Pacific Media Team of SPREP

By Halitesh Datt, Fiji TV

5 July, 2013, Nadi, Fiji - As high level climate change and weather related talks continue in Nadi this week, the role of the media has also been highlighted.

A media team consisting of journalist from and around the region are working hard to disseminate information of what is happening behind the closed doors, to the region.

This team was brought to Nadi by the Samoa based Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme.

Our reporter Halitesh Datt who is also part of this team spoke to a few journalist on how the media is tackling the issue of climate change.

For the past seven years Bill Jaynes has been the managing editor for Kashelelei Press in the Federate States of Micronesia.

It was only until recently that he realised the important role that he can play in relaying climate change stories to the public.

 Bill Jaynes- Editor- The Kashelelie Press, FSM

This is the media team brought together by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme.

Sini Latu, a Tongan journalist admits that climate change related stories are given quite a low priority by her newsroom.

 Sini Latu, Tonga Broadcasting Commission

However the Secretariat is working hard to change this.

Through its media outreach program, SPREP has manage to fill some of these gaps in climate reporting in the region.

 Nanette Woonton, Media and Public Relations Officer, SPREP

The Secretariat has also done a baseline survey to find out the level of understanding of Pacific reporters on climate change.

The survey revealed that there is a need to continue with such media outreach prgrammes.

Nanette Woonton, Media and Public Relations Officer, SPREP

As many more such meetings to come in future, these journalists are tasked with reporting on informing the public about climate change.

PTWC work to continue design warning change

By Halitesh Datt, Fiji TV

5 July, 2013, Nadi, Fiji - The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre will continue its work in the region says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

NOAA, which looks after the Centre say the only change is that the region will be provided with advisories instead of warnings.

Warnings will be provided by individual country tsunami warning centres.

Edward Young, NOAA

The Centre will continue to provide the region with important weather related data.

A decision on whether P.T.W.C will provide warnings for countries without tsunami centre of their own will be made in Russia where Pacific Tsunami System will meet in September.

Edward Young, NOAA

Fiji to look after its own tsunami warning

By Halitesh Datt, Fiji TV

5 July 2013, Nadi, Fiji - With the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre soon to cease issuing tsunami warnings for the region, Fiji like other Pacific Island countries will have to beef up its own resources.

That means the Mineral Resources Department will have to be operational 24 hours throughout the week.

This in turn may require government to pump in more resources to the M.R.D to provide timely warnings.

 Rajendra Prasad- Inter-governmental Oceans Commission

The Former Fiji Meteorological Director says this move will avoid unnecessary panic during a tsunami warning.

Rajendra Prasad- Inter-governmental Oceans Commission

Climate Finance Assessment Framework

Halitesh Datt, Fiji TV

5 July, 2013, Nadi, Fiji - In order to assess the challenges and some of the issues that Pacific Island Countries are facing in climate financing, the Pacific Islands Forum has come up with a Climate Finance Assessment Framework.

In 2010 Forum leaders proposed to look at options to improve access to and management of climate finance in the region.

This involved a broad assessment of challenges, sources, interaction between climate finance and development.

This framework has already been applied in Nauru with positive results.

 Coral Pasisi - Regional and International Issue Advisor - PIF'S

There are six dimensions of this framework that came out of Nauru and can be applied to all the countries.

These are Assessing the available sources of finance, looking at policy framework, institutional capacity and arrangement, public financial management and expenditure, human capacity assistance and development effectiveness.

Pasisi says this framework gives Pacific countries a better understanding of its own context of climate financing.

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. 

Relocation guideline for Fiji

By Halitesh Datt, Fiji TV

4 July 2013, Nadi, Fiji - The Fiji government is in the process of developing a relocation guideline for communities that are affected by the impacts of climate change.

The guideline will put in place some of the valuable lessons learnt and good practices from the current relocation sights in the country.

As Halitesh Datt reports, the guideline is expected to to be launched later this month.

The government is currently spearheading relocation of two communities in the country.

However people need not to panic about government's plan of relocating communities facing the brunt of climate change.

Director Political Treaties and Head of Climate Change Unit, Esala Nayasi says relocation is the last resort for the government and there is a need for a comprehensive discussion with the communities.

Director Political Treaties and Head of Climate Change Unit, Esala Naya

The government is also meeting with the development partners as well as donor agencies to source more funds for climate change related projects in the country.

Meanwhile the government is also taking these meetings as an avenue to explore more ideas of addressing climate change.

The government will make its recommendation for the United Nations COP 19 to be held in Poland at the end of the year.

Samoa wants agencies to be clear about their roles in climate change - “always best to involve many than none”

By Asenati Taugasolo Semu, Press Secretariat of the Government of Samoa: http://www.savalinews.com

4 July 2013, Nadi, Fiji - Compartmentalisation is one thing that the Samoa Chief Executive Officer of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, Afioga Taulealeausumai Laavasa Malua hopes to see achieved at the end of this week’s Pacific Climate Change Roundtable.

According to Taulealeausumai, what he wants is for CROP (Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific) agencies and donors to clearly define their roles.

He said CROP agencies have different functions, but with climate change it seems they are all involved.

“So it should be clear, who is responsible for which and who is doing what,” said Taulealea.

“It seems that these kinds of things are hard to implement, but it’s always best to involve many than none, the most important thing is for each party to understand their role to play.”

Taulealea said it’s not about the separation of roles because that could result in the break up of communications.

Taulealeausumai is concerned about agencies that are carrying out adaptation and mitigation projects in the region are duplicating each other.

I’m hoping that at the end of this meeting there’s a clear and concise compartmentalization of who deals with what, you know – rather than countries being flooded by everyone coming in and duplicating all these adaptations and also mitigation activities.”

SPREP commits to support PICs integrate policy framework 2016

By Daniel Namosuaia, Solomon Star: http://www.solomonstarnews.com

4 July 2013, Nadi, Fiji - The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) has signaled its commitment to support Pacific Island governments in formulating an integrated policy framework on climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction and meteorological services.

SPREP Director, David Sheppard told officials at the joint meeting on the second day of the meeting in Nadi that SPREP is very much in support to see a better outcome for the pacific by the end of these meetings.

"SPREP has been very delighted to support the whole process of Pacific Meteorological Council of Pacific Island Countries and Territories to accelerate the process and working closely with partners and donors in support of the efforts of PICTs," Sheppard said.

He stressed that these meetings will help PICTs and donor partners and agencies look at how they can better integrate the work on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

Adding that at the general level, the pacific region has two major policy frameworks that has been adopted by governments of PICTs called the Pacific Islands frameworks for action on climate change and  policy framework on disaster risk reduction policy framework that finish in 2015.

He said the meetings would pave the way for 2016.

"This is the first time that these meetings are held together in line with the principle of looking at how we can better integrate our work.

"We also do that at the national level on what we call the joint national action plan process looking at national levels of integrating activities on climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction."

Adding that with the PMC meeting also held this week, it is important to identify the links between met-services and climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction

Sheppard said that the Pacific Climate Change Roundtable (PCCR) also held this week is seen as an opportunity every two years to identify a clear strategy towards a clear strategy framework in 2016.

"So we need to agree on what needs to happen and what are the roles of each countries and regional agencies to have a clear roadmap to move towards achieving the objectives. The commitment has been made to integrate the work on disasters, now climate adaptation but now we are trying to put the flesh on the bones."

Sea level in Solomon Islands predicted to rise over 8mm in the coming century

By Daniel Namosuaia, Solomon Star: http://www.solomonstarnews.com

4 July 2013, Nadi, Fiji - Solomon Islands like many other countries in the Pacific is at risk to coastal erosions, storm surges and water inundation with sea levels projected to rise the coming century.

As ocean water warms it expands causing the sea level to rise. The melting of glaciers and ice sheets also contributes to sea-level rise. Instruments mounted on satellites and tide gauges are used to measure sea level.

Studies undertaken under the Australian funded project, the Pacific Islands Climate Change Science Program indicated that sea level has risen near the Solomon Islands by about 8 mm per year since 1993. This is larger than the global average of 2.8–3.6 mm per year. This higher rate of rise may be partly related to natural fluctuations that take place year to year or decade to decade caused by phenomena such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Salesa Nihmei of Pacific Meteorological Desk Partnership at SPREP said that projections suggest that sea level in the Pacific region is likely to be similar to the global average however, he warned that higher values are possible with the increased understanding of ice sheet dynamics to improve sea level projections.

This will pose great threat to coastal communities' livelihood, infrastructure developments and socio economic activities of island economies.

This rise in sea level was related to global warming due to the increasing rates of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

Nihmei further highlighted that carbon dioxide concentrations are now higher than they were hundreds of thousands of years ago.

He said research over the past century clearly shows that higher green house gas concentrations warm up the planet as exactly observed globally and over the pacific.

Adding that research over the past 50 years shows all Pacific Island stations have warmed, most in the range 0.4˚-1.0˚C.

"Pacific is getting hotter, sea-levels are rising and ocean acidification has occurred. Further warming, acidification and sea-level rise appear inevitable," Nihmei said. 

Information on the projected changes of climate in each of the countries is available at each of the national meteorological services and encouraged the national stakeholders on to continue to involve the meteorological communities in their planning.

Donors promise to help Tokelau

By Makereta Komai, 

PACNEWS: http://www.pina.com.fj/index.php?p=pacnews&m=pacnews

4 July 2013, Nadi, Fiji - Tokelau’s plea for help with the establishment of weather stations on its three islands has been answered, with an offer from New Zealand.

The head of the island’s environment services, Kelemeni Tavuto was overwhelmed with the positive responses from donors at the Pacific Meteorological Council (PMC) meeting, underway in Nadi this week.

“Tokelau is grateful to New Zealand for agreeing to support us with the most needed weather stations on our three islands. This was one of the urgent needs for our Met Service, said Tavuto.

He said coming to a regional meeting like the PMC has solved some of the immediate needs of the Met Service on the island, which comes under Environment Services.

“The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has offered us four chatty beetles to help us with the dissemination of information to and from our islands.

“We will assign a chatty beetle device each for our three islands and one will be based at our office in Apia, said Tavuto.

Chatty beetle is a text based alert and message device used in remote locations the smaller island countries in the North Pacific, funded by NOAA. It is designed to disseminate hazard messages (e.g. tsunami warnings, heavy surf, tropical cyclone warnings, etc.) to remote islands.

“NOAA is ready to deliver the chatty beetle devices to Tokelau, as soon as we are ready. I will go back home now to prepare for the delivery.

“The University of Oklahoma has also promised to provide equipment for our weather stations, said Tavuto.

Tokelau was represented at the PMC meeting for the first this year, with funding support from the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

Tokelau tells of challenges

By Asenati Taugasolo Semu, Press Secretariat of the Government of Samoa: http://www.savalinews.com

4 July 2013, Nadi, Fiji - Moving forward with the rest of the Pacific Islands is a major challenge faced by the nation of Tokelau.

This is according to their representative at the Pacific Meteorological Council meeting in Nadi, Menny Tavuto.

Tokelau consist of three atolls with a population of approximately 1,400, is currently under the New Zealand administration.

Tavuto in an interview said having no national radio station, no meteorological service centre and limited access to the internet and telephone add to the challenge.

“There is an urgent need to install meteorological stations on the three atolls,” he said.

Tavuto said the reason for this is that the three islands namely Atafu, Fakaofo and Nukunonu are widely scattered.

“We don’t want to be left behind, especially with the speed of technology and the vital role of communication today.

“Right now we don’t have a radio station to disseminate information, especially weather forecasts and disaster warnings.

“We still depend on 2AP (Samoa Government Radio Station) for news and weather forecasts,” although there are plans to add a new national radio station for Tokelau in December.

Science predicts Climate Change hardship for Pacific

By Evan Wasuka, Pacific freelance reporter, Editor Pacific Media Team 2013

4 July 2013, Nadi, Fiji - The Pacific Climate Change Roundtable has heard that, data has indicated that communities in the Pacific region Pacific is getting hotter, sea-levels are rising and ocean acidification has occurred.

Further warming, acidification and sea-level rise appear inevitable.

These long-term trends occur with a great deal of naturally occurring variability such as El Niño, but natural variability alone cannot explain past climate and will not wholly determine future climate.

The magnitude of future human-forced changes can be reduced if global emissions are reduced

SPREP meteorology & climate officer, Salesa
Nihmei at PCCR 2013, Nadi-Fiji.

SPREP's meteorology and Climate Officer, Salesa Nihmei told the Pacific Climate Change Roundtable in Nadi, that the recently climate change information has become available for countries after the completion of the set of studies carried out through the Ausaid funded project carried out in 2009 called the Pacific Climate Change Science Project  (PCCSP).

Information collected from meteorological stations in the region indicated that all Pacific islands have warmed over the past 50 years, most in the range 0.4˚-1.0˚C.

"For example in Samoa surface air temperature and sea surface temperature are projected to continue to increase over the course of the 21st century. There is very high confidence in this direction of change because and the warming is physically consistent with rising global greenhouse gas concentrations.

                                                         

"By 2030, under a high emissions scenario, this increase in temperature is projected to be in the range of 0.4–1.0°C."

"Under the high emissions scenario, by 2090, temperature increases of greater than 2.5 °C are simulated by almost all models for the whole region."

Similarly, this detailed information is available for most of the Pacific Island Countries.

Nihmei says already the impacts of Climate Change are being experienced by Pacific Islanders.

There are projected increases in the annual mean rainfall over most of the region of the Pacific, especially along the equator.

For sea level, the Pacific is expected to follow the global trend but warned that higher values are possible.  The current measurements from the tide gauges confirmed by satellite altimeter measurements which are only from 1993 seem to suggest that the sea level trend show those of the high emission scenario. Ocean acidification is also expected to increase.

The 2013 Pacific Climate Change Roundtable is meeting from July 3-5.

Climate Change portal seeks meteorological partnership

By Evan Wasuka, Pacific regional freelance journalist
3 July 2013 Nadi, Fiji - National meteorological services in the region have been encouraged to join the Pacific Climate Change Portal (www.pacificclimatechange.net/) as a way of getting meteorological information out to the public.

Launched in September 2012 by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, SPREP, the portal has been developed into a hub for climate change information in the region.

Presenting at the 2nd Pacific Meteorological Council, in Nadi, Fiji, Makelesi Gonelevu of SPREP says the addition of meteorological data on the portal would be of great benefit to users.

“Climate science is at the heart of climate change. National met services have the relevant scientific data and they have access to the latest information. Their input on the portal would mean better scientific information for the public.”

Since its launch, the portal has registered 100,000 hits up to March 2013.The portal is a clearing house for climate change information, containing an events calendar, experts directory, documents library, country profiles and a projects database.

Gonelevu says the project database has information on over 100 Climate Change projects in SPREP member countries.

“The portal is useful for donors, to see what climate change activities are taking place in different countries.”

Although the portal has over 600 documents on site, building content continues to be the portal’s biggest challenge. To counter this SPREP has issued a call to member countries for information and content. The plan is for country information on the portal to be updated by country editors, who are nominated by governments. 

“Before information is updated on the portal, it goes through a flow of approval by the national governments. Once it is approved then it will be updated.”

The Pacific Climate Change portal is administered by two committees. The first consists of an advisory committee made up of officials from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, University of the South Pacific, GIZ and SPREP. The second committee is a technical group from the same organisations. SPREP has conducted portal training for 10 PICTs in Fiji and the Federated States of Micronesia, to work with country editors. 

During the 2nd PMC, Palau requested to be included in future training's. Three countries, Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga have started development of their own national portals, which will be integrated into the regional portal.

Community awareness key to tsunami response: Loti Yates

By Daniel Namosuaia, Solomon Star: http://www.solomonstarnews.com

3 July 2013, Nadi, Fiji - Community awareness is the key to having an effective response to natural disasters such as tsunami says the Director of Solomon Islands National Disaster Management Office, Loti Yates.

In his brief presentation at the joint meeting at the Pacific Meteorological Council meeting in  Nadi, Yates said experience from a February’s tsunami in Temotu Province found that awareness is the key to an effective warning system.

"Even if we had an early warning systems in place, it would not work for situations like what happened in Temotu.

“Even if we are to send warning messages through the radio or other telecommunication methods and media, these messages will reach the people after they are hit by the wave."

Although Solomon Islands relies on the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre to give out warnings, Loti pointed out that this doesn’t work for a locally generated tsunami.

He stressed that with the geographical location of islands and its isolation, communities must have the authority and knowledge to make decisions.

Loti says the strengthening of early warning systems must go hand in hand with community awareness.

Weather station plans for Fiji's North

By Halitesh Datt, Fiji TV

4 July, 2013, Nadi, Fiji - The Fiji Meteorological Service is planning to open up a weather station in the Northern division.

FMS already has a hydrology unit based in Labasa and intends to supplement this service with a new weather station.

Given the role that it plays not only in Fiji but in the region as well, the Fiji Meteorological Service plans to further strengthen its operations this year.

To begin this, the met service is already installing automatic weather stations around the country to collect important weather related data.

Acting Director for Fiji Met Service, Aminiasi Tuidraki

FMS is also awaiting a $5.7 million dollar grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency to install a new early warning system.

Capital projects for the met service this year are pegged at FJD$5 million dollars.

The Acting Director for Fiji’s Met Service, Aminiasi Tuidraki says this is an effort to increase its network in Fiji and the region.

The Fiji met service is also hoping to carry out a public awareness programs regarding its operations.