The Pacific region has been repeatedly identified as being on the frontlines of the negative impacts of climate change.
In the recently released sixth Assessment Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC AR6), it reconfirms that it is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land by about 1.1 degrees Celsius.
As a result of this warming, the Pacific is experiencing firsthand the devastating effects of climate change on our vulnerable islands, exacerbated by our island size, geographic isolation and limited resources.
A webinar organised by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme’s (SPREP) Climate Change Resilience programme in collaboration with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) discussed the state of understanding of current and future climate change for the Pacific, in particular, looking at the latest IPCC AR6 science and the recently updated country climate change projections for the Pacific.
It was also aimed at helping to raise awareness on practical application of climate change science and services in decision making at all levels, and also unpacked the IPCC AR6 report and what it all means for the Pacific.
According to the Director of SPREP’s CCR programme, Ms Tagaloa Cooper, “This webinar is timely as the Pacific prepares for COP26 in Glasgow in the next couple of weeks.”
“This webinar is important because it forms the basis of the messages from the Pacific’s collective voice that will go into the negotiations and also the collective voice our leaders take to the podium as they deliver national statements,” Ms Cooper added.
She also congratulated and acknowledged with gratitude the Government of Australia and its climate partnership with the pacific through the Next Gen climate projections for the Western Pacific project, that has provided much needed climate change science for Pacific Countries.
She also acknowledged and thanked Dr Geoff Gooley and his team at CSIRO for continuing to support the Pacific with the necessary science and relevant products to support Pacific Island countries.
The Director of Pacific Climate Change Section, Pacific Security, Maritime and Climate Change Branch of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ms Kirsty McNichol, said, “Australia is a committed partner to ensuring Pacific Island countries have access to the best available climate science.”
The application of scientific information is so vast and broad and important to help everybody adapt to climate change and understand how we can live in the future and have sustainable livelihoods.
With clean scientific advice and sound planning principles, we can face the future prepared and empowered. This is our approach in Australia, and is the approach we are using to support pacific island neighbours.”
The webinar included two interactive panel discussions consisting of experts and academics from around the Pacific, who spoke on climate change projections and development, and the application of climate change science to inform services.
To view the webinar in full, please click on this link.
For more information, please contact the Pacific Meteorological Desk Partnership team at [email protected].