Suspension of SOPAC Commission
Tuesday, 14 August 2012 12:50
administrator
On 7 August 2012, Director-General [of the SPC] Dr Jimmie Rodgers, presented to a Special Session of the CRGA a joint letter signed between Dr Russell Howorth in his capacity as Director of SOPAC Commission and himself confirming the full and effective closure of the SOPAC Commission.
In advising the Special Session of this final landmark achievement the Director General commended Dr. Howorth, who was instrumental in the full and effective implementation of the RIF reforms as it related to the integration of SOPAC as the Applied Geoscience and technology division of SPC in January 2011.
The Director General advised the meeting that all the requirements for the formal closure of the Commission had now been completed with the finalisation of its closing audit. In this regard the joint letter was the final communication confirming the ‘Letter of Agreement of August 2010’ as fully implemented.
SOPAC Commission is now suspended in accordance with the decision of the last SOPAC Commission Governing Council Meeting held in October 2010.
Caption: Final SOPAC Commission flag lowering, and raising of SPC flag.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 14 August 2012 13:04
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Drilling for Clean Water in Tonga
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 08:43
administrator
Disaster Reduction Programme's EU B-Envelope project is working closely with the Ministry of Lands, Survey and Natural Resources (MLSNR) to drill six boreholes on Tongatapu. A contract was signed with NEEDS Engineering Ltd for approximately TOP120,000.
Work has just been completed in drilling the first borehole near the international airport that was at a depth of 55 meters with other sites to follow. The borehole at Fu’amotu will be drilled to a depth of 65 meters while the three boreholes at Mata’kieua wellfield will be at a dept of 24 – 35 meters.
The boreholes will be used by MLSNR to monitor water quality. This is very important as the water piped through the reticulated supply to households in Nukua’lofa and in most villages on Tongatapu is sourced from the underground water lens. The data collected through monitoring the water quality including salinity is essential for good management of the water supply.
The MLSNR visit all boreholes on a regular basis to collect samples for testing in their laboratory. The project has also completed upgrading the infrastructure at the Mataki’eua wellfield with construction of new wellsheds, supply of electric submersible pumps and supply of rainwater catchments to the outer islands.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 01 August 2012 08:47
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Snapshots 78 - Disaster Reduction Programme - June 2012
Monday, 23 July 2012 15:20
administrator
Bula Readers! Welcome to this edition of Snapshots for June 2012.
We officially reached the mid-point of 2012 and it’s been a particularly busy time for all of us at the SOPAC Disaster Reduction Programme. During June a number of us were involved in the launch of the World Bank’s Policy and Practice Note for Climate and Disaster Resilient Development in the Pacific Islands Region which took place in Suva on 3rd – 4th June .
After that we switched gears a bit and coordinated a workshop the very same week, with our colleagues in the UNISDR and SPREP on 7th – 8th June in relation to the 2011 – 2013 national progress reviews in all Pacific island countries for the Hyogo Framework for Action and the Pacific Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster Management Framework for Action 2005 – 2015. Following the workshops we immediately launched into the national progress reviews and by the time of writing this reviews have been completed in Palau, Niue and Fiji.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 01 August 2012 08:47
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A Gold Rush in the Abyss
Thursday, 19 July 2012 10:46
administrator
By WILLIAM J. BROAD, Source: NYTimes.com
Tom Dettweiler makes his living miles down. He helped find the Titanic. After that, his teams located a lost submarine heavy with gold. In all, he has cast light on dozens of vanished ships.
Mr. Dettweiler has now turned from recovering lost treasures to prospecting for natural ones that litter the seabed: craggy deposits rich in gold and silver, copper and cobalt, lead and zinc. A new understanding of marine geology has led to the discovery of hundreds of these unexpected ore bodies, known as massive sulfides because of their sulfurous nature.
These finds are fueling a gold rush as nations, companies and entrepreneurs race to stake claims to the sulfide-rich areas, which dot the volcanic springs of the frigid seabed. The prospectors — motivated by dwindling resources on land as well as record prices for gold and other metals — are busy hauling up samples and assessing deposits valued at trillions of dollars.
“We’ve had extreme success,” Mr. Dettweiler said in a recent interview about the deepwater efforts of his company, Odyssey Marine Exploration of Tampa, Fla.
Last Updated on Thursday, 19 July 2012 10:51
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Nautilus/PNG continue talks
Thursday, 19 July 2012 10:40
administrator
By PATRICK MATBOB; Source: http://www.islandsbusiness.com
Discussions between Nautilus Minerals and the state of PNG have failed to resolve a dispute that has halted the progress of experimental Solwara 1 seabed mining in PNG waters.
Nautilus has reported that a number of meetings have been held between senior representatives of the two parties and discussions would continue until a conclusion was reached.
Meanwhile, opposition to experimental seabed mining plans is growing in PNG and the Pacific region.
One of PNG’s vocal local environment group, Mas Kagin Tapani Association (known as Makata), has called on Nautilus to stop exploiting the pristine Bismarck and Solomon Seas with its experimental seabed mining. It has also called on the PNG state not to pay Nautilus the 30% equity which it was taking up in the project.
National coordinator for the local not-for-profit group Wenceslaus Magun said: “There is no justification for the PNG government to pay 30% to Nautilus.
“This foreign-owned corporation does not own the resources by birth right. They cannot ask the PNG government to make such a contribution to help develop their experimental seabed mining project.
Last Updated on Thursday, 19 July 2012 10:56
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