Pacific Island Mangroves in a Changing Climate and Rising Sea

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Regional and International Initiatives
In Brief
Mangroves in a Changing Climate and Rising Sea
The study of the capacity of the Pacific Islands region to assess the vulnerability of mangroves and adapt
to mangrove responses to climate change effects contribute to several other regional and international
initiatives.
• The United Nations Environment Programme Regional Seas Programme sponsored this study to
contribute to implementing the Regional Seas Strategic Directions for 2004-2007. This calls for the use
of Regional Seas as a platform for developing common regional objectives, promoting synergies and
coordinated regional implementation of relevant Multilateral Environmental Agreements, global and
regional initiatives and other international actors, as a contribution to the sustainable management of
the coastal and marine environment.
• The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme sponsored this study, in part, to
contribute to implementing its Regional Wetlands Action Plan for the Pacific Islands, which identifies
priority management, capacity-building, and research and monitoring regional activities for
mangroves.
• The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council sponsored this study as results and
recommendations are contributing to the development of new integrated, place-based Fishery
Ecosystem Plans.
• Results support the development of National Communication Reports to the United Nations Framework
Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC), development and implementation of plans for National
Adaptation Programmes of Action, and preparation of subsequent Assessment Reports by the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Pacific Island governments’ National Communication
reports to UNFCCC highlight that there is a gap in information on anticipated site-specific responses of
mangroves and other coastal ecosystems to climate change effects, on identifying sections of
coastline and areas of sensitive coastal ecosystems that are especially vulnerable to these forces, and
how to plan to adapt to these forces to minimize social disruption and minimize and offset anticipated
losses of coastal ecosystems.
• This study advances the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands’ (i) Resolution on climate change and
wetlands, (ii) Wise Use guidelines, and (iii) Management Planning Guidelines.
• This study contributes to attaining the Millennium Development Goals, adopted at the United Nations
Millennium Summit in 2000, including ensuring environmental sustainability.
• This study contributes to the United Nation’s Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, which inventories
global ecosystem services, assesses how changes in ecosystem services have affected human
wellbeing, considers how ecosystem changes may affect people in future decades, and identifies
alternative management responses.
• Results contribute to meeting the Convention on Biological Diversity and World Summit on
Sustainable Development Biodiversity Targets, to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current
rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national levels as a contribution to poverty
alleviation and to the benefit of all life on earth.
• The study can contribute to the Convention on Biological Diversity’s programme of work on Island
Biodiversity.
• Results support objectives of the Bali Strategic Plan to meet capacity building needs in the Pacific
Islands region.
Beginning of international attention to threats to small island states from global climate effects
The First World Climate Conference in 1979 recognized the threat posed by climate change (Acosta et al.,
1999). Concern about the impacts of climate change and sea level rise on Small Island States first received