SPC Geoscience Division

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New direction for SPC to enhance sustainable development in Pacific communities

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Next week, from Tuesday 12 to Friday 15 November, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community will hold its 43rd meeting of the Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA) in Suva, Fiji.

 

CRGA will be followed by the 8th Conference of the Pacific Community, where a new Director-General will be appointed to lead SPC following the departure of Dr Jimmie Rodgers in early 2014. The conference will take place on Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 November. Both CRGA and the conference will be held in the Vale Ni Bose Complex in Nasase, Suva and will be hosted by the Government of the Republic of Fiji.

 

The Conference of the Pacific Community is held every two years and each one has a theme. This year it is: Enhancing sustainable development in the Pacific community – Helping shape the post-2015 agenda. The occasion will allow SPC’s 26 member countries and territories to provide direction and determine priorities for the region’s principal technical and scientific organisation.

 

The annual CRGA will be an opportunity for the seven technical divisions of SPC to highlight service delivery and completion of project milestones in the areas of public health, geoscience, agriculture, forestry, water resources, disaster management, fisheries, education, statistics, transport, energy, human rights, gender, youth and culture.

 

Last Updated on Thursday, 07 November 2013 10:06 Read more...
 

Cook Islands Joins Pilot Program to Insure Against Natural Disasters

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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.

Last Updated on Sunday, 03 November 2013 09:43 Read more...
 

GSD Long Service Recognition – Profiles

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On Friday, November 1st, 2013, Secretariat of the Pacific Community's Geoscience Division (GSD), would be celebrating 11 current and former staff members who have dedicated 20 years or more to the organisation. In the days leading up to the ceremony, GSD will publish interviews of the 11 individuals, which gives an unprecedented insight into the history, advancements in service delivery and progression of technology not only within GSD, but also throughout the Pacific region.


Staff Profiles

Sekove Motuiwaca 1980-present
Russell Howorth
1979-2013
Mereseini Lala Bukarau
1985-present
Unaisi Bainiloga 1987-present
Salestino Niu Daurewa
1987-present
Laisa Baoa
1987-present
Enele Gaunavou
1988-present
Setareki Ratu
1986-2011
Robert Smith
1989-present
Peni Musunamasi 1989-present
Litia Waradi 1989-present

Last Updated on Tuesday, 19 July 2016 12:24 Read more...
 

SOPAC Long Service Recognition – Dr. Russell Howorth Profile

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In the years leading up to 2010, the Pacific Island leaders decided to integrate the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (formerly known as CCOP/SOPAC) into the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. To implement this historical alignment of the two organisations, the leaders called to arms an internationally renowned geoscientist, who immediately left his well deserved retirement on Viti Levu's Coral Coast and reported to duty at Mead Road, Suva.

The then-incumbent, Dr. Russell Howorth, had been an integral part of SOPAC from its early years in the 70's, and still continues to be one of the main stalwarts of the organisation. Over the years, he has been instrumental in bringing about the prestige and recognition that SOPAC has in the region today.

A native of Yorkshire, Great Britain, Dr. Howorth did his PhD. in Geology from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, after a brief stint as a mining geologist in Zambia. He first visited the fledgling CCOP/SOPAC while on secondment at the University of South Pacific (USP) in early 1979. CCOP/SOPAC was then a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Regional project with less than 10 staff members.

During his early years in the South Pacific, he was best known for his achievement in establishing the Certificate in Earth Science and Marine Geology. The Certificate brought three organizations -- CCOP/SOPAC, USP, and Victoria University of Wellington -- together in the early eighties to offer what was a unique opportunity for an academic course with a practical focus for geologists and technicians in the region.

Last Updated on Thursday, 10 December 2015 09:59 Read more...
 

SPC recognizes outstanding service to Pacific Geoscience

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Thursday 19 September 2013, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Suva, Fiji – On Friday, 1 November 2013, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s Applied Geoscience and Technology Division (SOPAC) will recognize the outstanding service of eleven employees, all of whom have given more than twenty years to the organization. The contributions of such dedicated employees have made it possible for the SOPAC Division to meet its goal of supporting the sustainable development of Pacific communities, whilst building the reputation of a reliable and effective geoscience services provider.

SOPAC has a long history in the Pacific. First established in 1972 as a United Nations Development Programme Regional Project, the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission, or SOPAC, initially focused on exploring Pacific mineral and hydro-carbon potential. Over the years, SOPAC’s programme of work has shifted to include coastal protection and management, geohazard assessment, water resource management, and disaster risk management. In 1990, SOPAC became an independent regional organization. In 2011, the organization integrated with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), becoming the newest division of SPC.

The eleven employees to be recognized on 1 November 2013 have witnessed firsthand many changes within the organisation, the region and, of course, technology over the years.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 23 October 2013 11:30 Read more...
 


Page 17 of 74

Newsflash

“Rules that govern mineral resource related activities in the international seabed area should be basically the same, or of an equivalent standard, as those now being developed inside the national jurisdictions of Pacific Island countries,” said Michael Lodge, Legal Counsel for the International Seabed Authority (ISA).

Mr. Lodge was invited to contribute to a three-day High Level Meeting recently held in Fiji that launched the Deep Sea Minerals Project organized by SPC/SOPAC Division and funded by the EU.

The High Level Meeting addressed legislative, regulatory, capacity requirements and environmental issues pertaining to deep-sea mineral mining for countries in the Pacific region.