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Small island developing States (SIDS) are highly vulnerable to climate change and sea level rise owing partly to their small land masses surrounded by ocean, and their location in regions prone to natural disasters. SIDS are often characterized by having relatively large populations for the area they occupy with high growth rates and densities; poorly developed infrastructure and limited natural, human and economic resources, and their high dependence on marine resources for their livelihood needs. Most of their economies are reliant on a limited resource base and are vulnerable to external forces, such as changing terms of trade, trade liberalization, and migration flows. Adaptive capacity to climate change is generally low.

The “The Coral Triangle” (CT) region is located along the equator at the confluence of the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans (see Annex 1). Using coral and reef fish diversity as the two major criteria, the boundaries of this region are defined by scientists as covering all or part of the exclusive economic zones of six countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. Covering only 1.6% of the planet’s oceanic area, there is broad scientific consensus that the CT represents the global epicenter of marine life abundance and diversity -- with 76% of all known coral species, 37% of all known coral reef fish species, 53% of the world’s coral reefs, the greatest extent of mangrove forests in the world, and spawning and juvenile growth areas for the world’s largest tuna fishery. Moreover, the biogeographical conditions within the CT may also enable the region to maintain its exceptional productivity in the face of future impacts of climate change, making it potentially the world’s most important “refuge” for marine life.

The Pacific Islands Forum Member States and the European Union have agreed to this Declaration on Climate Change on as a commitment between the two regions to address the challenges posed by climate change, including their priorities for mitigation and adaptation.

This brief report outlines how the climate of the Pacific is projected to change, how climate change has affected fisheries elsewhere in the world, and how it is expected to affect fisheries and aquaculture in the Pacific. The emphasis is on the implications for economies of Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). It concludes with general recommendations that should help the regional and national management agencies and other stakeholders in fisheries to adapt to maintain the benefits of fisheries. The assessments of the projected effects of climate change, and the recommended approaches for adaptation, are preliminary. They are derived from the early phases of a major regional project to assess the vulnerability of fisheries and aquaculture in the Pacific to climate change coordinated by SPC and supported by AusAID1. The project is due to be completed by mid 2010 and will deliver a much more comprehensive assessment of likely impacts, practical adaptations, and investments needed to address key gaps in knowledge.

This is a report focusing on the capacity of Solomon Islands to meet its obligation under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The report is part of a National Capacity Self Assessment (NCSA) exercise that is being implemented through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) with funding from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF). The Department of Environment and Conservation who is also the National GEF Focal Point is the lead agency responsible for the oversight and on-ground implementation of the exercise. Overall the NCSA has the task to assess the local capacity to meet not only the obligations under Climate Change Convention but also the UN Conventions on Bio-diversity and Land Degradation.

Throughout Micronesia, marine ecosystems are under increasing pressure from large-scale and localized threats such as climate change, overharvesting of resources, and land-based sources of pollution. Recognizing the great dependence upon the natural resources of their islands, the leaders of Micronesia are committed to assisting communities in managing these resources for their continued use. One Micronesia-wide movement for addressing these critical threats is the establishment of protected areas networks. Well-managed protected areas create healthy reproductive populations of coral reef assemblages, more resilient to threats such as climate change, serving to replenish fish and corals at local and regional scales. In the past 3 years, the Conservation Society of Pohnpei, the Kosrae Conservation and Safety Organization, the Yap Community Action Program, the Chuuk Conservation Society (CCS), the Micronesia Conservation Trust, and the Nature Conservancy have partnered with the communities, State and National governments of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) to understand the current distribution, abundances, and status of marine ecosystems by conducting rapid ecological assessments (REAs) in the states of Pohnpei (2005), Kosrae (2006), Yap (2007) and Chuuk (2008). Chuuk State contains one of the largest lagoons in Micronesia, and 3 outer island groups comprised of 11 atolls and 3 single islands. A team of local resource managers and regional scientists conducted the Chuuk REA from 28 July to 21 August, 2008, encompassing a total of 69 sites in 21 days. A summary of the survey follows, while the complete report is available from CCS.

International treaties and national policies seek to enhance global efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. While it is important to continue to strive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigation alone is not enough and will not be felt before the second half of the century. Global warming is already underway and adaptation strategies are now a matter of urgency, especially for the most vulnerable poor countries, which are even now being disproportionately affected.

Climate change is the defining human development issue of our generation. Pacific Island Countries are very much on the front line of climate change. Coastal inundation and erosion due to sea level rise and storm surges are predicted to increase in the Pacific region along with the frequency and intensity of droughts, floods and tropical cyclones. Face with such a grim reality, how are Pacific Island Countries dealing with this situation? This documentary highlights the problems facing Pacific Island Countries and offers a look at both the present political efforst and future needs of the region to address the many adverse impacts of climate change

This paper is concerned with integrating adaptation to climate change with local development in the context of a climate change mitigation project for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. It is argued that integration will enhance locally appropriate and sustainable outcomes necessary for effective forest conservation in the context of rural Vanuatu. Concurrently, a community- based approach to assessing vulnerability is proposed whereby locally pertinent manifestations of climate- related exposure and adaptive capacity form the baseline of adaptive decision-making for integrated forest conservation and development. The approach is illustrated by a discussion of vulnerability and local development needs in the Tangoa Island community, South Santo, Vanuatu - a community particularly affected by tropical cyclones. Although effective adaptive strategies have evolved over time in Tangoa, these are unlikely to withstand the likely changes in magnitude and (perhaps) frequency of cyclones into the future with climate change. This is due to evolving non-climate stresses that largely intersect with locally defined development needs. Opportunities exist to reduce vulnerability to climate change by development pathways that address particular non-climate stresses. This provides a practical and tangible way of engendering community-based adaptation that would otherwise be unlikely in rural Vanuatu. The approach has application in other rural developing communities, both in Vanuatu and other developing countries.

What is the nature of vulnerability and resilience to climate change at the community scale in Pacific island countries (PICs)? What approaches to climate change adaptation are most appropriate at this scale? These questions are examined in the context of rural Vanuatu, a Melanesian least developed country particularly susceptible to changes in climate variability and extremes. Fieldwork on the islands of Santo. Efate and Mota Lava interpreted vulnerability by beginning with local perceptions and experiences of dealing with climate risks. Vulnerability to climate arises from a context of rapid social change. Predominantly 'non-climate' factors such as population growth, land issues, changing traditional governance and eroding traditional knowledge are linked to changing agricultural practices, natural resource degradation, and increasing reliance on imports. These factors and processes affect the ways and degree to which communities are able to cope with climate stresses such as tropical cyclones, drought and heavy rain. However, research findings challenge the common notion that Pacific Island communities are inherently vulnerable; each community engages endogenous mechanisms of resilience. Aspects of this resilience may be threatened however especially where resilience depends on flexibility and self sufficiency, and particularly given increasing climatic uncertainty in the future, hi this context therefore, 'adaptation to climate change' requires communities to adapt to both changing climatic and social situations.