SPC Geoscience Division

18 Aug 2017 | Honiara

Regional collaboration is essential to managing the impacts of droughts and floods across the Pacific.

This was the finding of the Fourth Pacific Meteorological Council (PMC-4) this week, as it took a step towards the better management of floods and droughts through the establishment of a regional expert panel on hydrology.

Hydrology is the branch of science concerned with the behaviour and movement of the earth’s fresh water, and an understanding of hydrological processes is essential in managing the droughts and floods that regularly impact on the health and livelihoods of Pacific communities.

19 Jul 2017 | Suva

People residing in two drought-prone sugarcane areas on Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu, are a step closer to accessing more reliable water supplies, following the recent completion of Hydrogeological surveys. The surveys, conducted by a Water Resources team from the Pacific Community’s Geoscience Division have mapped new sources of underground water in Qerelevu (Ba) and Nanuku-Wailevu (Ra).

The initiative, funded by the European Union and implemented through the Pacific Community’s (SPC) Micro Projects Programme, was carried out near a number of communities who are yet to be connected to the Water Authority of Fiji network and have a history of water shortages.

4 Jul 2017 | Suva

The Pacific Community (SPC) was honoured to host French Polynesia’s Minister for Primary Resources and Development, Mr Tearii O Te Moana Alpha, at its Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CePaCT) facility in Narere earlier this week.

CePaCT is the Pacific’s only internationally recognised gene bank and houses over 2,000 tissue culture varieties, including the largest collection of taro diversity in the world.

Over the past 12 years, the Centre has distributed over 70,000 tissue culture plantlets to 51 countries including 22 of SPC’s own countries and territories. SPC through CePaCT, responded to support the Agriculture sector in Fiji and Vanuatu following Tropical Cyclone Winston and Tropical Cyclone Pam in 2016 and 2015 respectively.

29 Jun 2017 | Suva

The Pacific Community (SPC) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have signed an agreement that aims to increase the effectiveness of their service in assisting Pacific Island countries and territories in achieving their resilience building and development aspirations.

The four-year partnership was signed this week between SPC’s Deputy Director-General, Dr Audrey Aumua and Mr Anthony Freeman, WFP Pacific’s Officer in Charge.

“SPC is delighted to be working more closely with the regional Pacific Food Security Cluster (rPFSC) to support the Pacific’s efforts in building capacities to better prepare for, and respond to external shocks and to strengthen resilience of the most vulnerable in the face of Climate Change and other crises.   This agreement reflects the resolve of our respective organisations to draw on each other’s expertise, competencies and resources for the benefit of Pacific Islands people,” Dr Aumua said.