Oceania-Hawai’i Pavilion

Pacific Islands communities—the plants, animals, and people—have been defined by the Pacific, the largest and deepest ocean in the world, shaping communities that are tied closely to the environment and grounded in an ethos of sustainable living. Maintaining a healthy environment is essential for island economies, distinct cultural identities and practices, local food and fresh water, public health, and even the very existence of our people, species, and places. The challenges that Pacific Islanders face are immense, from the entire loss of islands driven by a changing climate, to the dubious distinction of having the world’s highest extinction and invasion rates. However, islanders are drawing on traditional and Western practices to meet these challenges. Sessions will focus on how the major drivers of change are impacting Pacific Islands, how Island communities are responding, and the needs for advances in policy, creative financing, technologies, and public engagement.