Communicating climate change a challenge

Ms. Tilia Tima, Tuvalu's Biodiversity officer

December 2013, Suva Fiji - By Josephine Navula, journalism student at FNU:- Communicating climate change and its associated issues to Tuvalu's people is challenging because of the difficulty in translating scientific terms in the native language.

This was shared by Tuvalu's Biodiversity officer Ms. Tilia Tima at the 9th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas in Suva, Fiji.

"It's hard to translate words to the people back at home because we don't have a specific term for it," she said.

"The other thing that we are facing difficulty in are forms of communications, since our only form of communication is radio, and since we have eight islands far apart from each other, it's really hard when some of the people don't have access to radio."

Trying to generate interest among the locals so that they attend the various awareness programmes was another problem, said Tuvalu's Ministry of Natural Resources Research Officer Mr. Semese Alefaio.

He said although many workshops were held to raise awareness on environment issues, many did not attend.

"Most of the people don't attend the awareness programmes because of isolation."

He said the need to increase women's involvement was also pertinent.

Josephine Navula is a member of the Media Team providing coverage of the 9th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas from 2 to 6 December in Suva, Fiji. This is a partnership between the Fiji National University (FNU), University of the South Pacific (USP), SPREP and Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) whereby a team of 10 journalism students are mentored by senior reporters as they cover the conference. This activity is funded by the Pacific Assistance Media Scheme (PACMAS).

Invasive species a growing problem for the Pacific

Invasive species are a rapidly increasing problem across the Pacific islands region and countries are calling on the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to assist with raising public awareness and increasing government engagement in addressing the problem.

A working paper presented by New Caledonia at the 21^st SPREP meeting recently held in Madang, Papua New Guinea, highlighted issues relating to invasive species and their impact on livelihoods and ecosystems of the Pacific. The main aim of the paper, titled “Mainstreaming Invasive Species and Biodiversity,” was to inform members of the risks to livelihoods and ecosystems posed by invasive alien species and their predicted interactions with climate change.

Photo: Mont Panié Reserve, site of pest animal management by local communities, North Province, New Caledonia by Dr. Alan Saunders

Dr Alan Tye, SPREP’s Invasive Species Officer, explained that more emphasis on public awareness and government support for invasive species management should be given.  The paper sought the Meeting’s approval for SPREP to undertake a programme to increase public awareness of the value of biodiversity and healthy ecosystems in the Pacific.

He said that, during discussions at a workshop titled “Helping Islands Adapt” in Auckland earlier this year, the Pacific group determined that the fundamental problem which currently prevents adequate investment in managing the impacts of invasive species is lack of political support.

“This is compounded by the fact that modern society does not value biodiversity highly enough and does not understand the magnitude of the impacts of invasive species on economies, livelihoods and the environment,” he said.

The working paper explained that invasive species are recognised as a major driver of biodiversity loss worldwide and that island ecosystems were particularly fragile and vulnerable to invasive species. Although islands cover only 5% of the Earth’s land surface, they are home to about 20% of all known terrestrial species and almost half of all endangered species.

According to the paper, more than 70% of the world’s terrestrial species extinctions have occurred on islands, and most of these were caused by invasive species.

Dr Tye added that invasive species management represents an effective form of ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change and that every effort should be made to secure the financial resources necessary to build political support and inspire environmental stewardship. 

Some of the recommendations outlined by the working paper at the 21^st SPREP meeting included: reaffirming the importance of healthy ecosystems in helping Pacific islands to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change; reaffirming that invasive species constitute a primary threat to livelihoods and ecosystems; fully supporting SPREP in its search for resources to address the invasive species threat; and requesting SPREP to develop a social marketing strategy and programme that emphasises both political mainstreaming and environmental inspiration for the very young. 

For more details please contact SPREP’s Invasive Species Officer Dr. Alan Tye at alant@sprep.org

Notes:  The Pacific Group at the “Helping Islands Adapt” workshop in Auckland comprised of representatives of Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands, and several international and regional organisations.

Q & A : Why is this meeting important for your country?

16 August, Fiji - Q & A with the participants at the Preparatory Meeting for the 10th Conference of the Parties on the Convention on Biological Diversity in Fiji, Nadi from 16 - 18 August.

“It is important, but we haven’t been involved previously so Government is now keen to moblise resources towards biodiversity and how it can be mainstreamed into government policies and strategies. The process started last year with our national strategic integrated national plan, with biodiversity and climate change highlighted as major issues for our Government.” - Hadan Talagi, Niue.

"In terms of preparation we really like to see more on biodiversity issues. We have seen issues rising really rapidly in the Marshall Islands and we depend on biodiversity, it is important for us.  Now we are in to participating in these cop 10 meetings, it’s really important for us to voice our status and to come prepared and to have a say in the overall objective of the COP." - Joseph Tibon, Marshall Islands.

“There are a number of issues that the Solomon Islands, as a member of the Pacific, needs to have its voice in; for example the Access and Benefit Sharing regime is one of the issues that we really need to work together and put our voice there and apart from that ABS we also have other issues like bio fuels and biodiversity. If we encourage use of biofuels that will have an impact on our biodiversity, so those are issues that we consider why our presence is important here.” - Joe Horokou, Solomon Islands