2005-IGM-SPG 10.pdf - Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change ...

IGM/10/10
SPG/10/10
5-9 July 2004. Pacific Islands Renewable Energy Project Meeting (PIREP).
Apia, Samoa
The Pacific Islands Renewable Energy Project (PIREP) meeting was held at the South
Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) office in Apia, Samoa, from 5-9
July, 2004. The week-long meeting was attended by stakeholders from the South
Pacific region. The meeting was organised by SPREP, who are implementing the
initial preparatory phase of the PIREP project, and funded by the Global Environment
Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The meeting
examined how renewable technologies can better contribute to reducing greenhouse
gas emissions. Delegates looked at various fiscal, regulatory, technical, institutional,
policy and awareness barriers that Pacific Island Countries need to overcome, if
renewable energy is to have a significant impact on reducing fossil fuel consumption,
according to PIREP coordinator Mr. Solomone Fifita. A log-frame matrix was drawn
up for a multi-million dollar project proposal, to be submitted to GEF later in the
year. The proposal is a joint effort by the international, regional and national
agencies currently dealing with regional climate change and energy issues.
3-6 August 2004. SIDS Universities Consortium Development Workshop.
Virgin Islands, USA
The initial concept of the consortium emerged at the SIDS Ministerial meeting, held
in Montego Bay, Jamaica in May, 2002, as part of the preparations for the World
Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). The Consortium was further
developed at an expert meeting organised by the Pacific Centre for Environment and
Sustainable Development (PACE-SD) on ‘Capacity Building for the Sustainable
Development of SIDS’ held from 3-8 December 2003 at USP. Consortium partners
met again during the Nassau SIDS inter-regional meeting and the PrepCom for
BPOA+10 at the UN headquarters, New York. About 22 participants representing
UWI, USP, UVI, UoMalta, UoMauritius, NUS, UoH, UoBelize, UoArcadia, UNESCO,
UNDP, and UNDESA, including Ambassador Jagdish Koonjul, Chair of AOSIS,
attended the meeting. Training areas relevant for the sustainable development of
SIDS were identified by the consortium. A draft MOU will be prepared and the
University Heads will hold a mini PrepCom, in November, to finalise details before
the Mauritius meeting. Prof. Koshy attended this meeting. Funding for travel and
accommodation was provided by UNDP.
31 August 2004. Public Lecture on Climate Change and its Interactions with
Tourism in Fiji. University of the South Pacific. Suva, Fiji
Dr. Susanne Becken presented a public lecture on the findings of her research on
‘Climate Change and its Interactions with Tourism in Fiji’ on 31 August, 2004, at the
University of the South Pacific (USP), Suva, Fiji. The findings were from the project
‘Climate Change and Tourism in Fiji,’ funded by the European Union under the 8 th
EDF and carried out this year at USP’s Department of Tourism and Hospitality. Dr.
Becken’s research focused on the interactions between climate change and tourism
whereby, both tourism’s vulnerability to climate change impacts (and possible
adaptation measures) and tourism’s contribution to climate change (ie greenhouse
gas emissions) were considered. The research also explored tourists’ perceptions of
climate change and their willingness to contribute financially to adaptation or
mitigation measures. A final report titled ‘Climate Change and Tourism in Fiji—
Vulnerability, Adaptation and Mitigation’ was published, which has recommendations
for tourist industry stakeholders, tourists, government and environment officials.
The report details the impact climate change already has on the tourism industry
(especially tourism accommodation), amount of energy consumed by the industry,
and the mitigation and adaptation measures already in place. This presentation was
�64�