SPC Geoscience Division

The Director of Fiji’s Mineral Resources Department, Mr. Malakai  Finau told participants in a one day Fiji National Deep Sea Mineral Consultation Workshop held in Suva recently that “with deep sea mineral exploration being granted within the Fiji waters it is important to proceed with caution, to strike a balance between economic development and the protection of the environment.”

The workshop is part of in-country stakeholder consultation process organized by SOPAC Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) through the European Union funded Deep Sea Mineral Project in fifteen Pacific ACP States. This consultation allows government officials as well as representatives of the private sector, academic institutions and civil society groups to explore issues relating to deep seabed minerals and mining.   

Similar meetings have already been held in Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, Samoa and now Fiji.  According to SPC-EU Deep Sea Mineral Project Team Leader, Akuila Tawake, there will be a further ten countries where the consultation workshops will be held in the next five months.

“What is an absolute necessity is these Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) tools are developed in an integrated and strategic manner for all those involved in these technologies.”

Dr. Howorth, the Director of the SOPAC Division of the SPC, was addressing the first Solomon Islands National Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing Stakeholder Meeting as its keynote speaker.

He said that the goal of the SOPAC Division is to apply geoscience and technology to realize new opportunities for improving the livelihoods of Pacific communities. GIS and Remote Sensing is clearly a technology that can contribute to realizing improving livelihoods.

GIS is a computer-based tool used to collect, combine and overlay information in the form of easily understood maps constructed from up-to-date satellite images and field data, while Remote Sensing is the collection of information about the earth from a number of sources that could utilize satellites, aircraft, or electromagnetic radiation.

Dr. Howorth told the participants that Pacific islands share much in common and the Solomon Islands is no exception.

This is our first edition for 2012. Although we'd have liked to get to all of our readers earlier in the year our Snapshots Editor was on a much deserved break. Well, Stephanie's back and raring to go! Her first task: to sort through a number of 'candidates' for this edition. There's been quite a lot happening.

One of our major commitments for 2012 is to work closely with SPREP and the UNISDR to lead the process of developing an integrated regional strategy for DRM and Climate Change by 2015. We've had a series of meetings with these partner organisations this year and we're almost ready to move forward and recruit an individual to lead the preparatory work. In addition, we have the biennial progress reviews of the Hyogo Framework for Action and Pacific DRR and DM Framework for Action which will undertaken at regional level and as well at national level in all 14 Pacific island countries between May and September.

As it has been every year since 2009 the Pacific Platform for DRM signifies a major commitment in the DRP calendar for 2012. This year's meeting will be held in Noumea, New Caledonia from 17th - 21st September. As we progress over the coming months we'll provide you accounts of our preparations.

I hope you enjoy reading this edition of Snapshots and as always if you have any queries or helpful suggestions just drop us a line.

Mosese Sikivou
Deputy Director, Disaster Reduction Programme

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Pacific Island Countries are generally surrounded by large areas of ocean over which clouds easily build up within the lower atmosphere with increasing altitude. The micro-climate of the moisture-laden lower atmosphere is very inhomogeneous and can distort images captured by optical satellites. An atmospheric correction is therefore important in order to enhance image data. Beginning in 2011, atmospheric correction software has started to incorporate the digital elevation model to reduce relief related atmospheric disturbances.

The Applied Geoscience and Technology Division of SPC is the hub of satellite image data purchase within the region, and the Division also enhances the image data for Pacific users including the application of an atmospheric correction. SOPAC therefore maintains a working relationship with global software developers adjusting software specifically for Pacific conditions.