scholarly journals Tropical Pacific Island Environments

1998 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 370
Author(s):  
Brad Cox
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Toxic Waste ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Western Development ◽  
Ecological Isolation ◽  
Diverse Area ◽  
Rising Sea Levels

The Pacific island region comprises a large and ecologically diverse area of the Earth, but is fragile and highly sensitive to environmental change. On some islands 80% or more of the species are endemic. These species are particularly vulnerable due to their geographic and ecological isolation. It is an area where local cultures conflict with Western development, leading to a myriad of environmental and social problems. Impacts affecting the Pacific islands include international mining, rising sea levels, land degradation, logging, toxic waste contamination of land and ocean, and contamination from nuclear testing. The extent of these problems has yet to gain international attention. Low education and communication standards in the region mean that many of the local people are not aware of environmental problems. Island governments have little political will to legislate to protect the environment. An exception is the Sustainable Development Bill that has been drafted recently in Fiji.

Pacific islands present Paris diplomatic challenge

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
Refugee Status ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Rising Sea Levels ◽  
Pacific Island Nations

Subject The approach of Pacific island nations to the Paris climate talks. Significance The Pacific island countries face rising sea levels and increasingly destructive extreme weather events due to climate change. As such, they have played a key role in driving international negotiations ahead of the UN climate change conference (COP 21), which begins on November 30 in Paris, and have sought to mobilise networks of sympathetic groups and countries elsewhere in the world. Impacts Conservative contributions from Australia and New Zealand will strain relations with other Pacific nations well after Paris talks end. The Pacific islands are likely to push for an international legal convention on 'climate refugee' status. Developing country claims will limit international financial and technical aid available for the Pacific, even with increased donor pledges. Destination countries for climate-induced migration will face legal and financial challenges.

scholarly journals Sustainability: Suspicions Concerning Attainability, with Particular Reference to the Pacific

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Wolfers
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Renewable Resources ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
International Agreements ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Human Understanding ◽  
Rising Sea Levels

Sustainability and unsustainability are frequently deployed in discussions of intended, predicted and observed changes occurring in or impacting on Pacific islands societies. Local communities often have their own distinctive understanding of the natural environment. Their concern for sustainability frequently extends further afield – to languages, cultures, and other aspects of life. International agreements and the constitutions of a number of Pacific islands countries address relevant issues. Constitutional government in the region has been remarkably sustained. Sustainable development has diverse dimensions and can be controversial. Climate change and rising sea-levels threaten the very survival of low-lying islands. Harvesting of non-renewable resources raises particular issues. Pacific islands studies have made significant contributions to scientific knowledge and human understanding of issues and processes of wider, even global importance.

scholarly journals No Room in the Ark? Climate Change and Biodiversity in the Pacific Islands of Oceania.

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 192 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Cameron Duffy
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Mangrove Forests ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Rising Sea Levels ◽  
The Rich

The islands of Pacific Oceania face unprecedented anthropogenic climate change within this century. Rising sea levels, increasing ocean acidification, warming land and sea temperatures, increasing droughts, and changes in the frequency and intensity of storms are likely to reorder or destroy ecosystems such as coral reefs, mangrove and montane forests, and coastal wetlands. For the developed nations, an array of measures could ameliorate these effects. Developing nations, whose economies may be significantly damaged by climate change, face major impacts on their citizens, identifying conservation of biodiversity as a lesser priority. Conservation in these countries may not succeed unless the rich nations are willing to pay for preservation of biodiversity hotspots or where preservation of biodiversity satisfies the needs of local communities, often through traditional management and land tenure systems in rural areas. These communities will need useable information, as well as technical advice on how to reduce stressors on changing ecosystems such as wetlands, mangrove forests and coral reefs, if they are going to achieve conservation. The resulting process if it involves local people may appear inefficient, relative to international expectations, but will be more effective over a wide area in conserving biodiversity.

scholarly journals Climate-Change Blues: Sustaining Village Life in Tonga

Te Kaharoa ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Teena Brown Pulu
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Small Island ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
Island States ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Rising Sea Levels ◽  
Bad Weather ◽  
Village Life

The loss of small island states will affect us all.  Climate change refugees will become a very serious issue for all countries. Lord Ma’af On the afternoon of December 15th 2009, Tonga’s Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Lord Ma’afu, made a passionate plea to the international press assembled at the 15th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.  He had a message he wanted to get out to the world.  Politically, Ma’afu awoke a subconscious fear developed countries stepped around not wanting to stir and be forced to deal with.  Snared in the small island uncertainty of rising sea levels was the inevitability climate change refugees might need another place to live (Bedford and Bedford, 2010; Fagan, 2013).  Where would they go?  Who would take them in?  What countries would help the Pacific Islands? Despite sociologists and political scientists documenting the failure of global governance to deliver a legally binding agreement for controlling climate change (Giddens, 2009; Held and Hervey, 2009; Fisher, 2004), alternatives put forward have not been taken up.  What other methods for governing over bad weather are there? (Goldin, 2013).  And how is village life in Tonga coping with climate blues?  

scholarly journals ANALISIS KERJASAMA SECRETARIAT OF THE PACIFIC REGIONAL ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME (SPREP) TERKAIT PERUBAHAN IKLIM

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-153
Author(s):  
Renaldi Christian Hasahatan Siregar Siagian ◽  
Regina Princesa ◽  
Rudi Kogoya ◽  
Renalda Ester Angkouw ◽  
Retta Marito Tambunan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Regional Environment ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Rising Sea Levels

Abstract Climate Action or handling related to climate change is one of the important points of the 17 goals contained in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Climate change has recently become a serious problem in the international world, so it really needs deep attention from every country or region. As is the case in the Pacific Islands region, climate change is a threat that can disrupt sustainable development in this region, especially since there is an issue of rising sea levels which can drown the islands in it. With this climate change problem, one way that can be done is to take action or take action. Based on this background, an intergovernmental body called The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment (SPREP) was formed to deal with problems regarding climate change in the Pacific Islands. The aim of SPREP itself is to promote cooperation in the Pacific region, provide assistance to protect and enhance the environment, and to ensure sustainable development for present and future generations. The framework used in this article is based on the theory of liberalism. Keywords: Pacific Island, SPREP, climate change Abstrak Climate Action atau penanganan terkait perubahan iklim merupakan salah satu poin penting dari 17 tujuan yang terdapat dalam Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Perubahan iklim akhir-akhir ini merupakan masalah yang cukup serius dalam dunia internasional, sehingga sangat dibutuhkan perhatian yang mendalam dari setiap negara ataupun kawasan. Seperti halnya yang terjadi di wilayah Kepulauan Pasifik, perubahan iklim merupakan suatu ancaman yang dapat mengganggu pembangunan berkelanjutan di wilayah ini, terlebih lagi adanya isu kenaikan air laut yang dapat menenggelamkan pulau-pulau didalamnya. Dengan adanya permasalahan perubahan iklim ini, salah satu cara yang dapat dilakukan yaitu melakukan pergerakan atau tindakan. Berdasarkan latar belakang tersebut, dibentuklah badan antar pemerintah yang dinamakan The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment (SPREP) untuk menangani permasalahan mengenai perubahan iklim di Kepulauan Pasifik. Tujuan dari SPREP itu sendiri adalah untuk mempromosikan kerjasama di kawasan Pasifik, memberikan bantuan untuk melindungi dan meningkatkan lingkungan, serta untuk memastikan pembangunan berkelanjutan bagi generasi sekarang dan masa depan. Kerangka pemikiran yang digunakan dalam artikel ini didasarkan pada teori liberalisme. Kata kunci: Kepulauan Pasifik, SPREP, perubahan iklim

scholarly journals Implementing the Pacific Islands Regional Ocean Policy: How Difficult is it Going to Be?

2005 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 723 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence Cordonnery
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Pacific Region ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
Collaborative Approach ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Ocean Policy ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Development And Management ◽  
Sustainable Development And Management

This article discusses the challenges facing the Pacific region in implementing the Pacific Islands Regional Ocean Policy (PIROP), which aims to ensure sustainable use of the Pacific Ocean’s resources for the future. The author outlines some of the particular issues confronting Pacific Island countries, and the need for a more collaborative approach to ocean management.The five guiding principles of PIROP are then discussed in turn. These include: improving our understanding of the ocean; the sustainable development and management of the ocean’s resources; maintaining the health of the ocean; promoting the peaceful use of the ocean; and creating partnerships and promoting cooperation. Issues such as the protection of traditional knowledge in relation to the ocean, and the need to preserve the integrity of the Pacific’s ecosystems, are highlighted.

“We Are Our History”: Reviewing the History of Education in Hawaiʻi and Oceania

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 632-643
Author(s):  
Derek Taira
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Islands ◽  
History Of Education ◽  
Oral Traditions ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
History Of ◽  
National Boundaries ◽  
Pacific Island Nations

There is a “world of difference,” anthropologist Epeli Hauʻofa argued, “between viewing the Pacific as ‘islands in a far sea’ and as ‘a sea of islands.’” The distinction between both perspectives, he explained, is exemplified in the two names used for the region: Pacific Islands and Oceania. The former represents a colonial vision produced by white “continental men” emphasizing the smallness and remoteness of “dry surfaces in a vast ocean far from centers of power.” This understanding has produced and sustained an “economistic and geographic deterministic view” emphasizing Pacific Island nations as “too small, too poor, and too isolated” to take care of themselves. The latter, in contrast, denotes a grand space inhabited by brave and resourceful people whose myths, legends, oral traditions, and cosmologies reveal how they did not conceive of themselves in such “microscopic proportions.” Rather, Oceanic peoples have for over two millennia viewed the sea as a “large world” where peoples, goods, and cultures moved and mingled unhindered by fixed national boundaries.

scholarly journals Pacific Regionalism: Historical Anachronism, or Pathway to Future Development?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Elspeth Davidson
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Positive Development ◽  
Small Island ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Pacific People ◽  
Island States ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Regional Organisations

<p>This study looks at the relevance of regional organisations in the Pacific Island region. It analyses the history of the key regional organisations: the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS). Since their establishment, there has been extensive criticism of the work of these organisations. This study tests and analyses the issue of legitimacy within supra-national organisations, and questions whether regionalism in the Pacific is an anachronism of the past.  In the Pacific, regionalism puts out a compelling argument for its existence. Throughout the region, small island developing states are spread across the world’s largest ocean. Pacific Island states face many challenges, including: small economies, geographical disadvantages, vulnerability to climate change, varying availability to resources and a diverse range of cultures and languages. Regionalism provides a chance for these island states to influence world policy, build capacity in the region, promote good governance, maintain peaceful neighbourly relations, and create positive development outcomes.  The methodology uses qualitative research of document analysis and semi-structured interviews with key informants. The research claims a social constructivist epistemology and uses an inductive conceptual framework in order to find solutions to the complex challenges of Pacific regionalism.  It was found that regional organisations need to increase their transparency in order to enhance their legitimacy. They need provide a clearer evidence base, where all Pacific people can recognise and understand the benefit of regional organisations. The organisations need to work strategically to be nimble and reactive to upcoming critical junctures and issues. Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP) agencies need to coordinate better amongst themselves, open up communication with all stakeholders and create clearer mandates. In order to promote positive development, all stakeholders and Pacific people need to take ownership of these organisations, and support the Framework for Pacific Regionalism process. This study argues that there is great potential for regionalism in the Pacific, but this will only be possible if the region works collectively to enhance the legitimacy of these organisations.</p>

scholarly journals Multilateral Resource Negotiations Between Weak and Powerful States: The Case of the 1987 United States-Pacific Island Fisheries Treaty

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Sōsefo Fietangata Havea
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Soviet Union ◽  
United States Of America ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
The United States ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
Island States ◽  
The Soviet Union ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Pacific Island States

<p>On April 2, 1987, the Treaty on Fisheries Between Governments of Certain Pacific Island States and the Government of the United States of America was signed. The signatories to the Fisheries were the 16 members of the South Pacific Forum and the United States of America. After six difficult years of negotiations, the Treaty permitted American fishing vessels to fish in Pacific Islands’ waters in exchange for a substantial access fee. This thesis identifies key aspects of that treaty and examines what it meant from both a theoretical and practical standpoint. How did a collection of small, comparatively weak Pacific states strike a satisfactory deal with the most powerful state on the planet? What did the agreement mean in terms of its political, legal and environmental consequences? As well as looking at the events and negotiations that led to the treaty, this thesis also attempts to discern the key political lessons that flow from this case that might be relevant for the future development of the Pacific island States in the key area of fisheries regulation. The thesis argues that disputes between Pacific nations and the United States over tuna resources and the presence of the Soviet Union in the Pacific region were the two critical factors that led to the adoption of the Treaty. From the United States’ perspective, the Treaty was seen (at the time) as the only viable option if it were to reconsolidate its long and prosperous position in the Pacific region. The US did not want the Soviet Union to capitalize on American fishing disputes with the Pacific islands, and it could not afford for the Soviet Union to establish a strong association with the Pacific islands. The Treaty therefore served three purposes for Washington: (i) it maintained its long friendship with the Pacific islands, (ii) it maintained its fisheries interests in the region, (iii) and it kept the Pacific communist-free. This fusion of US economic and strategic interests gave Pacific Island States a stronger hand in the negotiations than their size and power would have otherwise offered.</p>

Promoting Peace Through Climate Change Adaptation

2019 ◽  
pp. 462-488
Author(s):  
Peni Hausia Havea
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
Island Region ◽  
Impact Of Climate Change ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Impact

Climate change has affected people's peace in the form of impact on livelihoods, health, and/or well-being. Most of these peace impacts, however, are felt significantly by people who are living in the low-lying communities in the Pacific, who are within and/or close to the Ring of Fire. This chapter is based on a study of peace and climate change adaptation that was conducted in the Pacific island region in 2016. It took place in five communities in Suva, Fiji: Vatuwaqa, Raiwaqa, Raiwai, Samabula, and Toorak. It highlights the impact of climate change on peace, and then it indicated how peace can be promoted in the form of climate change adaptation for these communities. Based on the results of this research, the author recommends that peace should be incorporated into the Pacific islands national adaptation plan.

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