Options for Mitigation and Adaptation Technologies for the Pacific Island Countries

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Options for Mitigation and Adaptation
Technologies for the Pacific Island Countries

• by
• Mahendra Kumar
• South Pacific Regional Environment Programme,
  Apia, Samoa

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Outline of Presentation

• PICs background
• vulnerability
• GHG emissions
• Mitigation options
• Adaptation options
• Barriers
• Needs
• Conclusion

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Pacific Islands Region

• Geographical isolation
• Fragile environment
• Rapid population growth
• Limited natural resource base
• Dependence on marine resources
• Vulnerability to natural hazards
• Vulnerability to external and global changes

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Vulnerability to Natural Hazards

• Cyclones high to medium
• Coastal flood high (1 medium)
• River flood variable
• Drought medium to high (2 low)
• Earthquake 3 high, low to medium
• Landslide 3 high, low
• Tsunami medium to high
• Volcano 3 high

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GHG Emissions

• 0.96 tonnes per capita p.a.,
• world average for 1996 4.02 t/pa
• 0.2 population, .03 emissions
• OECD 20 population, 50 global emissions

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Question

• What is there to mitigate?

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Mitigation

• Demand side appropriate (more efficient)
  appliances (technology) to enhance efficiency
• Supply side
• Improve efficiency by using better technology
• New and alternative forms of energy solar, wind,
  biomass, biofuels, ocean, mini hydro

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Table 4 Options for Mitigating Greenhouse Gas
Emissions (From Ellis, 1999
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Table 6 Renewable Energy Resource Potentials of
the Pics (From Johnston, 1995)
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Adaptation

• Actions, activities, measures designed to
  ameliorate impacts of climate change
• Two main concerns for PICs
• Extreme events
• Sea-level rise

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Priority Sectors

• Coastal zone
• Water resources
• Agriculture
• Fisheries
• Ecosystems
• Human health

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Adaptation Technologies

• Definition of technology transfer
• Adaptation technologies
• Uncertainties on magnitudes and rate of impacts
  at local/regional level
• Site specific
• Local benefits
• Not commercially attractive
• Public government sponsored

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Coastal Technologies

• Crucial for small islands
• Existing best practices using traditional
  technology
• VA assessments completed
• Need to identify available technology
• Enhance awareness and training to enable adoption
  and usage

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Possible Adaptive Measures

• Agriculture
• Salt-tolerant crops
• Drought resistant cultivars
• Crop diversification
• Change in farming practices
• Selection of suitable species

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Coastal Zone

• Protection of mangrove system
• Protection of coral reefs
• Coastal management systems
• Foreshore revegetation protection
• Prevention of pollutant discharge
• Control of aggregate removal

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Water Resources

• Improved management and maintenance of existing
  water supply
• Improved water quality
• Catchment protection and conservation
• Drought preparedness
• Flood controls
• Protection of ground water

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Human Health

• Reduction in heat stress by improved building
  designs
• Public awareness programmes about malaria, dengue
  and other vector borne diseases
• Improved quarantine measures
• Improved medical services

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Barriers

• Lack of awareness about climate change, impacts
  and the linkages
• Lack of understanding about human influences
• Lack of awareness about technology and
  information dissemination mechanisms
• Lack of resources and skills
• Lack of appropriate national polices

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Needs

• Awareness, public information, education training
  programmes on
• Climate change and impacts
• Role of technology to address these
• Institutional regional/local centres for
  information dissemination, training, capacity
  building
• RD develop new technologies adopt for local
  conditions
• Appropriate policies

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Conclusion

• Identify priorities for PICs
• Country driven
• Activities dependent on resources and technology
• Developed country obligations
• Integrated approach
• Transfer of hardware
• Training, capacity building, awareness raising
• Involvement of all stakeholders