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The Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) project in Tonga focuses on water resources management, and specifically on improving the water supply system in Hihifo District, Tongatapu. Adaptation measures demonstrated by the project include upgrading water infrastructure to improve water collection and storage, increasing the options for sourcing and distributing water, and improving water quality. The project worked with the six villages of Fo’ui, Ha’avakatolo, Kolovai, ‘Ahau, Kanokupolu, and Ha’atafu.

In the Cook Islands, the PACC project focuses on coastal zone management on Mangaia Island. The objective of the project is to ‘climate proof’ coastal infrastructure, both through on-the-ground activities and also by mainstreaming climate risk into relevant policy and planning for the coastal zone. After early consultations, climate proofing of Mangaia harbour became the main focus for the demonstration project. This report provides a comprehensive description of the demonstration project, from inception and early planning stages through design and implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. It also presents best practices and lessons learned along the way that could guide others carrying out similar adaptation activities.

Climate change is often referred to as the defining challenge of our time, and it is well known that Pacific Island States are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. Indeed, these adverse effects are already very tangible for most communities across the region. Coastal features are visibly changing, with rising sea-levels, higher king tides and storm surges, saltwater intrusion and changing weather patterns posing an increasing threat to the livelihoods of Pacific Island communities. The threats are amplified by extreme weather events becoming more intense and more damaging as a result of climate change, with Cyclone Pam recently causing loss of human life and catastrophic damage in Vanuatu, and to a lesser extent in the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Kiribati. 2 While communities and governments—assisted by regional, international and nongovernmental organizations—are proactively building resilience and adapting to climate change, there is a real risk of much more severe and damaging impacts materializing in the coming decades.3 The threats are so severe that most, if not all, Pacific Island States face the threat of losing some or all of their habitable territory as a result of climate change, with related risks of the loss of traditional livelihoods and large-scale involuntary displacement

The Regional Technical Support Mechanism (RTSM) and Rapid Response Fund (RRF) is a collaborative undertaking of all Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP) agencies and their associated development partners and donors. It is a true reflection of the Pacific island region, which promotes the spirit of cooperation and collaboration. The establishment of the RTSM and RRF is a step towards a ‘transformative change’ that is taken by the CROP agencies, to efficiently serve the priority and needs of Pacific Island Countries and Territories in relation to climate change adaptation and mitigation The purpose of this Manual is to guide the members of the RTSM Project Committee (PC), the Working Arm of the CEO Subcommittee on Climate Change and Disaster Resilient Development (WARD) and the RTSM Coordinator (RC) on the operations of the RTSM and associated RRF. It sets out the standards of probity, transparency and accountability that contributors and potential contributors to the Fund expect in the governance and operations of both the RTSM and RRF. The Manual includes an RTSM & RRF Policies and Procedures which lists the types of assistance available, and how to request assistance under the RRF. As part of the ‘scaling up of good practices’ approach, the standards as set out in the Manual also provide an example for countries that do not have Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR) country tracks and are interested in replicating such a mechanism to administer and manage climate change funding. The RTSM PC and the WARD may approve amendments to the Manual and associated RTSM and RRF Policies and Procedures.

In the Cook Islands, the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) project focuses on coastal zone management on Mangaia Island. The project is helping to ‘climate-proof’ coastal development, and to develop an integrated coastal management policy and plan for Mangaia

On all islands in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) rainwater is the primary source of freshwater, putting the country at high risk from droughts. The water sector was therefore chosen by the RMI Government to benefit from the PACC project, and the project has been working since 2008 to increase the country’s resilience to drought events. This report details the process undertaken in the PACC demonstration project, to design and implement various measures to enhance Majuro’s water reticulation system.

The Pacific POPs release reduction through improved management of solid and hazardous waste project was developed with the aim to improve poor regional waste management, the principal source of unintentionally produced POPs (dioxins and furans) emissions in the Pacific region, and therefore help address the obligation of Stockholm Convention Parties to reduce, minimize and where feasible, eliminate dioxins and furans. An Inception Meeting to increase stakeholder awareness of the project and to build stakeholder engagement is considered a critical component of project management by the Implementing Agency. This meeting was held in November 2013. The Project Inception Report presented here is the corresponding reporting requirement for this meeting specified in the Project Document (ProDoc)that includes a detailed narrative describing: i). the institutional roles and responsibilities of the project partners; ii). stakeholder engagement commitments; iii). progress on project establishment and start up activities; iv). a detailed project management plan; v). a project supervision plan; and vi). a monitoring and evaluation plan suitable for progress tracking purposes.

Reduced emissions of unintentionally produced POPs (uPOPs) is hoped to be achieved under the GEFPAS project through a range of funded initiatives including the provision of quality vocational training of semi-skilled waste employees. It was envisioned that this would involve the development and delivery of a waste management vocational training course at a regional institution. The overall project objectives related to the training were to create a program that would: · Develop a solid waste management vocational training program in conjunction with regional institutions; · Routinely train course participants to become waste management trainers using the ‘trainthe-trainer’ concept; and · Ensure long-term sustainability and continuity of the training program with regional institutions.

This is a brief overview of the work carried out under the Marine Debris Demonstration project to help strengthen the and enhance good waste practices in Samoa The project is a partnership between the Government of Samoa, United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), SPREP and the communities and private sector in Apia. There are four main areas in this project; community and media awareness; improved waste management in the ports of entry into Samoa in particular the Samoa Port and Samoa Airport; waste disposal facilities within the UNSIDS venue and the accommodation providers; and working with the communities to improve waste practices in Apia areas. This short film was produced for The Last Straw - Preventing our Oceans from becoming Dumps side event during the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States. The final documentary on this project will be completed and made available this year.