productivity of fisheries
This paper points out that the exposure to climate hazards varies between states based both on geographical factors (such as the propensity to experience cyclones and droughts, island types and topography) and on such factors as population and infrastructure distribution, all of which provide a framework for considering regional vulnerability to climate change.
This report focuses on marine/coastal inundation and sea level and how they are affected by climate change.
The region of interest is the Pacific Islands, with a focus on Commonwealth countries (Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu).
In the Pacific Islands region, fish and invertebrates (specifically shellfish) fulfill important ecological roles in coastal and oceanic habitats, and many species are targeted by fisheries, making vital contributions to food security, livelihoods, government revenue and cultural heritage. This report discusses how climate change is expected to have profound effects on the status and distribution of coastal and oceanic habitats, the fish and invertebrates they support and, as a result, the productivity of fisheries and aquaculture
Pacific Island Commonwealth Member States (Pacific CMSs) are highly vulnerable to climate change (high confidence; robust evidence, high agreement). Impacts of climate change on extreme events relevant to Pacific CMSs vary, dependent on the magnitude, frequency, and temporal and spatial extent of the event, as well as on the biophysical nature of the island and its social, economic, and political setting (high confidence).
This report summarises key economic factors affecting the success of recent resource and environmental management projects in the Pacific.
This compendium presents a wide-ranging overview of more than 400 projects, case studies and research activities specifically related to climate change and Indigenous Peoples. It provides a sketch of the climate and environmental changes, local observations and impacts being felt by communities in different regions, and outlines various adaptation and mitigation strategies that are currently being implemented by Indigenous Peoples
The Marine Species Programme of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) outlines a regional strategy for the cooperative conservation and management of dugongs, marine turtles, whales and dolphins. This strategy will enable Pacific Islanders to take a primary role in achieving the following vision:
"A healthy Pacific Ocean with sustainable populations of whales, dolphins, marine turtles, dugongs and other species, and meets the aspirations of Pacific Island peoples and protects their natural and cultural heritage"
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a tool that is used to assess and manage individual development projects, with an aim of maximising positive benefits and minimising negative impacts for local communities and their environment. When used effectively, EIA can help to support the achievement of green growth targets, climate change resilience, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This paper attempts to present a “quick snapshot” of the status of biodiversity in the Pacific Islands and the prospects and challenges for the mainstreaming of its conservation and sustainable use by Pacific Island peoples during the 21st century
This report summarises the projected changes in ocean chemistry for the Pacific island region (from 130°E to 130°W and 25°N to 25°S) at regional and sub-regional scales, assessing the vulnerability of Pacific coastal and oceanic habitats and fisheries to ocean acidification using an established framework, and discussing the implications for the Pacific island communities dependent on fisheries and aquaculture for food security and livelihood
This volume is the third of a four-volume report entitled 'Cities, Seas and Storms: Managing Change in the Pacific Island Economies' produced by the World Bank. The key outcome of the report is intended to be an improved understanding of the need for management interventions. The report also argues for a greater collaboration between traditional, national and regional organizations in ocean management, able to maximize their comparative strengths while minimizing the inefficiencies in their interaction.
This Special Issue of the Journal of South Pacific Law aims to provide insight into the role of international law in addressing the short-term and long-term challenges posed by climate change to Pacific Island States and their populations. It focuses on the two international legal frameworks that were designed to protect the Earth’s climate system and the human person: international climate change law on the one hand, and international human rights law on the other.
A Pacific information brief from the Pacific Invasives Partnership (a working group of the Roundtable for Nature Conservation in the Pacific Islands)
This paper stresses out that human resources development in the marine sector is a priority. The University of the South Pacific is a key player in tertiary training and education, and it is the purpose of this document to outline the role that USP, specifically its Marine Studies Programme (MSP) is playing in building capacity in the marine sector of the region.