I G C I  Projects

Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment Course for Pacific Island countries
          

 

 

Left: participants from Fiji, Marshall Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and Cook Islands after graduation at IGCI offices, 1998

Goals:
  • To develop a pool of trained personnel in the Pacific Island countries who are capable of assessing climate change vulnerability and adaptation issues;
  • To build the capacities of these trained personnel and the organizations and institutions to which they belong to assess the influence of climate and sea-level change on environmental systems and human well-being;
  • To provide a forum for development of regionally-applicable and acceptable methods, and tools for assessing climate change vulnerability and adaptation issues;
  • To establish regional linkages and partnerships with the aim of enhancing the delivery and implementation of capacity-building activities;
  • To enhance the capacity of Pacific Island countries to participate in negotiation of the Climate Change Convention, including the implementation of the UNFCCC at national levels. 

Objectives:

 In the context of V&A assessment, the course aimed to allow trainees to:
  • Understand a methodological structure for a V&A study;
  • Gain knowledge of a range of methods for impact analysis;
  • Become familiar with selected assessment tools, ie. VANDACLIM - an integrated assessment model developed by IGCI;
  • Gain practical experience;
  • Learn of relevant data sources, organizations and networks;
  • Create a supportive network for CCV&A in the Pacific;
  • Produce a draft V&A assessment for each country. 
Background:  All nations that have signed and ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are obligated to provide National Communications to the UNFCCC. These communications should include a national greenhouse gas inventory, plans and measures for implementing the UNFCCC, and any other relevant information which Parties may wish to include. In determining plans and measures for implementing the UNFCCC, it is essential that countries base their response on sound studies concerning greenhouse gas mitigation and vulnerability and adaptation to climate change.

For the Pacific region, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has funded the Pacific Island Climate Change Assistance Programme (PICCAP), implemented by the UNDP and executed by the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and UNITAR, to carry out activities which will enable Pacific Island countries to prepare and submit their national Communications to the UNFCCC. 

The PICCAP activities included IGCI developing and implementing this training course, which was transferred to the University of the South Pacific, Marine Studies Programme in 1999.