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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 of this settlement project was to clinch American claims to certain islands for use in the establishment of their first commercial air service between Honolulu and the Antipodes as New Zealand and Australia were then called.

The World Bank policy note “Not If, But When” shows the Pacific island countries to be among the world’s most vulnerable to natural disasters. Since 1950, natural disasters have directly affected more than 3.4 million people and led to more than 1,700 reported deaths in the Pacific Islands Region (excluding Papua New Guinea). In the 1990s alone, reported natural disasters cost the Region US$2.8 billion (in real 2004 value). The traditional approach of ”wait and mitigate” is a far worse strategy than proactively managing risks.

Country profiles on the state of coral reefs systems in the Pacific

The Republic of Kiribati comprises 33low-lying coral atolls (except Banaba), which are divided into three main island groups; the Gilbert group,the Phoenix group and the Line islands. Its total land area is about811 sq km within an equatorial Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ) of some 3.6 million sq km in the Central Pacific. The maximum height above sea-level for Kiribati is 87 m.The population of Kiribati was estimated at 88 600 in19991, of which over 90% live in the Gilbert group,mostly on Tarawa atoll, the capital and commercial centre of Kiribati.Situated in the dry belt of the equatorial oceanic climatic zone, rainfall varies from 1 000 mm to 3 000mm per year. Severe, prolonged droughts are common in the drier islands in the central and southern equatorial region (eg. Gilberts and on Banaba, the Phoenix Islands, and Kiritimati)

Mongabay rainforest profiles: American Samoa, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu