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Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) are exploited for their beautiful shell known as tortoiseshell or bekko, making them extremely vulnerable in the illegal global trade of tortoiseshell products. In this study, we developed an effective, standardized method using a commercially available kit to extract DNA and obtain informative mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences (∼800 bp) from hawksbill turtle products in order to trace the sample back to a likely stock origin. We also sequenced additional skin samples from nesting beaches of Milman Island, Australia and Arnavon Island, Solomon Islands to add to the baseline data for hawksbill turtles in the Indo-Pacific. Our results indicate that nine of the 13 tortoiseshell products obtained from Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands were from turtles with haplotypes found primarily at the Solomon Islands rookery and did not match those from nesting populations in Australia or SE Asia, with the exception of one haplo type also found in 3% of turtles at Milman Island. We also found that 23% of the market samples have haplo types only documented in foraging populations, which illustrates the urgent need for more extensive sampling of rookeries to fill gaps in the reference baseline database. Nevertheless, our study results demonstrate an effective methodology for obtaining DNA of sufficient quantity and quality from hawks bill turtle products.

We report three major and confronting environmental issues that have received little attention and require urgent action. First, we review the evidence that future environmental conditions will be far more dangerous than currently believed. The scale of the threats to the biosphere and all its lifeform including humanity is in fact so great that it is difficult to grasp for even well-informed experts. Second we ask what political or economic system, or leadership, is prepared ti handle the predicted disasters, or even capable of such actions. Third, this dire situation places as extraordinary responsibility on scientists to speak out candidly and accurately when engaging with government, business and the public.

The overview of the Pacific Ecosystem-Based Adaptation to Climate Change.

Waste Management is a cross-cutting issue managed through several disciplines including environmental science, environmental health and management, civil engineering, and environmental engineering (to name a few). Various components of waste management knowledge and skills training is embedded in core subjects such as biology, chemistry, physics, geography, and health science at Higher Education Institutes (HEI) in the Pacific Region

The UNEP Adaptation Gap Report 2020 finds that while nations have advanced in planning, huge gaps remain in finance for developing countries and bringing adaptation projects to the stage where they bring real protection against climate impacts such as droughts, floods and sea-level rise. Public and private finance for adaptation must be stepped up urgently, along with faster implementation. Nature-based solutions – locally appropriate actions that address societal challenges, such as climate change, and provide human well-being and biodiversity benefits by protecting, sustainably managing and restoring natural or modified ecosystems – must also become a priority.

Faced with sea level rise and the intensification of extreme events, human populations living on the coasts are developing responses to address local situations. A synthesis of the literature on responses to coastal adaptation allows us to highlight different adaptation strategies. Here, we analyze these strategies according to the complexity of their implementation, both institutionally and technically. First, we distinguish two opposing paradigms – fighting against rising sea levels or adapting to new climatic conditions; and second, we observe the level of integrated management of the strategies. This typology allows a distinction between four archetypes with the most commonly associated governance modalities for each. We then underline the need for hybrid approaches and adaptation trajectories over time to take into account local socio-cultural, geographical, and climatic conditions as well as to integrate stakeholders in the design and implementation of responses. We show that dynamic and participatory policies can foster collective learning processes and enable the evolution of social values and behaviors. Finally, adaptation policies rely on knowledge and participatory engagement, multi-scalar governance, policy monitoring, and territorial solidarity. These conditions are especially relevant for densely populated areas that will be confronted with sea level rise, thus for coastal cities in particular.

The Summary for Policymakers (SPM) presents the key findings of the Working Group I (WGI) contribution to the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) on the physical science basis of climate change. The report build upon the 2013 Working Group I contribution to the IPCC's 5th Assessment Report (AR5) and the 2018-2019 IPCC Special Reports of the AR6 cycle and incorporates subsequent new evidence form climate science.

As the severe and urgent nature of the climate crisis becomes more apparent, governments around the world must take heed of the experts and Pacific peoples who are sounding the alarm, Ben Bohane writes for the Pacific Wayfinder series

The Waigani Convention was conceived by our members to ensure we are protected from such dangers as the unfortunate case in Beirut. While we may net be importing large amounts of chemicals and hazardous wastes on our lives as well as environment. Two weeks ago, the world observed the first anniversary of the 2020 Beirut chemical explosion, one of the largest industrial accidents involving chemicals and hazardous waste.

Some of the key issues that impacts on our environmental livelihoods, Deep seabed mining - Pacific Environment leaders are being urged to take action on mining our seabeds within the parameters of national jurisdiction and what is in the common heritage of mankind. Negotiations are ongoing on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) and areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) which the Secretariat provides to our Parties and SPREP Members the technical advice and assistance to these negotiations.