What‘s happening
in the Pacific

Guide on how to develop a Theory of Change, 9 September 2019

Intra-ACP GCCA+ PACRES Project kicks-off, 15 countries to benefit Relief Web, 1 April 2019

Research Strategy discussions in Samoa Samoa Observer, 16 April 2018

Fiji faces a “frightening new era” of climate change says PM, The Independent, 3 April 2018

Pacific Islands agree elements of regional NDC hub, IISD, 27 March 2018

Cyclone Hola could go to category five, Radio New Zealand, 7 March 2018

Category six cyclone rating needed as storms get bigger, New Zealand Climate Minister says, ABC News, 21 February 2018

Tonga Receives Record Insurance Payout Following Cyclone Gita, ReliefWeb, 20 February 2018

Cyclone Gita: Tonga devastated by worst storm in 60 years, The Guardian, 12 February 2018

99% of These Sea Turtles Are Turning Female—Here’s Why, National Geographic, 8 January 2018

 

Pacific gets a new centre of excellence for climate change issues

Climate action in the Pacific is getting a boost with an injection of funding from the New Zealand government for a new Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC) in Apia, Samoa, in collaboration with the Government of Japan.

Climate Analytics’ Samoa-based expert Paddy Pringle is supporting SPREP in the preparation of the PCCC Strategy and Business Plan, to ensure it reflects the region’s needs, delivers a set of complementary functions and responds to comments from development partners and bilateral funders such as the Government of New Zealand.

Read more

 

Climate Adaptation and Theory of Change: Making it work for you

A practical guide for Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

Theory of Change (ToC) has become a common buzzword in climate adaptation circles in recent years. As a growing number of donors and financing entities require theories of change it can feel like yet another hoop to jump through, especially for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) where resources are limited and staff are often over-stretched. So why should busy adaptation practitioners respond positively to ToC and why does it matter? And what does ToC mean anyway, and how do you start developing one?

Read more

 

Face to a name

Paddy Pringle
Regional Scientist

I work as a Regional Scientist based at the Secretariat for the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), in Samoa. I have been working in the fields of climate change adaptation and international development for over ten years and this has taken me to a variety of countries in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. Mostly recently I was Director of the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) at the University of Oxford where my work focused on supporting the connections between science, policy and practice in order to improve adaptation decision-making, including developing tools to support adaptation policy development and implementation. I hope these skills will help the IMPACT Project to develop resources that improve decision-making, policy and access to finance in the Pacific.

Being based at SPREP I am gaining valuable insight into key regional issues that IMPACT can help address. It also enables me to speak directly to those who are developing adaptation plans, policies and projects in the Pacific and to better understand their challenges and needs. I am lucky enough to be based on a beautiful campus in Samoa and to work with lots of like-minded people with a vast knowledge of the environmental challenges of the region.

 

Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme

Our project partner in the Pacific, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), is the regional organisation established by the Governments and Administrations of the Pacific charged with protecting and managing the environment and natural resources of the Pacific. The head office is based in Apia, Samoa. Its mandate is to promote cooperation in the Pacific region and provide assistance in order to protect and improve its environment and to ensure sustainable development for present and future generations.

“The IMPACT project, led by Climate Analytics in partnership with SPREP, aims to strengthen the connections between the scientific assessments of climate impacts, vulnerability, adaptation and mitigation. It doing so, we believe it will provide the region with tools and capacities to make better use of knowledge in policies and projects and will enhance access to much needed climate finance. IMPACT also builds upon the highly successful High Level Support Mechanism, providing training for our region’s climate negotiators. This training can really help to increase the Pacific voice in the UNFCCC negotiations at the critical time of Fiji’s COP23 Presidency.”

Kosi Latu, Director General SPREP

 

Featuring

Pacific Climate Change Portal

SPREP’s Pacific Climate Change Portal is a pool of Pacific climate resources. It allows you to search for case studies, adaptation plans and other documents; find out more about projects in your area; access detailed Pacific region data and country profiles; browse a donor database to find out more about donors in the area.

 

Project activities

IPCC report on oceans and ice workshop in Samoa

Climate Analytics and the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) held a workshop in Apia, Samoa, on 8-9 July 2019 allowing participants to review and discuss the draft IPCC Special Report on Oceans and Cryosphere (SROCC). Representatives from Pacific island states, including UNFCCC and IPCC focal points, and members of the regional scientific community attended. Attendees discussed how the report could be strengthened from a SIDS perspective and lessons learned from the IPCC 1.5°C Special Report. Participants emphasised that regional governments can provide comments on the report and its findings.

Learn more about the workshops organised under IMPACT.

 

Country request support

IMPACT receives many requests for support directly from countries in the Pacific region. Here are some recent examples of work in response to such requests:

  • Technical review of the Atmosphere & Climate chapter of the national State of the Environment Report (SOE) for Niue
  • Development of relevant indicators to track the Pacific Islands Meteorology Strategy (PIMS) as part of a workshop funded by DFAT and UNESCAP
  • Comment and technical review of Cocoa sector case study report
  • Participation in discussions on Blue Carbon and production of a Pacific briefing note to inform a clearer regional position
 

Climate Science Digest

IMPACT is working with Griffith and Oxford Universities to set up a system to generate synthesised reviews of climate and adaptation science in a format that is accessible to practitioners and policymakers in Pacific and Caribbean SIDS.

Report on 1.5˚C impacts for the Marine Climate Change Report Card

IMPACT researchers produced a peer-reviewed paper highlighting the likely impacts of 1.5˚C and above on the marine and coastal Pacific to support the development of the Marine Climate Change Report Card produced by CEFAS, SPREP and USP.

 

Blog Pacific

Climate change and small islands: more scientific evidence of high risks

Small island developing states (SIDS) have long been recognised as being particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In a recently published article our researchers added further scientific evidence that island states are particularly at risk, and face unique challenges in addressing impacts.  
01 July 2020

Relevant recent publications

Climate Adaptation and Theory of Change: Making it work for youBriefing papers

Theory of Change (ToC) has become a common buzzword in climate adaptation circles in recent years. As a growing number of donors and financing entities require theories of change it can feel like yet another hoop to jump through, especially for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) where resources are limited and staff are often over-stretched. So why should busy adaptation practitioners respond positively to ToC and why does it matter? And what does ToC mean anyway, and how do you start developing one?  
2019, September
 

Tropical Cyclones: Impacts, the link to Climate Change and AdaptationBriefing papers

Following the string of high intensity tropical cyclones in the Atlantic basin in 2017 and the devastating impacts on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), a number of questions have been raised about linkages between these cyclones and climate change. This briefing provides clarity on scientifically-supported connections between existing tropical cyclones and climate change. The briefing also summarises how climate change may affect tropical cyclones at increased global mean temperatures in the future and provides a summary of the observed socio-economic impacts of these extreme events on SIDS.  
2017, November