SPC Geoscience Division

Changing Waves and Coasts in the Pacific

Tuesday, 23 April 2013 10:26 Molly Powers-Tora
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The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2007) lists wave climate as one of six major climate drivers for coastal systems. The wave climate around individual islands varies according to the nearshore water depths and shorelines react according to differences in reef shape and sediment supply. As yet, however, there has been no formal assessment of baseline wave climate or climate change effects on wind-waves at scales relevant to Pacific Island Countries. This represents a key uncertainty for climate change adaptation.

This major knowledge gap will be addressed by the Wave and Coasts in the Pacific Project (WACOP). Developed under the ACP Caribbean & Pacific Research Programme for Sustainable Development and funded by the European Union, WACOP seeks to improve understanding of regional wave dynamics and their influence on shoreline processes. The outcomes will contribute to regional and global understanding of potential climate change and climate variability impacts with respect to wave climate and provide information for improved understanding of coastal vulnerability and adaptation responses in Pacific Islands.

Using state of the art open source models that can compute wind-waves from the offshore (Wavewatch III model), through to nearshore wave transformations (SWAN model), to coastal erosion and overtopping (the XBeach model), the project will provide solutions at small island scales, and at scales where decisions about adaptation and energy security need to be made.

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Physical Oceanographer
Last Updated on Wednesday, 05 June 2013 15:20  

Newsflash

Coverage increases to help 6 Pacific Island Nations better respond to natural disasters

The Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Pilot was renewed today for its second season, with Cook Islands newly joining five other participating Pacific island countries - Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu - to gain insurance coverage against earthquake, tsunami and tropical cyclone risk. The second season will run from November 1, 2013 to October 31, 2014.

The insurance scheme aims to provide a rapid injection of funds in the event of a major disaster, to help governments manage the immediate costs of recovery. Access to post-disaster finance can be especially important for Pacific island countries which endure some of the highest average annual losses from natural hazards in the world – up to 6.6% of GDP.

"Becoming a member of the Pacific catastrophe risk insurance program provides us with an innovative way to work with other countries in the region and transfer some of the catastrophe risk borne by Pacific island nations to the international reinsurance market,” said Mark Brown, Minister of Finance and Economic Management for the Cook Islands. “This transaction provides us with another tool towards becoming self-reliant in disaster management, response and recovery."

The scheme’s expansion follows the request of countries during this year’s Forum Economic Ministers Meeting in Tonga to grow the program beyond the five pilot countries. Aggregate insurance coverage of the participating countries has increased from US$45 million to US$67 million, with further premium reductions for participating countries.