Partnerships for Climate-Resilient Pacific Islands

Why attend

Participants will learn about climate research innovations and science-based adaptation in Hawaiʻi and the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands countries and territories. Short presentations and roundtable discussions will spotlight leadership in this area, and the role of governments, practitioners, and researchers in fostering resilience.

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The Pacific RISA program (www.pacificrisa.org) aims to meet critical climate information needs in Hawaii and the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands through climate research, assessments, and dialog. This session synthesizes lessons learned from over a decade of climate decision-support work in the region, highlighting the recent PIRCA partnerships and reports. Content will highlight diverse approaches used to address climate information needs, and a series of climate assessments co-developed with governments, researchers, and managers. President David Panuelo of the Federated States of Micronesia recently cited these efforts, saying, “climate change is an existential threat and security threat for any island nation including all of the Pacific Islands countries... [A] valuable program is the Pacific RISA, scientists who provide climate change research and policy analysis in areas like physical modelling of groundwater resources, drought issues, and climate change-related migration data."

Session agenda

Moderator

Zena GRECNI

Sustained Climate Assessment Specialist,
East-West Center
United States of America

The Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment
10:45 - 11:15

Panelist

Dr Austin SHELTON

Director, Center for Island Sustainability,
University of Guam
Guam

10:45 - 11:15

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Hawaii Green Growth is leading the world in partnerships for sustainable development and climate resilience, through the UN Local2030 Islands Network.

Video - 01 Sep 2021 - 04:54 am

Please join our discussion with three panelists from the Pacific Islands who are leading innovative climate solutions for resilient communities and ecosystems.

Video - 31 Aug 2021 - 10:52 pm

https://pirca.org

About PIRCA

Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment (PIRCA) is a collaborative effort to assess climate change indicators, impacts, and adaptive capacity of the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) and the Hawaiian archipelago. PIRCA engages federal, state, and local government agencies, non-government organizations, academia, businesses, and community groups to inform and prioritize their activities in the face of a changing climate.

A sustained process of information exchange began with the 2012 PIRCA (which produced Climate Change and Pacific Islands: Indicators and Impacts, Island Press) and established a diverse, regional network of stakeholders engaging with climate impacts and adaptation actions. A series of reports being developed and released in 2019-2021 builds on the 2012 PIRCA and the US Fourth National Climate Assessment, offering a closer look at climate change in Pacific Island jurisdictions and providing information for a wide range of sectors. In conjunction with other collaborative regional assessment efforts, the series provides guidance for decision-makers seeking to better understand the significance of climate variability and change for the Pacific Islands region and its peoples.

News - 07 Aug 2021 - 08:05 pm