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Pacific Island countries are at the forefront of the battle against climate change. With increased exposure and vulnerability of Pacific Islanders to weather extremes resulting from human-induced climate change, it is becoming increasingly important to understand local climate change knowledge and local perceptions on adaptation, and how these relate to resilience and to action on managing the impacts of climate change.

The concept of “sustainable development” dates back a long time, but it was at the United Nations (UN) Conference on Human Environment (Stockholm, 1972) that the international community met for the first time to consider global environment and development needs, to define principles for the preservation and enhancement of the natural environment and to highlight the need to support people in this process. Later, in 1992, at the UN Conference on Environment and Development, 178 heads of state adopted three important documents: a comprehensive plan of action entitled Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the Statement of Principles for the Sustainable Management of Forests.