Preparing the Pacific for the effects of Climate Change is what the workshop on the second national communications and vulnerability and adaptation for the Pacific Islands countries will work toward.

Today the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Samoan Government, Faumuina Liuga, opened the one-week workshop hosted at the SPREP training room. He acknowledged that our countries are already experiencing the adverse effects of climate change.

"Of special concern are the significant socio-economic impacts of climate change. Recent research demonstrates that climate change impacts have the potential to make some atoll islands uninhabitable through changes in precipitation, causing severe drought, shrinking water availability and affecting food security. There is not a single sector of our economy that would escape unharmed from climate change," said Liuga in his opening speech.

Each Pacific country has completed a report that provides information on climate change issues called the National Communications on Climate Change. These contain factual information, which includes the economics of each country to explanation of plans for adaptation to the effects of climate change. Every 5 years these reports should be updated and the UNDP National Communications Support Program assists with the preparation of these, hence the one-week workshop that opened today.

During the week, participants will hear country reports from the different Pacific countries and there is also a two-day technical training on coastal zone V & A assessment, which is funded by the Swiss Government. This will be followed by a 'Project Development and Implementation Workshop' sponsored by the Australian Greenhouse Office that will last 2 days.

UNDP, UNEP, GEF, The Government of Samoa and the Swiss Government have supported the workshop on second National Communications and Vulnerability and Adaptation for the Pacific Islands Countries. SPREP, 16/07/07.