As Tuvalu enters its second week of a drought induced national emergency, important lessons are emerging on the nature of climate change impacts in the Pacific and how island communities can best prepare their climate defences.
Tuvalu relies almost exclusively on captured rainfall for its drinking water, supplemented by a limited desalinated supply. Without immediate rain, government and community storages on the main island of Funafuti could be depleted in less than two weeks.
Noa Tokavou, disaster management adviser with Secretariat of the Pacific Communities’ (SPC) Applied Geoscience and Technology Division (SOPAC), has just returned from Tuvalu’s parched capital, where he was assisting Government to plan for future disasters and climate change.
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Tuvalu’s crippling drought offers important lessons to the Pacific
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From The Manager's Desk
The 16th International Health Related Water Microbiology (WaterMicro) symposium was held in Rotorua, New Zealand, from 19 to 23 September 2011 – the first in the Pacific region.
Pitcairn Islanders are experiencing longer, more severe periods of drought, as illustrated below. The effects can be devastating on many fronts, from crop production to drinking water consumption or fighting fires. Highly dependent on local water resources, the 48-strong population is fighting back, with the support of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC).Newsflash
Dr Russell Howorth, Director of the Suva-based Applied Geoscience and Technology Division (SOPAC) of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) has been appointed to the Legal and Technical Commission of the International Seabed Authority (ISA). The ISA has been mandated with signatories of 162 countries to manage the mineral resources of the international seabed beyond national jurisdiction. |
