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Pacific islands are extremely vulnerable to climate change. Pacific island culture, traditions, economy and environment will be affected by the effects of climate change, marking an urgent call for partnerships and collaboration to increase the resilience of communities to adapt to these changes. More than 80% of Pacific Islanders live on or near the coast. Community action will ensure that Pacific islands are strengthened to reduce the impacts of climate change such as sea level rise and storm surges. This global change requires island action to protect your island home for future generations.

Mangrove ecosystems are threatened by climate change. We review the state of knowledge of mangrove vulnerability and responses to predicted climate change and consider adaptation options. Based on available evidence, of all the climate change outcomes, relative sea-level rise may be the greatest threat to mangroves. Most mangrove sediment surface elevations are not keeping pace with sea-level rise, although longer term studies from a larger number of regions are needed. Rising sea-level will have the greatest impact on mangroves experiencing net lowering in sediment elevation, where there is limited area for landward migration. The Pacific Islands mangroves have been demonstrated to be at high risk of substantial reductions. There is less certainty over other climate change outcomes and mangrove responses. More research is needed on assessment methods and standard indicators of change in response to effects from climate change, while regional monitoring networks are needed to observe these responses to enable educated adaptation. Adaptation measures can offset anticipated mangrove losses and improve resistance and resilience to climate change. Coastal planning can adapt to facilitate mangrove migration with sea-level rise. Management of activities within the catchment that affect long-term trends in the mangrove sediment elevation, better management of other stressors on mangroves, rehabilitation of degraded mangrove areas, and increases in systems of strategically designed protected area networks that include mangroves and functionally linked ecosystems through representation, replication and refugia, are additional adaptation options.

The Pacific Island climate Change Programme (PICCAP) is a regional Climate Change Enabling Activities project. It involves ten Pacific Island countries (Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu) and is coordinated and executed by the South Pacific Regional Environment.

The main objective of the sixth RMSD, is to review and consider the draft Strategic Action Plan for the Development of Meteorology in the Pacific region (SDMP) prepared by die SPREP Secretariat.

With financial assistance from the Government of Denmark, the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) convened this meeting in order to provide a forum where government officials, scientists and other technical experts from the region could interact with individuals working at the international level in climate change research, assessments, negotiations and institutional and financial support.

The Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are currently heavily dependent on fossil fuels. Renewable energy (RE), mostly hydro, is estimated to contribute less than 10 percent of each PICs commercial energy use and the region is characterized by scattered and fragmented efforts to promote RE technologies that are based on unreliable and unsubstantiated data on RE resource potentials. The Pacific Islands Renewable Energy Project (PIREP) will facilitate the promotion within the PICs of the widespread implementation and ultimately, commercialisation of RE technologies (RETs) through the establishment of a suitable enabling environment. The establishment of an environment conducive to the region-wide adoption and commercialisation of RETs would involve the design, development and implementation of appropriate policies, strategies and interventions addressing the fiscal, financial, regulatory, market, technical and information barriers to RE development and utilization. It will also involve the development of interventions for strengthening of the relevant institutional structures and national capacity for the coordination and the sustainable management (design, implementation, monitoring, maintenance, evaluation and the marketing) of RE initiatives in each PIC. This Project Document has been revised to reflect minor changes suggested by SPREP at a meeting Friday the 6th of September 2002 between SPREP and UNDP to improve clarity concerning internal communications in SPREP between the CTA and the management level and external communications between SPREP and UNDP management levels. Refer to Part IV - Management Arrangements and the Terms of Reference in Appendix B. C.and D.

The Seventh Meeting of the Regional Meteorological Services Directors (RMSD) was convened by SPREP to advance regional collaboration in meteorology, climate services, and disaster risk reduction. Opening remarks by officials from SPREP, WMO, and the Government of Samoa emphasized the critical role of National Meteorological Services (NMSs) in supporting climate resilience and sustainable development across the Pacific. Key outcomes included reflections on the evolution of RMSD since 1993, the strategic importance of the 2000 Needs Analysis, and discussions on integrating meteorological services with broader policy frameworks, such as those informed by the IPCC and GCOS. The meeting reaffirmed commitments to regional cooperation, sustainable resourcing, and implementation of the Strategic Plan, while addressing challenges faced by under-resourced NMSs. A new chairperson from Samoa was elected, and the session reviewed prior recommendations to ensure continuity and effectiveness in service delivery.