Search the SPREP Catalogue

Key atmospheric and oceanic indicators of ENSO show an established La Niña. Models indicate this La Niña event is likely to decline early in the southern summer, with a return to ENSO-neutral (neither La Niña nor El Niño) early in 2023

Protected and conserved areas are vital for safeguarding our unique biodiversity - as well as underpinning culture and livelihoods. This report is the first comprehensive regional assessment of protected and conserved areas. The biodiversity and Protected Areas Management Programme (BIOPAMA) supported the preparation pf this report.

Climate risks are increasing as global warming accelerates. Strong mitigation and adaptation are both key to avoiding hard adaptations limits.

In all countries, economic growth comes with the loss of natural capital, our ultimate sources of wealth. Therefore, the challenge is combining growth with preserving our ecosystem to secure more prosperous Asia and the Pacific.

To better inform senior policy makers and decision makers and other stakeholders, including through UNFCCC processes, the Secretariat of Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) sought the services of science illustrators/ communicators/ graphic designers to develop short visualisations highlighting the implications of climate change impacts for Pacific fisheries.

The negative effects of ocean warming and ocean acidification on the heath and extent of living coral reefs will reduce the amount of habitat available for many coastal fish species in the Pacific Island region. Taken together, the direct and indirect effects of climate change on coastal fish species will reduce the number of fish available for food security of Pacific Island people who have traditionally depended heavily on fish for food, and the number of livelihoods that can be supported by fishing in coastal waters

The movement of tuna in this way will have a serious impact on the economies of a number of Pacific Island Countries. Lower catches of tuna from their waters will reduce their collective income from tuna-fishing access fees by 20% by 2050 under a continued high greenhouse gas emissions scenario. This will limit the funds that these countries have to develop their health and education systems and to build necessary infrastructure like roads

Over the past decade, international research and modelling has pointed to likely climate change impacts on fisheries in the Pacific region. Recent research on the effects of climate change on the rich tuna resources of the region points to an eastward redistribution of tuna, which are predicted to move progressively from the exclusive economic zones of Pacific Island countries and territories to the high seas (international waters).

The Third Executive Board Meeting was held virtually on 8–9 September 2022 in Apia, Samoa. Present at the meeting were representatives from Niue, Republic of Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, United Kingdom and Wallis and Futuna. Attending as Observers were Australia and Samoa. The full list of participants is attached as Annex 1.

Mangrove forests store high amounts of carbon, protect communities from storms and support fisheries. Mangroves exist in complex social-ecological systems hence identifying socioeconomic conditions associated with decreasing losses and increasing gains remains challenging albeit important.