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July - December 2013
SPC Volunteers Support for Furry
Friends at Fiji SPCA
22 October 2013, SPC, Suva, Fiji - Ken-
nels at the Fiji Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Suva received
a recent makeover, thanks to the volun-
teer efforts of (SOPAC) Division social club
through an employee work-a-thon to put
paint the SPCA pens, raising FJ$1000 from
staff for this good cause. This was present-
ed on October 2nd.
United States and Kiribati Sign Mari-
time Boundary Treaty
September 6 2013 - The United States and
the Republic of Kiribati signed a boundary
treaty delimiting the waters between their
two countries, in Majuro. This was in con-
nection with the Pacific Islands Forum on
behalf of the United States by Ambassador
Frankie A. Reed. President Anote Tonga
signed for the Republic of Kiribati, The trea-
ty will enter into force upon ratification by
both countries.
Experts Praise Pacific Sea Level Moni-
toring Project
24 September 2013, SPC, Suva, Fiji – Re-
gional experts in land and marine survey
and management commended the work of
the AusAID-funded Pacific Sea Level Moni-
toring (PSLM) Project at the International
Federation of Surveyors (FIG) Symposium
in Suva. The project has been collecting
data from 14 sites across the Pacific since
1991. COSPPac manages the sea-level
monitoring project with technical support
from SPC.
The European Union launches
€
20 mil-
lion programme to help build a climate
resilient Pacific
05 September 2013, Majuro, Republic of
the Marshall Islands - European Union (EU),
SPC and ACP signed the “ACP-EU Build-
ing Safety and Resilience in the Pacific”
programme at the Pacific Islands Forum
(PIF). The EU will provide 20 million Euro
to support Pacific states in addressing
impacts of climate change to improve re-
silience to natural disasters with SOPAC’s
collaboration.
Training for Pacific disaster risk man-
agement trainers
26 September 2013, Secretariat of the Pa-
cific Community (SPC), Nadi, Fiji -
Eighteen disaster risk management train-
ers from Cook Islands, Fiji, Palau, Samoa,
Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu are
in Nadi, Fiji this week (23–27 September)
attending a Training for Instructors course.
The aim is to develop a stronger network of
trainers to support, organise and conduct
disaster risk management courses in their
home countries.
Connecting the Pacific with Maps
12th November, 2013 - Secretariat of the
Pacific Community (SPC)- Close to 150
Geographic Information System and Re-
mote Sensing (GIS/RS) users and stake-
holders from around the Pacific region will
gather in Suva next week for the 2013 Pa-
cific GIS/RS User Conference. The confer-
ence runs from Monday 18th November to
Friday 22nd November, 2013. This year’s
conference theme is ‘Connecting the Pa-
cific with Maps’.
Sea level station upgrades improve
tsunami and climate preparedness
12 November 2013, Secretariat of the Pa-
cific Community (SPC), Suva, Fiji – The old
main wharf on Funafuti, Tuvalu’s old main
wharf, one of the 14 dockside huts that
monitor sea level and weather conditions
has been buzzing with activity as regional
technicians work to upgrade the sensors,
power, and data communications systems
housed within.
Understanding risk to enhance com-
munity safety
14 October 2013, Secretariat of the Pacific
Community (SPC) - From 14 to 17 October,
a team from SPC Geoscience and Applied
Technology Division (SOPAC) will be visit-
ing French Polynesia. They will report on
the results of a series of studies designed
to reduce the risk of storm surge in the
Tuamotu Islands, a strategic area for pearl
culture, tourism and environmental conser-
vation. This project was implemented over
a two-year period and is now entering its
final phase.
Stakeholders in Cook Islands discuss
roadmap for disaster and climate resil-
ient development
15 October 2013, Secretariat of the Pa-
cific Community (SPC), Rarotonga, Cook
Islands -The Office of the Prime Minister
in Cook Islands called a special meeting of
the National Platform for Climate Change
and Disaster Risk Management on Friday 4
October, 2013. The purpose of the meeting
was to facilitate stakeholder input in Cook
Islands for the proposed new regional strat-
egy for disaster and climate resilient devel-
opment in the Pacific (SRDP).
Pacific wave models assist in coastal
adaptation planning
20 September 2013, Secretariat of the Pa-
cific Community (SPC), Suva, Fiji – On 19
September, Dr Tom Durrant of the Austra-
lian Bureau of Meteorology presented his
wave modelling research to students at
USP Marine Science Campus. This will pro-
vide a better understanding of ocean wave
movements across the Pacific and used by
SPC’s Applied Geoscience and Technology
Division to enhance development planning
and disaster management.
Fiji TV screens documentary on Lifuka
Island’s struggle to adapt to a rapidly
changing coastline
19 September 2013, Secretariat of the Pa-
cific Community (SPC), Suva, Fiji -
This Sunday, 22 September at 18.30pm,
Fiji TV’s ‘Close Up’ will screen ‘Lifuka Island
- The Coastline of a Future Pacific’, a docu-
mentary that explores this small communi-
ty’s struggle to adapt to a rapidly changing
coastline.
Scientific assessment critical to adap-
tation planning
22 August 2013 - Secretariat of the Pacific
Community - Suva, Fiji Better preparing
communities for cyclones, floods, droughts,
and predicted sea level rise is a top prior-
ity for many Pacific island nations. The ur-
gency to prepare however, does not justify
cutting corners. Climate change adaptation
planning should follow the same national
processes as any development, with envi-
ronmental impact assessments, technical
surveys, and cost benefit analyses.
Putting knowledge into action: Wallis
and Futuna leads in disaster prepared-
ness with support from SPC and the
European Union
6 August 2013, Secretariat of the Pacific
Community A moving closing ceremony
took place on 2 August in Mata ‘Utu. It
celebrated achievements made possible
through a two-year partnership between
the European Union (EU), the Secretariat
of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the
French territory of Wallis and Futuna.
Mapping Pacific Maritime Boundaries
13 December 2013 - The recent successful
outcome of the finalisation of the maritime
boundaries between Kiribati and the Unit-
ed States of America was the result of the
work that the Pacific Island country, along
with 12 others, undertook at the Maritime
Boundaries and Ocean Governance work-
ing sessions at the University of Sydney. At
the working sessions, countries negotiated
shared maritime boundaries and drafted
modern maritime zones legislation. All Pa-
cific Island countries are party to the United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,
entitling them to an exclusive economic
zone extending 200 nautical miles from
their coastlines.
News in Brief