Documenting evidence-based climate change research in the Pacific

Alison Binney · Posted on

Client

The Australian Government’s Pacific Adaptation Strategy Assistance Program

Task

Between February and June 2013, I developed a series of case studies on evidence-based climate change decision making in the Pacific and Southeast Asia region.

The work was produced while I was a senior science communicator for Econnect Communication.

The 4 case studies were included:

  • Cook Islands
  • Solomon Islands
  • the Federated States of Micronesia
  • Timor-Leste.

I interviewed community members, government officials and the Australian scientists involved in the projects in those countries.

All the case studies look at the projected impacts of climate change and how governments and communities can:

  • improve planning and governance to deal with increased likelihood of more intense cyclones and weather events (Cook Islands case study)
  • deliver food security for increasing populations with decreasing agricultural productivity (Federated States of Micronesia case study)
  • build resilience at a community level against changes such as population growth, decreasing availability of food resources, and sea-level rise (Solomon Islands case study)
  • ensure groundwater availability for increasing populations with decreasing, and potentially contaminated, supplies (Timor-Leste case study)

I produced the text, photography and video footage for each case study.

Solomon Islands

Children from Roviana, a remote saltwater lagoon region in western Solomon Islands.
Children from Roviana, a remote saltwater lagoon region in western Solomon Islands. Image credit: Alison Binney

Cook Islands

Teresa Mii Matamaki, Senior Environment Officer for the Cook Islands' National Environment Services, says it is important to collect feedback from remote communities when creating a national policy. Image credit: Alison Binney
Teresa Mii Matamaki, Senior Environment Officer for the Cook Islands’ National Environment Services, says it is important to collect feedback from remote communities when creating a national policy. Image credit: Alison Binney

Timor-Leste

Carmelita da Cruz, a resident in the Lullibaba village of Liquiça in Timor-Leste, no longer needs to walk 2 hours every day to fetch water for her home. Image credit: Alison Binney
Carmelita da Cruz, a resident in the Lullibaba village of Liquiça in Timor-Leste, no longer needs to walk 2 hours every day to fetch water for her home. Image credit: Alison Binney

Federated States of Micronesia