Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC)
Introduction
The Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) Programme is the first major climate change adaptation initiative in the Pacific region.
Through the PACC programme United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) are working to reduce climate vulnerability and promote more resilient Pacific communities that are able to cope with climate variability today and climate change tomorrow.
Working in 14 Pacific island countries, PACC is demonstrating best-practice adaptation in three key climate-sensitive areas: coastal zone management, food security and food production, and water resources management.
- Fiji, Palau, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands focus on Food Production and Food Security;
- Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa and Vanuatu are developing Coastal Management capacity;
- and Nauru, Niue,Republic of Marshall Islands, Tokelau, Tonga and Tuvalu are looking to strengthen their Water Resource Management.
The PACC Programme is a partnership between several key regional agencies and national agencies and communities in 14 Pacific island countries. It is funded by the Global Environment Facility's (GEF) Special Climate Change Fund and the Australian Government, with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as its implementing agency and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) as implementing partner. The Project is supported by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) C3D+programme.
Project details
The Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Australian Government (AusAID), with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as its implementing agency and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) as implementing partner. The project duration is scheduled from 2009 to 2014.
Uniquely diverse and fragile, Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICT) are aware that adapting to current and anticipated climate changes is crucial to achieving sustainable development. Cognizant of this need, the objective of the PACC project is to enhance the capacity of participating countries to adapt to climate change in key development sectors: food production and food security, coastal management and water resource management. Supporting improvements in these sectors the PACC project is working to build resilience to climate change in PICT. Adaptation projects are now being implemented nationally, after an intensive consultative process with the implementing agencies and government counterparts.
Under the project, Fiji, Palau, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands are focussing on food production and food security. The Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa, Tokelau and Vanuatu are developing coastal management capacity and Nauru, Niue, Republic of Marshall Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu are working to strengthen their water resource management.
More specifically, the project is working to deliver outcomes and outputs that include improved technical capacity to formulate and implement national and sub-national policies, legislation, and costing/assessment exercises. Climate change risks will be incorporated into relevant governance policies and strategies for achieving food security, water management, and coastal development.
At the sub-national level, pilot demonstration activities will deliver adaptation benefits in the form of practical experiences in the planning and implementation of response measures that reduce vulnerability. These benefits will be integral for future replication and up-scaling, and also to identify larger-scale investment opportunities from multilateral banks supporting countries with climate change adaptation. The project will also foster regional collaboration on adaptation.
Concrete adaptation measures being pursued through PACC
Climate induced disturbances in water supplied is being reduced by increasing the availability and quality of freshwater through integrated measures involving
- capturing and storage of rain and groundwater resources (individual household and community storage capacities) – Tuvalu, Tonga, Nauru, PNG, RMI, Tokelau
- reducing leakage of reticulated systems and water storage facilities – Tonga, Tuvalu, RMI, Tokelau
- water saving (e.g. introducing compost toilets, demand management through awareness raising) – Tuvalu, Tonga
- water purifiers (using solar heat) - Nauru
Climate-induced disturbances in food supply and security is being reduced through:
- Induction of climate resilient crop species and varieties (resilient to drought, water clogging, salt water intrusion, pests), including techniques for their consistent supply (germ-plasm collections, nurseries) – Solomon Islands, Palau, Fiji, PNG
- Enhanced farming and land use techniques facilitating soil and water conservation (e.g. mulching, organic farming, mixed cropping, drainage), – Solomon Islands, Palau, Fiji,
- Enhanced food storage and processing techniques – Solomon Islands, Palau
- Enhanced aquaculture techniques - Palau
Climate-induced degradation and erosion of coastal areas and infrastructure is being reduced through a combination of hard and soft measures:
- Protective coastal structures – Samoa, Vanuatu
- Coastal vegetation – Samoa, Vanuatu
- Reinforcing existing coastal infrastructure (climate proofing of roads and harbours) – Federated States of Micronesia, Vanuatu, Cook Islands
- Relocating coastal infrastructure to less-exposed areas (Vanuatu – landing strip, road sections)
- Coastal resource use changes (e.g. reducing sand-mining by local communities, conserving reefs and coastal wetlands and forests as natural protection barrier) - Samoa
The results and lessons from each of the 14 PACC projects will be shared regionally and globally, and bring together new knowledge generated through the project as the basis for a strategic and regional approach to climate change adaptation among Pacific Island states.
Signature programmes:
Thematic areas:
Climate-related hazards addressed:
Level of intervention:
Key collaborators:
Implementing agencies and partnering organizations:
PACC
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
SPREP
Global Environment Facility (GEF)
Australian Government
Project status:
Completed
Location:
Rural
Funding source:
Country initiatives
Key results and outputs
Outcome I: Mainstreaming
The first of the PACC outcomes is devoted to mainstreaming. The PACC approach to mainstreaming has a dual purpose: 1) to strengthen the ability of institutional frameworks, policies and plans to take climate change risks into consideration and 2) to improve the capacity of key national government and community decision-makers to integrate adaptation measures in key decisions.
Outcome II: Pilot Demonstration
To design and demonstrate innovative decision systems, approaches, technologies and practical measures to strengthen the resilience of 14 Pacific Islands to the adverse effects of climate change. The PACC will develop specific guidelines in the coastal zone management, food production and food security, and water resource management sectors on how climate change assessments and demonstrations can be undertaken, taking current and future changes in climate into consideration. This outcome includes two outputs:
- Vulnerability Assessments, identification and evaluation of adaptation options;
- Implementation and monitoring of the selected measures.
Outcome III: Technical Support and Communication
This outcome is to ensure that results and lessons from the PACC project are shared regionally and globally. And provide the medium to bring together new knowledge generated through the project as the basis for a strategic regional approach to climate change adaptation among Pacific Island Countries and Territories.
Key Results
- National adaptive capacity developed
- Community vulnerability to climate change reduced
- Technical assistance & Regional Cooperation
Outputs
- 1.1 Technical capacity of key decision makers developed
- 1.2 Institutional coordination mechanisms established
- 1.3 Tools to assess economic costs of adaptation developed and utilized
- 1.4 Legislative and policy directives prepared and adopted
Reports and publications
Newsletter
Brochures, Posters, Communications Products
Communications Products
Annual Reports
Document
Board Meeting Reports
ProDocs
Assessments and Background Documents
Project Brief / Fact Sheet
Multimedia
Climate Change in the Pacific: FOOD
The world over, agriculture faces an unprecedented threat from climate change. Agriculture on small islands faces additional and unique challenges.
The fertile coastal plains, where farming is often concentrated, are also in the front line for sea level rise and coastal erosion. As the sea encroaches, soils are becoming salty and waterlogged. On very small islands, and especially low-lying atolls, moving farms further inland is not an option. On larger islands, moving inland and uphill often means destroying forests, with environmental consequences that add to the problem.
Climate Change in the Pacific: Coasts
Low-lying coastal areas are often the most populated parts of islands, with villages, towns, agriculture, infrastructure and tourist development competing for space. Unfortunately, coasts are also particularly vulnerable to climate hazards and weather events. Particular vulnerabilities include loss of land and islands from sea level rise and loss of homes and lives from extreme weather events such as cyclones.
The resulting impacts – coastal erosion, infrastructure damage, flooding and salt water intrusion – present a critical challenge to many Pacific island coastlines.
PACC Tokelau: Vital Health
The Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) project is working in Tokelau to improve access to clean water at the household and community level. These efforts are working to help communities adapt to their changing climate, and to improve the health of the people in Tokelau, PACC has installed First Flush Diverters on 99% of households in all three of Tokelau's atolls. This ensures that contaminants from the roofs do not enter the drinking water tanks.
PACC Cook Islands: Vital Harbour
This PACC project in the Cook Islands is climate proofing Mangaia Harbour, and protecting the island’s coastline.
The project focuses on coastal management on Mangaia Island. The badly damaged harbour at Mangaia harbour – the transportation hub and entry point for all supplies to the island – was destroyed by tropical cyclones in early 2005. The project intervention was to develop a stronger and safer harbour that can withstand current and future climate-related threats.
Vital Programme: Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC)
The Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Australian Government (AusAID), with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as its implementing agency and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) as implementing partner.
The PACC Project is working in Pacific Island countries to promote climate change adaptation in key development sectors. The 3 sectors are: 1) food production and food security, 2) coastal management and 3) water resource management.