Strengthening our Pacific Resilience: Climate Action calls for Climate Partnerships
The Director General of SPREP attended the African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) Pacific and European Union joint parliamentary session this week in Port Vila Vanuatu. Mr Latu presented a perspective on the 'Need for Accelerated Climate Change Action' at the 14th Regional Meeting (Pacific Region) of the ACP-EU Parliamentary Assembly, 19 – 21 July, Vanuatu. Calling for support to be scaled up in the Pacific, this was his message.
"The Pacific has done very little to contribute to the problem of climate change yet stand to suffer the most as a result of the actions of developed countries and some emerging economies.
Four out of the six of the lowest and most vulnerable islands in the world which are affected by climate change are from the Pacific region, and all of them are no more than two meters high at the highest point. These include Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Tokelau. We are regularly seeing extreme natural events, such as tropical cyclones, flooding and droughts, and the consequential physical, social and economic impacts on Pacific island countries are severe.
Stuart Rankin