The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in partnership with the University of the South Pacific (USP), has begun work on assessing loss and damage from climate change and extreme weather events in Pacific island countries.
22 October 2015: The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in partnership with the University of the South Pacific (USP), has begun work on assessing loss and damage from climate change and extreme weather events in Pacific island countries.
The project supported a workshop in Apia, Samoa, involving participants from USP and major regional organizations, including the UN International Strategy on Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), in understanding the concepts and assessment methodology around loss and damage, and resilience. It was the largest event on loss and damage to take place in the Pacific and launched a process to develop a toolkit for assessing loss and damage.
Denis Chang Seng, UNESCO, said the project will help develop a system for monitoring loss and damage, not only for post-disaster situations, but also in cases of slow-onset change. He noted that such efforts will contribute to understanding whether or not current adaptation efforts are effective. The toolkit will capture impacts such as sea-level rise, coastal erosion, salinity and drought in Pacific Island countries. [UNESCO Web Page on Workshop] [UNESCO Web Page on SIDS]