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As with other small islands developing States (SIDS), Pacific island countries (PICs) are highly vulnerable to climate change and sea level rise owing partly to their small land masses surrounded by ocean, and their location in regions prone to natural disasters. PICs are often characterized by having relatively large populations for the area they occupy with high growth rates and densities; poorly developed infrastructure and limited natural, human and economic resources, and their high dependence on marine resources for their livelihood needs. Most of their economies are reliant on a limited resource base and are vulnerable to external forces, such as changing terms of trade, trade liberalization, and migration flows. Adaptive capacity to climate change is generally low.

In Maharashtra, a large state in central India that is home to nearly 100 million people, agriculture accounts for 60 percent of employment, most of it in small-scale and marginal farming. But the region’s agriculture depends on rainfall for much of its water supply, and even a small dip in precipitation can put millions of people’s food security at risk. In a drought year, a third of the state’s food grain production may be lost, with severe impact on the small-scale farmers– most of whom have no reserves to see them through lean years. Climate change could worsen these losses significantly within a generation. For example, scenario analysis in this report suggests droughts that historically have occurred once every 25 years might now take place as frequently as every 8 years.

Small island developing States (SIDS) are highly vulnerable to climate change and sea level rise owing partly to their small land masses surrounded by ocean, and their location in regions prone to natural disasters. SIDS are often characterized by having relatively large populations for the area they occupy with high growth rates and densities; poorly developed infrastructure and limited natural, human and economic resources, and their high dependence on marine resources for their livelihood needs. Most of their economies are reliant on a limited resource base and are vulnerable to external forces, such as changing terms of trade, trade liberalization, and migration flows. Adaptive capacity to climate change is generally low.

Small island developing States (SIDS) are highly vulnerable to climate change and sea level rise owing partly to their small land masses surrounded by ocean, and their location in regions prone to natural disasters. SIDS are often characterized by having relatively large populations for the area they occupy with high growth rates and densities; poorly developed infrastructure and limited natural, human and economic resources, and their high dependence on marine resources for their livelihood needs. Most of their economies are reliant on a limited resource base and are vulnerable to external forces, such as changing terms of trade, trade liberalization, and migration flows. Adaptive capacity to climate change is generally low.

The “The Coral Triangle” (CT) region is located along the equator at the confluence of the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans (see Annex 1). Using coral and reef fish diversity as the two major criteria, the boundaries of this region are defined by scientists as covering all or part of the exclusive economic zones of six countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. Covering only 1.6% of the planet’s oceanic area, there is broad scientific consensus that the CT represents the global epicenter of marine life abundance and diversity -- with 76% of all known coral species, 37% of all known coral reef fish species, 53% of the world’s coral reefs, the greatest extent of mangrove forests in the world, and spawning and juvenile growth areas for the world’s largest tuna fishery. Moreover, the biogeographical conditions within the CT may also enable the region to maintain its exceptional productivity in the face of future impacts of climate change, making it potentially the world’s most important “refuge” for marine life.

Sea temperatures in many tropical regions have increased by almost 1°C over the past 100 years and are currently increasing at 1 ~ 2°C per century. Satellite and compiled in situ observations of sea surface temperatures have greatly increased the ability to detect anomalous and persistent warm water and are being widely used to predict climate change, coral bleaching and mortality. In my study I attempted to measure in situ sea surface temperature using vemco water prob loggers. I used three indices: sea surface anomalies, degree heating days and heating rate to determine thermal stress 011 a reef flat. I identified the indices sea surface temperature anomalies provide significant data to determine heating is accruing on a reef and just mean monthly temperature data of a reef is not sufficient enough to indicate that the reef is heating and result in bleaching. Accumulated heat stress represented by exposure time and temperature (DHD) allows for-casting of bleaching severity. The cumulative thermal stress graph in my study indicates that after 120 degree heating days the thermal stress kept increasing on the reef for at least 3 more weeks in cooler month hence its vital to note temperature even after summer months.

Guam, the southernmost island of the Mariana Islands, is likely to encounter a significant typhoon every seven years. During the last thirty years two typhoons have passed directly over Guam—Karen (11 November 1962) and Pamela (21 May 1976). Pamela had maximum winds of 120 kt (145 estimated), minimum sea level pressure of 930 mb, a speed of movement at 7 kt, a diameter of 20 nautical miles, and 33 inches of rainfall during the typhoon passage. The typhoon had its greatest effect along the shoreline where erosion removed many bands of beach deposits and where shoreline vegetation was defoliated. Relatively little damage occurred along the adjacent reef-flat platforms and reef margins. Some unconsolidated materials were shifted. The growing tips of some foliaceous corals fragmented. On the reef front a number of corals were overturned by the storm waves.

Small island developing States (SIDS) are highly vulnerable to climate change and sea level rise owing partly to their small land masses surrounded by ocean, and their location in regions prone to natural disasters. SIDS are often characterized by having relatively large populations for the area they occupy with high growth rates and densities; poorly developed infrastructure and limited natural, human and economic resources, and their high dependence on marine resources for their livelihood needs. Most of their economies are reliant on a limited resource base and are vulnerable to external forces, such as changing terms of trade, trade liberalization, and migration flows. Adaptive capacity to climate change is generally low.

Since the adoption of Agenda 21 following the United Nations Conference on Environment and development in 1992, this report constitutes the first opportunity for Samoa to assess its situation with regard to sustainable development in the past decade.