By Bill
Jaynes, The Kaselehlie Press: http://www.kpress.info/
8
July 2013, Nadi, Fiji - SPREP’s Director General, David
Sheppard addressed a large crowd of representatives from the Pacific Islands
region this morning.
The joint
meeting began with a traditional Fijian welcome ceremony.
It is the
first meeting in the Pacific Region that has brought together the Disaster Risk
Management fraternity and the climate change fraternity as well as the Pacific
Meteorological Council as they move toward a Pacific framework on climate change
that will be completed by the end of 2015.
Sheppard
said that this meeting is also a historic first of its kind in the
world.
“Although
Pacific Countries only contribute .03% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions,
our countries are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change and sea
level rise,” he said.
“We are
the first impacted and will be the first to go under.”
He said
that during a conference in Japan last week Professor Pachauri, the Chairperson
of the IPCC addressed the crowd and presented startling information. The IPCC
is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which consists of 1000
scientists from all parts of the globe. Sheppard said that Professor Pachauri
told the conference attendees that the best estimates of the IPCC are that
continued emissions would lead to temperature increases between 1.8 and 4
degrees Celsius and sea level rise will continue and accelerate.
Pachauri
noted the urgent need for action at all levels, particularly from the global
community, to reduce climate change.
“In our
region, our leaders have continually reminded us of the urgency of climate
change and that it is in fact an issue of national security,” Sheppard
said.
“He
congratulated the people of the Pacific region for their willingness to work
together. “It again demonstrates as we have many times in the past that the
Pacific is a region that is not afraid to lead and innovate,” he said. “This
approach reflects the Pacific Way—of working together, of being innovative in
the face of challenges, and developing ‘Pacific Solutions to Pacific
problems.”
“Clearly
the world is watching and our series of meetings sends a clear message that we
must integrate our responses if we are to effectively address the challenges of
climate change and natal disasters in this century.”
He listed
three reasons why the Pacific should continue to integrate climate change
adaptation actions with disaster risk management.
First, he
said that while the current policy frameworks are separate Pacific leaders have
directed that that an integrated approach should be applied at the regional
level once the current frameworks expires in
2015.
Secondly,
there is a great deal of experience and knowledge that must and can be shared
through an integrated approach.
“As
Ambassador Fetturi of Samoa once mentioned, ‘No one has a monopoly on new
ideas’. The more was can get together, share experience, and develop synergies,
the better the outcomes will be for the countries and territories of the
Pacific,” Sheppard said.
“Third, a
unified and effective strategy will support a stronger, more integrated and
hopefully more effective case to be made by our Pacific representatives at
international forums. This makes it imperative that we strengthen the links and
conduits between those that represent us at the global level and those who work
on the ground to implement climate and disaster related programs.”
“We must
be forward looking. I urge all the presenters and those making interventions to
heed this call, for us to not dwell too much on what we have done, well or
otherwise, but apply ourselves to discussing what need to be done to secure our
future—as stated at Rio+20 – The future we all want.”
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