DOHA: Island communities in the Pacific Ocean are facing unprecedented challenges to their economies and environment from the impacts of climate change, according to a new report released at the United Nations Climate Change Conference here yesterday.
Sea level rise, tropical cyclones, floods and drought, combined with pressures from unsustainable fishing practices and coastal development, and consumption and production trends, are rendering the livelihoods of some 10 million people increasingly vulnerable, says the study.
Low-lying islands in particular could face projected losses of up to 18 per cent of GDP due to climate change.
The report recommends actions to enforce legislation, improve the availability of environmental data, and strengthen environmental institutions to help meet the major climate change challenges facing the Pacific region.
The study highlights successful efforts to create community-managed conservation areas, such as marine parks, which have used indigenous knowledge to improve recycling, energy efficiency and sustainable water use. Such techniques can be scaled up, and serve as a model for other regions, says the report.
Due to low greenhouse gas emissions and the sustainable management of the region’s forests – often by local communities – some Pacific islands could see net uptakes of CO₂ from the atmosphere in the future.
The Pacific Environment and Climate Change Outlook was prepared by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in partnership with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and other organisations.
Covering 21 countries and territories, mostly small, low-lying island communities, the report provides a detailed assessment of the state of the Pacific environment, and lays out policy options for improving sustainable development in island communities. The experiences of over 500 communities are included in the study.
“This report presents concrete evidence that food, freshwater and the livelihoods of Pacific islanders are under threat, and that the Pacific is at the forefront in humanity’s efforts to combat and adapt to climate change, “said UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.
“Enhancing local capacity to directly monitor, and manage, the impacts of the region’s changing environment is essential for reducing climate risks, but also for unlocking the potential economic benefits that a transition to an inclusive, low-carbon and resource efficient green economy can bring,” said Steiner.
The report highlights a severe shortage of data relating to environmental change in Pacific islands. Nevertheless, several key environmental trends are emerging across the region:
On the impacts on land, the report noted housing, food and other needs of growing population are placing limited land resources under intense pressure. On biodiversity threats 80 per cent of alien species in the Pacific are invasive or potentially invasive.
The Pacific Environment and Climate Change Outlook stresses that efforts to build climate resilience need to go hand-in-hand with actions to tackle other causes of environmental degradation.
The report lays out a number of recommendations to improve the climate resilience of Pacific countries and territories.
The Peninsula
