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Climate change is one of the most serious threats to sustainable development and to the very survival of Pacific Island Countries and communities. In 2007 the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders reiterated their deep concern over this serious and growing threat to the economic, social and environmental well being of Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs), their communities, peoples and cultures. They have been calling on the international community to take concerted action to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere since 1990. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 4th Assessment Report shows unequivocally that climate change is occurring and that it is very likely caused by human actions. Adaptation to climate change is now an inevitable requirement, as the Earth begins responding to greenhouse gases already emitted. In this regard the Leaders recognized the special concerns and interests of the small low lying island countries on the adverse implications of climate change, in particular sea level rise. The Leaders welcomed the guidance from the IPCC that it is physically and economically feasible to mitigate climate change and that with concerted international support, adaptation can also succeed. Conversely, without serious action, the global economy and the fragile resources of the Pacific will be severely affected.

A group of researchers, managers and tribal leaders with extensive local knowledge from Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua, Indonesia, provided new information on the status of leatherback nesting populations in the western Pacific Ocean. Twenty-eight nesting sites were identified, of which 21 were previously unknown or poorly described. Although data are still incomplete, we estimate a total of ca. 5000-9200 nests currently laid at 4 sites along the northwest coast (Bird's Head Peninsula) of Papua, Indonesia. Genetic analysis by using mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid sequences identified a total of 6 haplotypes among the 106 samples analysed for Solomon Islands, Papua and Papua New Guinea, including a unique common haplotype that is only found in these western Pacific populations. There was no significant difference in haplotype that is only found in these western Pacific populations. There was no significant difference in haplotype frequencies among these rookeries, which suggests that they represent a metapopulation composed of a single genetic rock. Further work is needed to define the demographic structure within this metapopulation.

Internesting and migratory movements of female leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) from Kamiali Wildlife Management Area were tracked by satellite telemetry during the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 nesting seasons, and an aerial survey of nearly 2800 km of the north Papua New Guinea coastline and New Britain Island was conducted during January 2004. Nesting occurred during November-March at the Mamiali Wildlife Management Area monitoring beach with peak activity during December-January. Telemetry results indicated that nesting females used Huon Gulf waters adjacent to the nesting beach and renested inside and outside the protected area within the Kamiali Wildlife Management Area. After nesting, the turtles migrated over deep waters in a southeastern direction to high latitude waters of the South Pacific Ocean.

The Government of Papua New Guinea has developed this National Marine Spill Contingency Plan (NATPLAN) as part of its commitment to protecting its and our valuable coastal and marine resources from the threat of marine pollution incidents. NATPLAN has been developed to reflect the essential steps necessary to initiate, conduct and terminate an emergency spill response on, or into the navigable waters of Papua New Guinea, on the adjoining shorelines, the waters of the contiguous zone or into waters of the exclusive economic zone.

The Government of Niue has developed this Spill Contingency Plan as part of its commitment to protecting its valuable coastal and marine resources from the threat of pollution from spill incidents. The Plan has been developed to reflect the essential steps necessary to initiate, conduct and terminate an emergency spill response on, or into Niue waters. The Plan extends to also address spill response to spill incidents on land.

PACC project reports

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. For the low lying atolls, the likely economic disruption from climate change pressures could be catastrophic, even to the extent of requiring population relocation to other islands or adding numbers to the Pacific diaspora, with the subsequent social and cultural disruption having unknown proportions. Failure to reduce vulnerability could also result in loss of opportunities to manage risks in the future when the impacts may be greater and time to consider options limited.

The 14 PICs are part of a bigger number of SIDS/LDCs that are benefiting from a GEF-UNDP initiative aimed at building capacity of countries to address land degradation and achieve SLM. This initiative, known as the SIDS/LDC Targeted Portfolio Project for Capacity Development and Mainstreaming of SLM enables countries to develop and implement projects addressing four main outcomes including: Capacity development for SLM, Mainstreaming of SLM, Completion and mainstreaming of UNCCD NAP and, development of Medium Term Investment Plans and Resource Mobilization Strategies to support SLM implementation.

Increasing recognition of the changes in the natural environment as a result of human interference has lead to the international community agreeing on a number of multi-lateral environmental agreements (MEAs). At the 1992 Earth Summit, world leaders agreed on a comprehensive strategy for "sustainable development" – meeting our needs while ensuring that we leave a healthy and viable world for future generations. Three key agreements from the Summit are the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. These three are known as the Rio Conventions.