Implementing climate change adaptation interventions in remote outer islands of the Pacific Island region Gillian Cambers and Titilia Rabuatoka Symposium on Climate Change Adaptation in the Pacific region, 26-28 July 2016
From a position of strength
Acknowledging our co-authors and partners Our co-authors: Ms Pasha Carruthers, Mr Sanivalati Tubuna and Ms Juliana Ungaro The Pacific Community Our funding partner: The European Union And most importantly our Pacific Island partners
Presentation outline 1. Introduction 2. Implementing Climate Change Interventions in Pacific Islands findings: Meeting the high costs in outer islands Adding new technology to traditional practices Influencing behavioural change 3. Challenges for the future
2. Implementing climate change interventions in Pacific Islands Refurbished medical lab in Kiribati Coastal protection in Tonga Proposal preparation training in Nauru Tank manufacturing facility in Niue
North Pacific Ocean Outer islands 664 79 348 present special 0 challenges 11,408 Map of the Marshall Islands 1,729 27,797 706
Finding 1: Meeting the high cost of climate change interventions in outer islands
Fais Island, Federated States of Micronesia
Fais Island, Federated States of Micronesia First flush device Unloading a tank on Fais Island
Using local materials 1. 2. Narrow section of the island Roadway at high tide 3. 4. Boulders on the reef flat Using the reef flat boulders to build the causeway
Rule of thumb for planning projects in outer islands Calculate project budget and time schedule with as much detail and local input as possible then multiply by a factor of 2. If project estimate is $100,000 for a year, final budget and schedule will be $200,000 for two years. Sometimes you may need to multiply by a factor of 2.5 or even 3 depending on local conditions.
Finding 2: Adding new technology and new information
Agroforestry
Climate-ready crops Agroforestry site in Funafuti, Tuvalu The Pacific Community s Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CePaCT) Climate-ready crop seedlings displayed during Tuvalu s Environment Week 2015
Keeping it simple Decline in pearl production 2000-2012 Water quality monitoring buoy Hand-held probes Results on community noticeboards Alerts to farmers via mobile phones
Finding 3: Effective communication to address the required behavioural change
Number of cases Solar disinfection of water (SODIS) SODIS in practice Number of cases of diarrhoea before and after the introduction of SODIS Bairiki Health Clinic, Kiribati 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 2014 (Before SODIS introduced) 2015 (After SODIS introduced) 50 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Sep Month SODIS Kiribati launch, March 2015
Using local languages Marshall Islands Climate Change Glossary SODIS picture codes in i-kiribati language Tuvalu agroforestry pamphlet Water is life promotion, Yap State, FSM
3. Challenges for the future
Need for further research
Upscaling Single demonstration project in one atoll to. A comprehensive whole of atoll/country approach A survey in 2010 by Ministry of Public Works in RMI identified sites that are now vulnerable: Shoreline rehabilitation in Majuro, Jaluit, Ailinglaplap, Arno, Ebon and Ailuk Atolls = US$ 81,086,875.00 + Airstrip rehabilitation at Wotje, Jaluit & Ebon Atolls = USD$38,255,073.00 Costing USD 0.5 million Costing USD 119 million
Projects to programmes Phase 1 Phase 2 Entrenchment of activities, e.g. maintenance All activities become part of national processes Measurement of impacts Implementation of all main activities Evaluation Phase 1 Conceptualisation & design
Fewer projects more cooperation
Involving the private sector Training contractors and introducing new technology Palau Development Bank and the Water Conservation Incentive Program
Our world 19 March, 2016 shadow of the moon in the Western Pacific from the space station http://www.ibtimes.com/