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A video presented at the 4th Multipartite Review (MPR) Meeting and Technical and Operational Workshop for the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change Project in Nadi, Fiji on 12 - 16 Aug 2013

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) submitted its Initial National Communication in October, 1999. This Second National Communication uses it as the baseline to document the increases in FSM's vulnerability to climate change, and changes in its greenhouse gas emissions, since the Initial National Communication was prepared. This National Communication also reports on the efforts FSM is making to reduce its emissions and to identify and implement adaptation options that reduce climate risks.

This proposal has been prepared by the Ocean and Islands Programme (OIP) within the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) in collaboration with the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA). It has been prepared in response to an invitation1 from the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to assist the Cook Islands in deriving coastal related information to underpin and inform climate change adaptation decisions for coastal areas of Mangaia Island.

The Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) is currently executing the project Reducing Vulnerability in Pacific ACP States with funding from the European Development Fund (EDF). The project has the objective to reduce Pacific ACP States' vulnerability to natural disasters affecting their coasts through the development of an integrated planning and management system which targets: hazard mitigation and risk assessment; alternative sources of aggregates for construction; and water resources and sanitation. Major activities undertaken through this project with participating countries are: -assessment of aggregate resource supplies to mitigate the impact of unsustainable aggregate mining from the coastline; -development of bathymetric maps, 3D bathymetric and hydrodynamic models spatial databases relating to resource use, exploration and survey, and vulnerability to disasters; and -investigating and raising awareness about coastal processes.

There has been an emerging recognition of important links between various global environmental issues such as loss of biodiversity, climate change, land freshwater and coastal systems degradation. Actions taken to fulfill human needs have local, regional and global environmental consequences. Hence there are links between human activities and these environmental issues

GEF support for the preparation of National Capacity Self-Assessments (NCSA) is pursuant to the GEF Council Decision which "requests the GEF Secretariat, in collaboration with the Implementing Agencies and Executing Agencies, to initiate processes so that the self-assessment of capacity building needs can begin immediately in countries that request such assistance". The overall aim of GEF support for the NCSA is to provide countries with the opportunity to take the lead in articulating their own capacity needs and priorities with respect to the global environment taking into account the three global conventions 011 biodiversity, climate change and desertification/land degradation"

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a financial mechanism that provides grant and concessional funds to recipient countries for activities aimed at protecting the global environment. This operational strategy has been developed to guide the preparation of country driven initiatives in the GEF four focal areas: biodiversity, climate change, international waters and ozone layer depletion.

He stressed that this session was an opportunity to ensure that all delegates were up-to-date with the Project and its background. To set the scene for the workshop he reported on the Project development history. In summary, he drew attention to the signing of the grant and financing agreements on the 13 March 2002. He also noted that the SOPAC Project has been at least 3 to 4 years in development.