SPC Geoscience Division

9 May 2017 | Koror

Palau is accessing climate change and disaster risk finance, but faces capacity challenges that currently make it difficult to implement larger-scale, multi-sector climate and disaster risk related initiatives. These were some of the issues discussed recently during a follow-up mission to present and validate the preliminary findings and recommendations of Palau’s climate change and disaster risk finance assessment.

At the request of the Government of Palau, a multi-agency team led by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, and including the Pacific Community (SPC) and the USAID/SPC Institutional Strengthening in Pacific Islands Countries to Adapt to Climate Change (ISACC) Project, visited Koror in February 2017 to consult with the National Government, State Government officials, NGOs, donors and private sector, guided by the Pacific Climate Change Finance Assessment Framework. To date, eight Pacific Island Countries have completed national climate change finance assessments.

30 Mar 2017 | Suva

A ground-breaking ceremony was held on Kiritimati Island, Kiribati on 23 March 2017 to mark the start of the construction phase for the Kiritimati Island Water Project and the Kiritimati Island Energy Sector Programme (KIESP).

The ground-breaking was hosted by the Ministry of Line and Phoenix Islands Development (MLPID). In his keynote address the Minister for MLPID, Honourable Mikarite Temari said, “Both projects are very important to the development of Kiritimati Island and are contributing to the implementation of the Line and Phoenix Islands Development Strategy.”

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November 19, 2016 - The development and fine-tuning of application of Geographic Information Systems for Pacific Island countries will be an important component of the Pacific Islands GIS/RS Conference 2016.

A geographic information system (GIS) is a computer system for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth's surface.

GIS can show many different kinds of data on one map. This enables people to more easily see, analyse, and understand patterns and relationships.

Scheduled from November 28 to December 2, the conference will host 20 Pacific Island countries, scientists, satellite data companies and software companies to an exchange of information.

Strengthened cooperation between the Pacific Community (SPC) and a peak Asian applied geoscience body will further the use of geoscience to guide sustainable development in the Pacific Islands region.

A memorandum of understanding between SPC and the Coordinating Committee for Geoscience Programmes in East and Southeast Asia(CCOP) has been formalised today by the Director of the CCOP Technical Secretariat, Dr Adichat Surinkum, and SPC’s Geoscience Division Director, Professor Mike Petterson, during the 52nd annual session of CCOP in Bangkok, Thailand.

“This new agreement provides SPC an opportunity to work with some of the best applied geoscience organisations in Asia on critical areas for inclusive Pacific development, such as deep sea minerals and geothermal energy,” Prof Petterson said.

Based in Bangkok, CCOP is an intergovernmental organisation whose mission involves facilitating the implementation of applied geoscience programmes in East and Southeast Asia to contribute to economic development and improve people’s quality of life in the region.