The University of the South Pacific, Fiji

Pacific Centre for Environment & Sustainable Development

Climate Change in the Pacific:

Role of Education
“Climate change is the global challenge of our time, and failure
and delay can no longer be a viable option”
Mr. Gonsalves (Representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines speech to UN General Assembly, 2010.
Climate change is REAL!!
• “The adverse effects of climate change and
sea level rise present significant risks to the
sustainable development of Pacific Island
Countries and Territories and the long term
effects of Climate change may threaten the
very existence of some of them” (Pacific
Islands Framework on Climate change, 2006-
2015)
People’s Perceptions

Climate Witnesses (Source: WWF, 2010)

Human Activities causing it !
The fossil fuel emissions have accelerated in 21st Century
in spite of regulations under Kyoto Protocol
Climate change is increasing the frequency and
intensity of natural hazards – particularly floods,
storms, and droughts.
Compared to an average of 300 "natural" disasters per
year from 1980-2000, this past decade saw 426 events
per year. The climate-related worldwide disaster
occurrence rose from 50% in the 1980s to 82% since
2005.
Early signs of El Nino related year to year variability & its
consequences on rainfall patterns and some alterations
in the thermohaline circulation leading to poor fish
catches have been observed in recent years in PICs .
 Eutrophication

Water &
Livelihoods

Coastal protection

Invasive species
Photos courtesy of
the Fiji Times
Flooding in Nadi Town, Fiji – May 2007

“coastal erosion in heavily populated

areas is occurring at a rate that exceeds
the Government’s capacity “to respond
Geographical pattern of 1993 –2008
sea level trends

Pacific Islands
Worldwide, the average annual rate of
mountain glacier melt was over twice as
great between 1996 and 2005 as during
the previous decade.

Annual ice mass loss for the Antarctic

continent more than doubled between
the periods 2002–06 and 2006–09.
The most notable ice loss in
recent years has been the
shrinking of sea ice in the
Arctic Ocean.
Sea level Rise: The red bar corresponds to
additional rise due to instabilities of ice
sheets
 Key Projected Climatic Changes
Increased warming mostly over land and at the highest northern
latitudes;
Contraction of the areas covered by snow, and a decrease in the
extent of sea ice;
Increase in the frequency of extremes of heat, heat waves and
heavy precipitation;
A likely increase in tropical cyclone intensity;
Large scale land inundation due to sea level rise.
The ecological stability of mangroves and coral
reefs is threatened in PICs

?
Without the mitigation of emissions, the 2°C
target will be exceeded by mid-21st century

Projections of global mean surface temperatures

for the B1, A1B and A2 scenarios and the ‘Year
2000 constant concentration’
•
Pacific Islands are Vulnerable to Climate
Change
Many Pacific islands are extremely vulnerable to climate change
induced risks (e.g., large scale inundation due to sea level rise
and widespread damages with high intensity tropical cyclones).

They could be among the first to be forced to abandon or

relocate from their homes to an accelerated sea level rise.

“Long before our islands are inundated by the rising seas, they
will become uninhabitable as freshwater aquifers are
contaminated by saltwater intrusion from rising tides”.
Pacific Island Countries –
Actions at Home
Focus on Disaster Risk Reduction & Short-
Term Adaptation to Climate Change
• Policies to focus on increased resilience of poor communities
to disasters and adverse impacts

• Ensure investment of large share of adaptation and risk

reduction funding towards responding to local needs and in
social assistance to poverty alleviation programmes
Pacific Island Countries – Practical Target: Ensuring
Development More Sustainable
• ‘An approach that will permit continuing improvements in the
quality of life at a lower intensity of resource use, thereby
preserving for future generations an undiminished or even
enhanced stock of productive assets (manufactured, natural
and social capital)’

• The language of climate change is global - but the action has

to be profoundly local and PIC’s hopes lie in sustainable
consumption of natural resources.
Climate Change Adaptation: Capacity
Building Needs in PICs
First, the combination of development choices, adaptation
actions and capacities will allow us to address the issue of
climate change effectively

Second, understanding the implications of the impacts of a

changing climate at the local level is necessary to effective
adaptation

Thirdly, it is important to understand adaptation as part of

development choices
National Adaptation Strategies
Mainstreaming climate change in national and sector
development planning, through technology deployment
Strengthening capacity of national institutions to seek
complementarities among the environment and
development frameworks through linkages with MDGs
Prioritizing short and medium term adaptation actions which
have a direct bearing on the livelihoods of vulnerable
communities
Integrating alternative livelihood strategies for extreme
climatic events through national disaster management
plans
 Impacts: Specific sectors
Water – it will be highly
affected by Climate
Change
Freshwater lenses are
predicted to reduce in size
due to demand increase
and reduced rainfall
10% reduction of rainfall by
2050 could produce a 20%
reduction in size of the
freshwater lens on Tarawa
atoll
 Agriculture
Extended periods of droughts
Loss of soil fertility
Shortening of growing season –
major economic losses and
seriously affects food security
Salt inundation and salts spray
Estimated damage (without
adaptive measures): 23-52
million USD per year by 2050, 2-
3% GDP (Fiji); 8-16million USD
by 2050, 17-18% GDP (Kiribati)
Fisheries & Marine Biodiversity
Up to 52% of amphibians and
71% of reef building corals have
traits that are at increased risk of
extinction if global temperatures
rise by only 1.5-2.5oC.
Climate change impacts will affect
all sectors of Pacific Societies
How could we improve our
resilience in the midst of adversity?
 Education is the key to
enhance our coping capacity
Better adaptive capacity leads to effective
decisions and concrete actions
Formal, non-formal, informal processes of
Education MUST build the adaptive capacity
of Pacific Islanders in all sectors (Youths to
Policy Makers; Traditional and Modern forms
of governments)
 Regional Calls
National efforts are focusing on the mainstreaming of
climate change into national plans and system as well as
developing appropriate adaption strategies (Forum
Communiqué, August 4-5, 2010)

Climate change is one of the four priorities of the SPREP

strategic plan and Pacific Leaders urged Members of
SPREP to enhance capacity at the national level to
continue access and coordination of financing from
bilateral partners and multilateral sources… (Pacific
Environment Minister’s Communiqué, Sept 6-10, 2010)

The main goal of the Pacific Islands Framework for action

on Climate change 2006-2015 is “Ensure Pacific island
people build their capacity to be resilient to the risk and
impacts of climate change….”
Principle 4: Education, Training & Awareness

PICTs’ capacity to use economic, scientific and traditional knowledge to

monitor, assess and predict environmental, social and economic risks and
effects of climate change needs strengthening. This is critical for
developing and implementing viable and sustainable national programs
on cost effective adaptation and greenhouse gas reduction measures.
Concerted efforts need to be undertaken to enhance human capacity in
the assessment of the risks and impacts of climate change, climate
variability and extreme weather events. A pool of informed resource
persons conversant with development and application of practical steps
in adaptation tools and methods is critical.
Increased awareness and understanding of risks and effects of climate
change is particularly important at the community level to increase their
resilience.
Expected Outcomes by 2015
4.1 Strengthened human capacity to monitor and assess
environmental, social and economic risks and effects of
climate change.
4.2 Strengthened human capacity to identify, analyze and
implement cost effective adaptation measures as well as
greenhouse gas reduction measures and creation of a pool
of informed resource persons conversant with
development of practical steps in adaptation tools and
methods.
4.3 Strengthened human capacity to identify and integrate
economic, scientific and traditional knowledge into
adaptation and greenhouse gas reduction practices.
4.4 Better informed public on climate change issues.
Education and capacity building help
communities to:
Assess the specific vulnerability of sectors and
communities
Monitor the threats and impacts of climate
change
Assess the potential impacts of Climate change,
impacts of mitigation and adaptation activities
on ecosystem
Monitor the sustainability and success of
adaptation and mitigation activities
 Formal Education
Climate change issues have been incorporated in the
curriculum of the formal education system (Primary
and Secondary Schools) in the region
Climate change and related issues are covered in
Universities and Other tertiary institutions
However, there is a need to review the curriculums to
include updated information / knowledge as well as
add more technical details
There is also a need to train teachers to update them
with climate change science, impacts and other social-
economic issues
 Non-formal Education
Various Climate change related Trainings are being
conducted in the region that include climate change
workshops and capacity building activities at every
levels (targeting decision and policy makers,
traditional community leaders, NGOs, women and
children, youth and church leaders)
Community level awareness building is targeted in
many climate change adaptation strategies
This could be expensive, and some people in the
region are tired of capacity building exercises, they
need immediate adaptation actions on the ground
and finances
USP’s role in addressing climate
change Education: Teaching , research, and
community engagement
Capacity Building - Long-standing UG teaching Courses
• Geography
• Marine science
• Agriculture
• Environmental economics
• Environmental physics
• Renewable Energy
[mitigation]
Degrees in:
• Environmental science
• Environmental studies
PG teaching on Climate Change

• Course on climate change

Impacts. vulnerability and
adaptation (V&A): > 10yrs in
various forms (now online
annually in sem. 1)
• Course on Climate Change
Science (online annually in sem.
2)
• Related PG courses (e.g.
environmental economics, EIA,
…)
• Short courses to order (e.g.
Pacific Islands Conservation
Courses)
 Specialized teaching & Climate
Change Links and networking
Environment Centre (PACE-SD) in
existence for 10 yrs
• co-ordination of CC within USP
and linkages outside
• Collaborative training & applied
research with SPREP, SPC &
SOPAC etc
• Links to other universities
(UPNG, NU Samoa, U West
Indies, U Sunshine Coast, IGCI,
etc)
• Oceania node for START
network
• PACC, PCCR, DPCC, etc
Postgraduate Diploma in CC
• V & A course plus options
from climate science,
environment economics,
environment law,
biogeography, EIA, etc
Masters Degree scholarships
under ‘Future Climate
Leaders’ Project (PG Dip
courses + thesis project)
Short courses to order (credit
and non-credit, certificate
courses)
AusAID Funding for
scholarships, short courses
Community based Adaptation Projects
Adaptation Projects Implementation in Fiji (Simple and Cost
Effective Measures)
Climate change adaptation mainstreamed & internalized at the
community level
Discrete and sustainable adaptation measures - cross-cutting,
process-based approaches
Integrated Assessment & Action Methodology for Climate
Change, Disaster Risk Management and Sustainable
Development (PACE-SD Methodology)
HAVE WE DONE ENOUGH?
WE HAVE DONE OK, BUT WE NEED TO
ENGAGE MORE PROACTIVELY IN CAPACITY
BUILDING ACTIVITIES AND EMPOWERMENT
OF OUR PACIFIC COMMUNITIES THROUGH
KNOWLEDGE SHARING FOR SUSTAINED
LIVELIHOOD.
We continue to focus on playing our part
and play it effectively!!!
While the World Leaders need
to act more wisely !