Pacific Islands Regional Assessment of the Consequences of Climate Variability and Change (Pacific Assessment)

ALOHA and Welcome to the website for the Pacific Islands Regional Assessment of the Consequences of Climate Variability and Change (Pacific Assessment). The documents on this site are the products of an 18-month study of how and why climate matters to real people in real places throughout the Pacific Islands1. The Pacific Assessment represents a regional contribution to the first U.S. National Assessment of the Consequences of Climate Variability and Change (the National Assessment). The National Assessment was organized under the auspices of the U.S. Global Change Research Program and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Funding for the Pacific Assessment was provided through the National Science Foundation (NSF) with financial contributions from NSF, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). The Pacific Assessment was coordinated by the East-West Center in Honolulu, HI in collaboration with scientific partners active in climate research and education in the Pacific including the University of Hawaii, the University of Guam, the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, NOAA, the International Global Change Institute of the University of Waikato, the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the International Research Institute for climate prediction of Columbia University to name but a few. Eileen L. Shea, Climate Project Coordinator at the East-West Center, served as Principal Investigator for the Pacific Assessment.

The Pacific Assessment was designed to achieve two, mutually-supportive objectives to:

Although initiated as an eighteen-month project, the Pacific Assessment represents a commitment to a sustained process of shared learning and joint problem solving aimed at establishing a more effective partnership between Pacific Island communities and the climate system that sustains us. This website is designed to help support this continued this process.

1The Pacific Islands Regional Assessment of the Consequences of Climate Variability and Change focused on the following jurisdictions: the American Flag Pacific Islands which include the State of Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands which include the Federated States of Micronesia (States of Yap, Pohnpei, Kosrae and Chuuk), the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.

Pacific Islands Regional Assessment of the Consequences of Climate Variability and Change (Pacific Assessment)

If you have any questions, comments, or problems with this website,
please contact Eileen Sheaat sheae@eastwestcenter.org

			Pacific Island Regional Assessment of the Consequences of Climate Change and Variablility (The Pacific Assessment)

	…changes in climate matter to individuals, communities, businesses and governments who call islands home. Your valuable natural resources, traditional ways of life, critical economic sectors, community support infrastructure and, to a great extent, your future depend on developing an effective response to the challenges presented by climate variability and change." Charles Morrison, EWC President, November 2000

	ALOHA and Welcome to the website for the Pacific Islands Regional Assessment of the Consequences of Climate Variability and Change (Pacific Assessment). The documents on this site are the products of an 18-month study of how and why climate matters to real people in real places throughout the Pacific Islands1. The Pacific Assessment represents a regional contribution to the first U.S. National Assessment of the Consequences of Climate Variability and Change (the National Assessment). The National Assessment was organized under the auspices of the U.S. Global Change Research Program and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Funding for the Pacific Assessment was provided through the National Science Foundation (NSF) with financial contributions from NSF, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). The Pacific Assessment was coordinated by the East-West Center in Honolulu, HI in collaboration with scientific partners active in climate research and education in the Pacific including the University of Hawaii, the University of Guam, the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, NOAA, the International Global Change Institute of the University of Waikato, the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the International Research Institute for climate prediction of Columbia University to name but a few. Eileen L. Shea, Climate Project Coordinator at the East-West Center, served as Principal Investigator for the Pacific Assessment. The Pacific Assessment was designed to achieve two, mutually-supportive objectives to: Develop a more complete understanding of the regional consequences of climate variability for Pacific Island jurisdictions, considering economic, social and other environmental stresses; and Support a dialogue among scientists, governments, businesses and communities in the Pacific region that promotes the use of climate information to support decision-making. Although initiated as an eighteen-month project, the Pacific Assessment represents a commitment to a sustained process of shared learning and joint problem solving aimed at establishing a more effective partnership between Pacific Island communities and the climate system that sustains us. This website is designed to help support this continued this process. _____________________________ 1The Pacific Islands Regional Assessment of the Consequences of Climate Variability and Change focused on the following jurisdictions: the American Flag Pacific Islands which include the State of Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands which include the Federated States of Micronesia (States of Yap, Pohnpei, Kosrae and Chuuk), the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. Pacific Islands Regional Assessment of the Consequences of Climate Variability and Change (Pacific Assessment) Final Report Workshop East-West Center Adobe Acrobat If you have any questions, comments, or problems with this website, please contact Eileen Sheaat sheae@eastwestcenter.org