A Pacific perspective on climate changePacific Forum leaders are now expressing concern over the threat of climate change and the vulnerability of the Pacific islands to the potential impacts of climate change and sea-level rise. Fatu Tauafiafi, Information and Publications Officer of the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) articulates these anxieties.
History remembers Pacific islanders as being incredible mariners. Sailing vast distances in their hand-crafted ocean voyaging canoes, they travelled with only the stars as a guide, and an instinct to be as one with the environment.
Traversing the Pacific Ocean, our ancestors were the sole custodians of the sea and its environment. It not only provided their subsistence but was also an intrinsic part of their identity, culture, traditions - part of the essence of their very existence. If we lose one Pacific island with its own unique culture, tradition and sovereignty, we also lose part of the Pacific. Without the Pacific islands and islanders, there is no Pacific.
The world’s climate scientists have already said that human greenhouse gas emissions are having a marked effect on the global climate. Recent research carried out by the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) for SPREP shows that human greenhouse emissions up to 1995 have already built an inevitable 5-12 cm sea-level rise into natural systems. Moreover, a 1997 analysis of data from 34 Pacific island meteorological stations says that regional air temperatures have increased by 0.3-0.8 degrees Celsius over the last century.
It is well known that the contribution of the Pacific islands to greenhouse gas emissions, in comparison to other regions is infinitesimal. It is also well-known that the much acclaimed 1997 Kyoto Protocol to regulate greenhouse gases is still a long way from coming into being, as key global players are still to ratify it.
As part of their efforts in addressing this issue, the Pacific region brought the world to a special meeting, the Pacific Islands Conference on Climate Change, Variability and Sea Level Rise in Rarotonga, Cook Islands.
This conference sought to establish more direct links between science and policy in the climate arena. SPREP members also presented what they see as being priority issues within the region, while scientists and representatives from around the globe covered updates on the latest research and developments. Issues raised included:
- Biodiversity - island terrestrial ecosystems, coral reefs, mangroves and the like, are an invaluable asset. To ensure that these precious resources are passed down to future generations, conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity, should be considered a priority for action, utilizing knowledge and skills
acquired within the Pacific region.
- Environment education combined with appropriate training, transfer of technology and capacity-building. This is a cornerstone for strengthening the Pacific region's ability to better manage its resources and better respond to environmental issues. It is also important for the international community to constructively address these pressing global issues.