Cook Islands Government approves establishment of seabed minerals task force
Monday, 26 July 2010 09:11
administrator
Press Release: Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, Cook Islands, 23 July 2010
The Hon. Robert Wigmore, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister responsible for seabed mining activities has today announced concrete steps aimed at progressing seabed mining in the Cook Islands.
“The Government is totally committed to the development of our rich seabed mineral resources for the benefit of the present and future generations of Cook Islanders,” stressed the Deputy Prime Minister. “To do that we must ensure that in the pioneering field of seabed mining we have in place sound developmental policies to guide seabed mining activities and regulations in force that will enable us to control and protect the wealth that belongs to the people of the Cook Islands as well as our marine environment before any exploratory or other mining activities begin. It must be the Government and people of the Cook Islands that have control over seabed mining, not outside interests.”
Last Updated on Tuesday, 03 May 2011 17:12
Read more...
Director of SOPAC’s Address at the Opening of the Pacific Regional Seismic and Tsunami Hazard Training Course, Suva, Fiji
Wednesday, 21 July 2010 11:56
administrator
12-23 July 2010
I would like to begin by acknowledging the Government of Germany for providing the resources for this Pacific regional training course co-hosted by the Government of Fiji and GFZ1 Potsdam1. SOPAC is happy to have been invited to assist with the logistical arrangements including the travel for the regional participants. I would also like to acknowledge other partners including Geoscience Australia, the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences of New Zealand, and the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, in Noumea.
SOPAC’s work in the region in cooperation with Germany goes back many years indeed almost to the origin of CCOP/SOPAC in 1972. Marine geophysical cruise surveys utilizing the RV Sonne are well documented throughout SOPAC history. Regrettably, this direct assistance from Germany has waned. I am hopeful that this training course will re-invigorate those historic ties.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 21 July 2010 12:06
Read more...
SOPAC attends the PWWA Workshop
Wednesday, 21 July 2010 11:11
administrator
The Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) attended the Pacific Water and Wastes Association (PWWA) workshop on benchmarking and matchmaking on the 6th and 7th of July 2010. The workshop was co-facilitated and co-funded by PWWA and UN-HABITAT.
As part of the Global Water Partnerships Alliance, UN-HABITAT are proposing to establish a Water Operators Partnership (WOP) in the Pacific, with PWWA as the facilitators.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 21 July 2010 11:30
Read more...
SOPAC conducts water scoping mission in Pitcairn Island
Sunday, 27 June 2010 15:00
administrator
SOPAC undertook a scoping mission to Pitcairn Island from the 30 May to 10 June 2010. The main purpose of this mission was to undertake assessments of water in order to address water security on the island as long term droughts are known to affect the 48-person strong population.
In the past, droughts have restricted domestic water supply which is mainly supplied by water tanks (water harvesting) and water available for irrigating crops (mostly from springs). Recently the only borehole and water springs on the island had dried up. This led to the request for solutions to improve their water supply and sanitation on the island.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 03 May 2011 17:13
Read more...
|
Pacific meets in Palau to improve water management
Friday, 23 July 2010 07:44
administrator
Koror, Thursday, July 22, 2010: “I’m not an expert, but I know that without water no one can survive. Even when scientists look for life on Mars the first thing they look for is water.” With these words Palau’s President, His Excellency Johnson Toribiong, opened a regional meeting on water management currently being held in Palau. He reminded delegates from 13 Pacific island countries that water is one resource that no one can take for granted.
“The availability of freshwater is important to the quality of life, and I will go further, it is critical to the economic development of every country,” Mr Toribiong said. “So I urge all of you to take this conference as a serious collective effort by all of us in the Pacific region to address these important challenges.”
Last Updated on Tuesday, 03 May 2011 17:12
Read more...
Improved water quality monitoring data management
Wednesday, 21 July 2010 11:13
administrator
 The Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) received training on the use of the Water Quality Monitoring (WQM) database on the 15th July 2010. The training was facilitated by the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) at the WAF national conference room. The electronic Access-based WQM database has been developed as part of the regional water quality monitoring and drinking water safety planning programmes of SOPAC and WHO. The database was developed for regional use in partnership with the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) and the New Zealand Ministry of Health and trialled and tested in the selected Pacific island countries of Niue, Cook Islands, Samoa and Marshall Islands.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 03 May 2011 17:13
Read more...
Press Statement - Island Vulnerability
Tuesday, 29 June 2010 08:52
administrator
In response to the recent negative press, particularly from the media outside of the Pacific islands, regarding the vulnerability of our islands to climate change and sea-level rise, the Director of the SOPAC Secretariat, Dr. Russell Howorth, convened a press conference to correct this misconception.
Specifically, these media (and others) have made reference to a recently published article in an international scientific journal co-authored by a senior staff member of the SOPAC Secretariat. Copies of the brief prepared by the senior staff member by way of a response were circulated. The response emphasises that the article addresses the ongoing change in shape, size, and position on the reef platform of 27 low-lying coral islands on four atolls over the past 19-61 years based upon studies of historic air photographs and recent high-resolution satellite imagery. In no way does it make sweeping conclusions that the vulnerability of our islands is reducing particularly with regard to predictions about future impacts of sea-level change.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 18 January 2011 07:10
Read more...
Announcement - Pacific Platform for Disaster Risk Management 2010
Sunday, 27 June 2010 14:47
administrator
The Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) wishes to announce the Pacific Platform for DRM from 9th – 13th August, 2010. This years Pacific Platform for DRM is jointly organised by the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC), the Pacific Sub Regional Office of the Secretariat for the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), the United Nation Development Programme Pacific Centre (UNDP PC), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), The Asia Foundation/USAID/Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (TAF/OFDA), the International Federation for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) as well as the European Union (EU) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) as members of the Pacific Disaster Risk Management Partnership Network.
Last Updated on Monday, 28 June 2010 11:18
Read more...
|