Pacific Island nations need more finance to adapt to the adverse effects of global warming, but they also need to manage the funds effectively, to benefit their most vulnerable communities. This report looks at three countries – Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Tonga – to understand their experience of managing climate finance. The challenges they face include: improved coordination by donors; strengthened management across departments and with local governments; and better engagement with civil society.

Over the ages, human societies have altered local ecosystems and modified regional
climates. Today, the human influence has attained a global scale. This reflects the
recent rapid increase in population size, energy consumption, intensity of land use,
international trade and travel, and other human activities. These global changes have
heightened awareness that the long-term good health of populations depends on the
continued stability and functioning of the biosphere's ecological, physical, and
socioeconomic systems.

Business as usual in our globally interconnected food system will not bring us food security and
environmental sustainability. Several converging threats – from climate change, population
growth and unsustainable use of resources – are steadily intensifying pressure on humanity and
world governments to transform the way food is produced, distributed and consumed.
 

Global climate change and the significant impacts it can have
on people’s lives are a major challenge for developing countries.
Heavy floods, severe droughts and other weather extremes are
examples of those impacts which call for building up capacity
to adapt to the impacts of climate change.
While climate change will affect all regions of the world, people
in developing countries are the most vulnerable. That is
why adaptation is a priority for German development cooperation,
with many programmes already addressing the challenge

Warming of the climate system is unequivocal,
as is now evident from observations of
increases in global average air and ocean temperatures,
widespread melting of snow and ice,
and rising global average sea level.”

Cost-benefit analysis is a framework to assess the merits of an activity (project, policy) from the
perspective of society (as opposed to a single individual). It involves:
• measuring the gains and losses (benefits and costs) from an activity to the community
using money as the measuring rod; and
• aggregating those values of gains and losses and expressing them as net community
gains or losses (see Pearce 1983).
 

Economic growth in Vanuatu has not matched the current population growth of 3% per
annum. This high population growth rate, coupled with a rapid increase in the number of people
migrating into the two main urban centres and increasing unemployment, is creating social and
economic problems. These problems are exacerbated by external shocks, such as world price
instability, and internal shocks, due to natural and man-made disasters, which have a negative
impact on the composition, stability and reliability of food availability and entitlements in
Vanuatu.

Ralph Regenvanu is a Vanuatu Member
of Parliament and Director of the Vanuatu
National Cultural Council. This article is an
edited version of a speech presented at
“Pacific Islands and the World” Conference
in Brisbane, 3 August 2009. The full
speech is available at: http://aidwatch.org.
au/publications/the-traditional-economyas-the-source-of-resilience-in-melanesia
 

Climate change, resulting from both
natural and anthropogenic factors, is
expected to affect virtually every aspect
of marine ecosystem structure
and function from community composition
and biogeochemical cycling,
to the prevalence of diseases. Climate
can affect all life-history stages
through direct and indirect processes
and the possible effects of climate
change for marine populations include
changes in population dynamics
(body size, reproduction), community
composition and geographical
distributions.
 

Powerpoint presentation to promote awareness of impacts of climate change and practical adaptations.

Awareness posters on climate change.Each  set 1,2 and 3 contains 4 to 10 different posters

Awareness poster on climate change that gives a brief information on climate change kit in the pacific.

Vanuatu is among countries in the Pacific region that are most vulnerable to the risks of
climate change, climate variability and sea level rise. The livelihood of our people and
economy which are interwoven, shaped and driven by climate sensitive sectors, the effect
of climate and sea level change are already very real and pose a tangible threat to the
future socio-economic well-being of Vanuatu.
 

Set of posters that guves awareness of climate change and its impacts and adaptations.

Multiple choice questions, crossword, wordsearch on aspects of climate change.

Drft report on likely impacts of climate change on the greater port vila area ,and strategies of urban planning to offset these impacts.

Activites to prepare children for actions to take in emergencies.

“The environment is precious and we should protect it like a mother hen
protects its chicks. We should prevent deforestation, find solutions through
actions that will prevent air pollution, and promote awareness to the
people, particularly young people, who are tomorrow’s future.”
Sarah Baikame, age 17, Cameroon
Take action now!It’s more than a catchy phrase. It is what many children and young people
around the world are saying, loud and clear, as the changing global environment puts their

Na Fonal
SocieFes 
around 
the
 world


have 
been 
looking 
at
the
quesFon


o f
climate 
change 
through the 
4 
Step

“Preparedness 
for
 Climate
Change”


Programme.
Many
NaFonal
SocieFes


have 
found 
that
young 
people 
want 
to


get
 involved 
in 
the
 issue 
and
 have
 asked

for
materials.
This
 short 
guide
 presents


examples 
from
 around 
the
 world.