Search the SPREP Catalogue

This is an educational audio presentation by Dr. Patrick Nunn of the University of the South Pacific’s Geography Department. In it, he explains the fundamentals of the greenhouse effect—how greenhouse gases like CO₂ trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere—and outlines its critical role in moderating global temperatures. Dr. Nunn connects this science to the Pacific context, discussing the region’s vulnerability to rising temperatures, sea-level rise, and changing weather patterns. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the greenhouse effect for local climate adaptation strategies and policy planning across Pacific Island nations, drawing on research and climate modeling relevant to the South Pacific.

The purpose to employ a GIS remote sensing specialist is the visualisation and quantitative documentation of climate change adaptation actions impact.

Within the context of the Pacific, the private sector is under represented with regards to climate change action through GCF and other facilities. To develop a data base showing businesses the current and future activities in climate change mitigation and or adaptation.

Mangaia is one of three islands in the Cook Islands remains governed by the traditional leaders and part of the southern group of islands in the Pa Enua where water supply systems are more established. Results of a recent impact assessment field trip to Mangaia call attention to the important role local indigenous knowledge factored in complimenting tangible on-the-ground actions as an exemplar of people resilience to tackling adverse impacts of climate change.

Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC)

For Pacific SIDS, the need for adaptation to climate change has become increasingly urgent. Long-term climate changes, including the increasing frequency and severity of extreme events such as high rainfall, droughts, tropical cyclones, and storm surges are affecting the lives and livelihoods of people in PICs. Coupled with non-climate drivers, such as inappropriate land use, overexploitation of resources, increasing urbanization and population increase, development in the region is increasingly undermined. For the low lying atolls, the likely economic disruption from climate change pressures could be catastrophic, even to the extent of requiring population relocation to other islands or adding numbers to the Pacific diaspora, with the subsequent social and cultural disruption having unknown proportions. Failure to reduce vulnerability could also result in loss of opportunities to manage risks in the future when the impacts may be greater and time to consider options limited.

Reports of the PACC project

The Pacific islands of Oceania cover almost 15% of the world’s surface and are characterised by a high degree of ecosystem and species diversity. The region is characterised by thousands of isolated small coral atolls and higher volcanic islands, which has led to the high diversity of species found today. In fact, the number of plants and animals found nowhere else on earth (endemic species) is extremely high - often up to 90% for particular groups. Often, these rare and endemic species are adapted to specialised habitats and limited to small areas of a few islands. With economic and cultural dependence on the natural environment very high in the Pacific islands, along with a rapidly expanding human population, there are ever increasing demands on the region’s natural resources. Plant and animal species are therefore vulnerable to extinction from climate change, competition from introduced (invasive) species and human impacts such as habitat destruction, over-harvesting of species and pollution.

The Pacific islands of Oceania cover almost 15% of the world’s surface and are characterised by a high degree of ecosystem and species diversity. The region is characterised by thousands of isolated small coral atolls and higher volcanic islands, which has led to the high diversity of species found today. In fact, the number of plants and animals found nowhere else on earth (endemic species) is extremely high - often up to 90% for particular groups. Often, these rare and endemic species are adapted to specialised habitats and limited to small areas of a few islands. With economic and cultural dependence on the natural environment very high in the Pacific islands, along with a rapidly expanding human population, there are everincreasing demands on the region’s natural resources. Plant and animal species are therefore very vulnerable to extinction from climate change, competition from introduced (invasive) species and human impacts such as habitat destruction, over-harvesting of species and pollution.