Cartoon illustrating how we should get rid of our rubbish in such a way that won't have environmental impacts.

Climate change is impacting on food security and biosecurity in the Pacific region by degradation of
food production areas (sea level rise, salinity, drought), devastation caused by extreme weather
events (cyclones, flooding) and impacts on recovery time such as replacement of lost crop
germplasm and the need to import food substitutes. The aim of this project was to identify the key
impacts of climate change on the unique cropping systems in four small Pacific nations (Tonga,
Vanuatu, Kiribati and Tuvalu). Information was collected by the development of a questionnaire

The Pacific Islands region is experiencing climate change. Key indicators of the changing
climate include rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, rising air and sea temperatures,
rising sea levels and upper-ocean heat content, changing ocean chemistry and increasing
ocean acidity, changing rainfall patterns, decreasing base flow in streams, changing
wind and wave patterns, changing extremes, and changing habitats and species distributions.
Currently, the most vulnerable areas include low islands (atoll islands and other

The Republic of Vanuatu ratified the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on 09 March 1993, and submitted its Initial National Communication (INC) to the UNFCCC on 30 October 1999. Following the preparation of its INC, Vanuatu has initiated efforts to create an institutional set-up that seeks to mainstream climate change issues into the national legal frameworks. Moreover, its INC provides compelling evidence that, by global standards, Vanuatu is one of the nations most vulnerable to climate change and sea-level rise.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) secretariat has produced this book to
highlight the concerns and needs of developing countries
in adapting to the effects of climate change. This book
outlines the impact of climate change in four developing
country regions: Africa, Asia, Latin America and small
island developing States; the vulnerability of these regions
to future climate change; current adaptation plans,
strategies and actions; and future adaptation options
and needs.
 

The assessment of available remote sensing data indicates, that there is almost no potential for
activities reducing deforestation within the CCA/REDD site. Reducing forest degradation by
eliminating invasive weeds might show some potential for emission reductions and removals, but
requires further research to assess the management options and their carbon dynamics.
 

The potential environmental, economic and social impacts of Climate and Sea Level Change motivate Vanuatu’s commitment to participating effectively in international effort to combat global warming and Sea Level Rise. Vanuatu is a party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and took an active part in the initial negotiations in the development of the convention through its affiliations with Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

The Vanuatu’s Inventory for Greenhouse Gases has been calculated for the base year 2000 using the revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. The UNFCCC software “Non Annex1 National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Software, Version 1.3.3” has been used for the estimation of GHG. Sectoral data for GHG estimation was compiled from various sources primarily using national data collected from annual reports, statistical reports, studies and brochures of related department/ institutions.

Attending UN climate negotiations for the first time is daunting, especially if it’s a Conference of the Parties (COP) session. With so many meetings happening in parallel — some open, some closed — and jargon and acronyms that constantly roll off people’s tongues, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process is notoriously complex.