Met data vital for success of Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change Projects

By Halitesh Datt, Fiji TV

5 July 2013, Nadi, Fiji - Having correct and up to date meteorological data is crucial in decision making, particularly here in the region, where many climate change related projects are underway.

Representatives of the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) are in Nadi this week attending the Pacific Meteorological Council, where the importance of meteorological data to their work has been highlighted. (More on PACC below)

PACC Coordinator, Taito Nakalevu says climate data is crucial for any climate change project in the region.

Taito Nakalevu, PACC,  Project Coordinator

The PACC project in the Cook Islands has also found the importance of meteorological data for its project assessments.

Its pilot project on the island of Mangaia aims to build the resilience of the coastal community, including infrastructure.

Paul Maoate, PACC, Cook Islands

 For another small atoll island, Niue, maintaining water supply is crucial.

And that is one area that PACC is working on for the island of 2000.

PACC's water resource management program in Niue is focussing on developing rain water collection.

PACC is providing water tanks to each household.

Hadan Talagi, PACC, Niue

 Niue is also looking at weather data dating 50 years back to establish forthcoming weather trends in the country.

Hadan Talagi, PACC, Niue

In Vanuatu the PACC project is engaging communities to identify solutions for environmental challenges.

PACC Vanuatu’s coordinator says this has been done through extensive consultations.

Ian Iercet, PACC, Vanuatu

The Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Australian Government (AusAID), with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as its implementing agency and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) as implementing partner. The project is from 2009 to 2013. 

The PACC project covers 14 participating countries and helps develop three key areas that build resilience to climate change in Pacific communities: Fiji, Palau, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands focus on Food Production and Food Security; Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa, Tokelau and Vanuatu are developing Coastal Management capacity; and Nauru, Niue, Republic of Marshall Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu are looking to strengthen their water resource management. 

Climate resilient root-crops trialled in Fiji

By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS 

2 July 2013, Nadi Fiji - Three varieties of climate resilient root-crops have been piloted in two communities in Fiji, thanks to the work carried out by the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) and Fiji’s Agriculture Ministry.

Village communities in Nakelo in Tailevu and Deuba in Serua are successfully planting three varieties of dalo, cassava and kumala, said Api Tuwai, PACC Coordinator in Fiji.

“PACC came in and introduced these crops that are resilient to high water table areas. The PACC project worked closely with the Koronivia Research Station that tested these root crops and PACC distributed them to farmers.

However, we are facing some problems with the distribution of these planting materials because of the demand.

“These two particular areas were chosen because they are flood prone areas and encounter severe rainfall all year round. They are prone to floods and also inundated from saltwater because they are near the coast.

Tuwai said the drainage system in these two locations existed more than 30 years ago at the height of rice farming in Fiji.

“After the rice industry collapsed, these areas were left idle. Most of the current farmers are small scale farmers going into commercial and semi-commercial farming and they are not able to support the maintenance of the drainage system.

“What we found with this project is that most of the drains have clogged water ways with flood gates that were not working therefore .

To fix this problem of clogged drainage, PACC is working on a model of drain that can easily adapt to changes associated with the climate in the coming 30-50 years, said Tuwai.

“From the data collected for Suva and Navua, predictions show that rain will continue to increase for the next 30-50 years. What we need to do is to adapt to these future changes.

“We need to have in place drainage system that can withstand the increase in rainfall. We need community partnership to maintain these drains.

“We need to remodel drain and floodgate to accommodate the increase in sea level and the rainfall intensity that is going to increase in 30-50 years, said Tuwai.

Lessons learnt from the PACC project were shared with regional participants attending the 2^nd Pacific Meteorological Council meeting in Nadi this week.

Climate change impacts bring Loss and Damage to FSM

Simpson Abraham, the National Coordinator of the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change Project in FSM

 

29 November 2012, Doha, Qatar – Kosrae, one of the Federated States of Micronesia, was featured during a special event coordinated by the United Nations University, on Loss and Damage at the UN Climate negotiations in Doha.  The State has prepared a case study based on the loss and damage due to the coastal impacts upon the residents, from sea level rise and storm surges.

Loss and Damage refers to a range of damage and permanent loss associated with certain climate change impacts under the United Nations Framework for the Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  These can include impacts from extreme weather events such as tropic cyclones or floods, as well as from slow onset events such as sea level rise or ocean acidification.

70% of Micronesia’s population and infrastructure is located on the coast.  In Kosrae the residents are experiencing damage to their houses and infrastructure, affecting their crops and trees, as well as a loss of beaches.

“In our study that visited 363 households, 87% of the people we surveyed experienced coastal erosion with 80% of them saying it affected their household,” said Simpson Abraham, the National Coordinator of the PacificAdaptation to Climate Change Project in FSM.

The project is working to improve the existing coastal road design reinforcing them with new drainage solutions which take into account flooding risks from increased rainfall and sea level rise.

“When we asked people if they were adapting to climate change, 92% said the measures are not enough and will entail extra costs and 40% haven’t done anything to adapt to climate change, they lacked resources or just didn’t know what to do.”

Some of the adaptation options that households did carry out include building seawalls, filled land to fortify the coast, planted trees and elevated their homes.

Other case studies presented at the side event were from Bangladesh that looked at loss and damage from salinity, Bhutan that focused on changing monsoon patterns, The Gambia centering on drought, Kenya on the 2011 floods, and Micronesia on loss and damage associated with coastal erosion.

 

“One query that was directed to me was – what are you doing as far as adaptation in the future?” said Abraham.

“We have no choice.  We need to look to the international arena for support as the funds we have not is not enough to address the adaptation needed in Kosrae.  The PACC is a pilot project, we need to look beyond that and this is where we are seeking support from the international community.”

Under the UNFCCC, the Pacific through the Alliance of Small Island States has been advocating for the establishment of an international mechanism that would address the negative impacts associated with Loss and Damage.

The United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security hosted the side event on Loss and Damage on Monday, 26 November at the Qatar National Convention Centre.

PACC Countries Grateful to Donors



Minister of Tuvalu (centre) with members of the Tuvalu delegation

Durban, South Africa, 5 December 2011 - “We are very grateful to the Global Environment Facility, the Australian Government, the United Nations Development Programme and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme for the support that has especially been provided for the PACC Project.”

Speaking at the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change Side Event during the 17th Conference of Parties in Durban, South Africa, the Minister of Environment for Tuvalu Hon. Apisai Ielemia expressed gratitude on behalf of his country and the Pacific region for the support given by the agencies in helping them adapt to the impacts of climate change.

“For us in the Pacific, the Small Island Developing States, climate change is strongly undermining our social and economic state, climate change threatens our source of livelihood and our very existence.

 

“The PACC funding comes from the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) of the GEF and it has helped the Pacific region move from assessments to capacity development and above all actual implementation on the ground.”

 

Tonga PACC National Coordinator Mr Paula Taufa said that through the PACC Project, the Hihifo community are able to address many of the challenges faced in their Water Resource Sector.

 

“With the PACC Project the reliability of the water supply will be significantly improved in six villages, the leakage ratio in pipelines will be reduced from the current 30-40 percentage range to 15 percentages, the salinity of underground water will be addressed and the efficiency of distribution of water will increased through this PACC Project.

 

“The adaptive capacity of the community will also increase and overall the water sector becomes more resilient to climate change.”

In the Solomon Islands, the PACC pilot site community has shown appreciation towards the options made available to them after consultation.

“In terms of food security, the community can identify problems and solutions to be implemented with the communities and climate change policy has been developed which has helped improve coordination of the project,” said Mr. Casper Supa, the National Coordinator from the Solomon Islands.

The National Management Unit in the Solomon Islands is using PACC to develop a longer term strategic and programmatic Vulnerability and Adaptation Plan for low lying atolls, and the lessons learnt contribute to the development of the national policy.

Mr Casper Supa of the Solomon Islands presenting during the side event

The Regional Project Management Unit continues to welcome other donors to use the PACC framework already in place in the member countries to carry out actual adaptation work on the ground.

“We have under the project fourteen Pacific Island Countries who are very new to the system, but we are building their capacity to take over the role of coordinating climate change adaptation efforts in their countries,” said Taito Nakalevu the PACC Project Manager.

“We have the PACC Project Framework to be able to deliver adaptation right down to the community level under the GEF UNDP funding and with AusAID now on board, and there are other donors that are welcomed to use this framework to carry out actual adaptation work on the ground.”

The PACC Project is implemented by UNDP in partnership with SPREP. It is funded by GEF and AusAID with support from the United Nations Institute of Training and Research.