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October – December 2011
First Annual Session as a
Division
QUARTERLY
The first annual meeting of the SPC
Applied Geoscience and Technology
Division was held at the same place and
around the same time of the year as the
final SOPAC Commission annual session
– at the Tanoa International, in Nadi, Fiji
Islands; and in October (17-22). The
meeting also preceded the 41st meeting
of SPC’s Committee of Representatives
of Governments and Administrations
(CRGA41); just as the last Commission
annual meeting preceded the CRGA40,
in 2010.
A procedure that the SOPAC Division
is trying to get used to is the French
language
translation-interpretation
requirement by SPC at its regional
workshops and meetings. Translation
of the key work programme reports to
members had to be prepared beforehand
and placed online for the French speaking
delegations. Also, it was the second year
running with providing English-French
interpretation services at the SOPAC
meeting.
The French territories are “thrilled” with the
changes that accord them rights as full
members of SPC to the SOPAC Division
work programmes and engaging as full
partners in conducting the geotechnical
work for which French technical agencies
can call on.
The meeting also proceeded in-keeping
with some of the old traditions like
holding the first SOPAC Division meeting
(SOPAC-1) alongside the Science and
Technology Resources Network (STAR)
annual science meeting. Professor John
Collen presided over a STAR packed
2-day programme under the theme:
“Adaption to Climate Change and
Environmental Change in the Pacific
Islands”; which tied in well with the SPC
CRGA41 theme of ‘Climate change
and food security – managing risks for
sustainable development’.
Some of the key participants at the first SOPAC Division meeting, clockwise from top left John Collen (Chair of STAR),
Bernard Pelletier (Technical delegate, IFREMER), Gilles Fediere (Director of IFREMER, Pacific), Russell Howorth (Director of SOPAC Division),
Litia Mawi (Head of Fiji Delegation) and Jimmie Rodgers (SPC Director-General). [Photo – Litia Mawi]
SPC Applied Geoscience and Technology Division (SOPAC)
First Annual Session as a Division
Public Health, Land Resources and
SOPAC DivisionS of SPC coordinate
response to Tuvalu water
shortage crisis
SPC/SOPAC Host the annual Pacific
Islands Geographic Information
System and Remote Sensing
Conference
Disaster Risk Reduction B-Envelope
Project of SPC/SOPAC Division Help
Nauru in Building its Resilience to
Drought
SOPAC Division collaborates with
WHO in Support of Groundwater
Analysis in the Republic of
Marshall Islands
SPC SOPAC Division in Support of
Tsunami Preparations at Pacific
Level
In Celebration of the Global
Hand-washing Day
inside