Vanuatu was part of a recent regional conference on managing natural resources such as the ocean in a changing climate. By Anita Roberts
A conference has been held recently for experts in the mineral resource sector from the Pacific region to talk about how to prepare and mitigate the threats of climate change on natural resources.
The Coordinator of Pacific Risk Tools for Resilience (PARTneR) Project under the Ministry of Climate Change, Johnny Tarry Nimau, represented Vanuatu in the 3-day Pacific Islands Science, Technology and Resources Network Conference in Fiji.
Natural resources such as water, land, wind energy and the ocean are essential for humankind. Action is required to reduce the risk poses to these extractive sectors by climate change as a global issue.
“The conference reflects on the linkages between geoscience, the ocean and natural resources,” Nimau conveyed in a statement.
“It provides an avenue for us to discuss sustainable management of our ocean and natural resources. It about how Pacific islands can mitigate for the damage imposed on their oceans and climate change impacts from the geoscience perspective.
“Sessions focussed on key areas such as ocean science, science of natural hazards and risks to Pacific communities including land use, energy and infrastructure development”.
‘Geo-Science Development in the Pacific Islands-Planning for 2030’ was the theme of the conference, which was supported by the Government of Fiji and the Geoscience Division of the Pacific Community (SPC).
PARTneR is managed by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and funded by the government of New Zealand, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).