In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — GCF invests US$15m in Pacific climate businesses fund
2. UN — Ocean’s ability to absorb carbon is weakening as climate change intensifies, UN warns
3. TUVALU — Tuvalu has ‘limited’ power to halt its fossil fuel investments: NZ Govt papers seen by AFP
4. PNG — PNG Minister says practical foundations vital for Bougainville
5. SOL — Solomon Islands PM Wale flown to Australia for urgent medical treatment
6. FIJI — Verbal warfare rampant in Fiji, warns RFMF Commander
7. PNG — Fijian to tackle Madang police issues
8. FIJI — GCC part of Fiji’s coup problem, priest tells FTRC
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Pacific forum targets investment to transform food systems
10. PACNEWS BIZ — Dry spell threatens multi-million Kina project in PNG’s Morobe province
11. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — Pacific nations emit less than 0.03 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases, yet pay the highest climate price
12. PACNEWS DIGEST — The Overlooked Coral Reef Network: Scientists say Atolls deserve greater Conservation attention
13. PACNEWS DIGEST — Could the rope that pulls us apart also hold us together?
14. PACNEWS DIGEST — The latest regional ‘snapshot’ of education suggests persistent foundational challenges
PACIFIC – CLIMATE BUSINESS FUND: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Thu 29 Oct 2026
GCF invests US$15m in Pacific climate businesses fund
By Pita Ligaiula
SEOUL 29 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — A US$15 million Green Climate Fund (GCF) investment will help establish a US$60 million fund to finance locally owned businesses protecting reefs and strengthening climate-resilient livelihoods in Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu.
The Matanataki Pacific Fund 1 will invest in about 15 to 20 small businesses and community-owned cooperatives working in waste management and recycling, regenerative agriculture, sustainable fisheries and low-impact tourism.
GCF Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Hemant Mandal said the investment would help attract additional capital for Pacific businesses delivering climate adaptation benefits.
“GCF’s anchor investment will help catalyse a fund targeting US$60 million in capital to invest in locally led businesses that contribute to reef resilience in Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu,” Mandal said.
The fund is expected to contribute to the restoration or protection of more than 50,000 hectares of terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
Mandal said the initiative would demonstrate how blended finance could strengthen local ownership, increase women’s economic participation and support climate-resilient livelihoods.
Pacific island countries face growing threats from climate change, including coral reef degradation that undermines food security, coastal protection and the livelihoods of communities dependent on marine resources.
However, small businesses providing climate adaptation solutions often struggle to secure commercial financing because of perceived investment risks, small transaction sizes, limited exit opportunities and a lack of long-term capital.
Matanataki Pacific Fund 1 aims to address these barriers by providing patient equity and quasi-equity financing, alongside business support before and after investments.
A donor-funded technical assistance facility will help businesses prepare to attract investment and strengthen their operations.
The fund will also connect businesses across four sectors to improve local supply chains and support economic activities that contribute to ecosystem protection and climate resilience.
Women are intended to be central beneficiaries and decision-makers under the initiative.
Matanataki Pacific Fund 1 is the Pacific’s first dedicated adaptation-focused private equity fund. Its investment model will prioritise self-liquidating instruments to help Pacific founders and communities retain ownership and build local wealth.
The approach is intended to demonstrate that investments in climate adaptation can deliver commercial returns while supporting locally led climate action.
The fund’s focus on locally owned enterprises is designed to provide communities with access to capital for businesses that protect ecosystems and strengthen livelihoods, rather than relying solely on grant-funded projects.
The GCF investment will serve as anchor capital for the wider fund, which will target businesses in Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu.
The initiative’s expected results include stronger community livelihoods and improved protection of ecosystems and the services they provide….PACNEWS
UN – OCEANS/CLIMATE CHANGE: UN NEWS CENTRE PACNEWS 2: Thu 29 Oct 2026
Ocean’s ability to absorb carbon is weakening as climate change intensifies, UN warns
NAIROBI/NEW YORK/BONN, 29 OCTOBER 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) —The ocean absorbs around 30 percent of human-caused carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and 90 percent of excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases.
But climate change has already reduced its capacity to absorb carbon by approximately six percent, a new UN report warns ahead of the COP31 climate conference in November.
The report was a collaboration between the UN’s environment agency, UNEP, and the UN climate secretariat, UNFCCC, which co-organises COP31.
“For a long time the ocean has been doing us an enormous climate service, but that service is under increasing pressure,” Sara Traerup, lead author of the report, told UN News.
Rising temperatures and changes in ocean chemistry, circulation and ecosystems are weakening its ability to absorb and store carbon, leaving more CO₂ in the atmosphere.
And this process “can definitely accelerate” in the foreseeable future, raerup warned.
A major challenge is the lack of reliable ocean monitoring data, particularly in the Southern and Indian Oceans, the Arctic and many coastal regions.
The report therefore calls for stronger “ocean carbon intelligence” – using science, technology, data and local knowledge to better understand and manage ocean carbon systems.
“As of now, we don’t have full information about the ocean, and what we don’t know, we cannot manage and protect,” Traerup explained.
UNEP looked at three main types of ocean climate technologies, each offering different opportunities and risks.
The first is ocean monitoring: observation systems, sensors, data systems and modelling. Traerup called these the most mature technologies and the most immediately needed.
The second is blue carbon ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrasses and salt marshes. They already sequester around 407 million tonnes of CO₂ a year, and restoring them could add significantly more. They also protect coastlines, support biodiversity and sustain livelihoods.
The third is marine carbon dioxide removal, which aims to extract CO₂ from the atmosphere and store it over the long term. While potentially promising, these approaches remain highly uncertain and require further research, monitoring and regulation.
“We shouldn’t treat ocean-based technologies as a shortcut,” Traerup cautioned, as they must complement, not replace, emissions reductions and ecosystem protection.
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) contribute less than one percent of global emissions, yet are “on the front line of ocean and climate impacts,” MTraerup noted.
The report called for greater access to finance, technology transfer and capacity-building to enable these countries to develop ocean solutions tailored to their needs. Some islands are already showing how this can work.
In 2015, Seychelles, for instance, benefited from a debt-for-nature swap, which involved restructuring part of its foreign debt in exchange for marine conservation commitments. This enabled the country to set up a trust fund to finance marine conservation, climate resilience and the sustainable blue economy.
In the Pacific, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu received support to map seagrass meadows and mangrove forests, and measure how much carbon they store. As a result, more than 100 people were trained in blue carbon assessment, giving governments data to feed into their national climate plans.
The report also stressed the importance of integrating local and Indigenous knowledge.
“Communities have been coping with climate change for many, many years,” Traerup said, pointing to their experience in protecting coastlines through natural habitats and in managing fisheries and coastal resources sustainably. …PACEWS
TUVALU – CLIMATE CHANGE/FOSSIL FUELS: AFP PACNEWS 2: Thu 29 Oct 2026
Tuvalu has ‘limited’ power to halt its fossil fuel investments: NZ Govt papers seen by AFP
FUNAFUTI, 29 OCTOBER 2026 (AFP)—A low-lying Pacific nation urging drastic climate action has “limited ability” to halt its own government investments in fossil fuel companies, external advisers wrote in internal documents obtained by AFP.
Few countries are more exposed to climate change than Tuvalu in the South Pacific, an atoll chain reckoning with rising seas, acidifying oceans and outbreaks of tropical disease.
Tuvalu has in recent years emerged as one of the world’s most vocal champions for climate action, condemning new coal and gas projects as a “death sentence” for its 10,000 people.
Australia-based wealth managers have been investing on Tuvalu’s behalf in funds holding stakes in coal, gas and oil, a previous investigation by AFP found.
New documents obtained by AFP suggest Tuvalu will find it hard to pivot away from fossil fuels, despite the prime minister himself deriding such investments as “not a good look”.
Officials from New Zealand, which sits on the board of the US$200 million Tuvalu Trust Fund, discussed investment strategy in internal documents released under freedom of information laws.
Because the trust fund was small by global standards, Tuvalu had “limited ability to tailor specific investment preferences”, read a briefing released by New Zealand’s foreign affairs department.
Rather, Tuvalu’s money was invested in funds that offered broad exposure to scores of different companies.
Some of these funds would include “significant greenhouse gases emitters”, the New Zealand officials noted.
Tuvalu has promoted the trust fund to foreign donors as a way to channel money into urgently needed climate projects.
It was singled out as a leading example of a “national climate fund” in a 2013 study by the United Nations Development Programme.
Tuvalu has the smallest national economy in the world, according to recent World Bank figures.
It relies on profits from the Tuvalu Trust Fund to prop up the government budget.
Tuvalu has invested in a string of fossil fuel companies under the guidance of wealth manager Mercer, an AFP investigation revealed in May this year.
This included funds holding stakes in Indian energy giant Reliance Industries, which owns the largest oil refinery in the world, and The Southern Company, one of the biggest greenhouse gas emitters in the United States.
The Tuvalu Trust Fund is governed by a three-member board with representatives from Tuvalu, New Zealand and Australia.
Its investment objectives state it must minimise its exposure to “fossil fuel reserves and carbon emissions” where possible.
Climate finance expert Sebastian Gehricke said there was little evidence this had been done.
For example, Tuvalu’s money had not been invested in any “sustainable” funds.
“Tuvalu is arguably the most climate-exposed nation in the world,” Gehricke, from New Zealand’s Otago University, told AFP.
“So receiving revenue from a fund that generates its returns from many companies directly contributing to the climate crisis is not in their best interest.’
Tuvalu Prime Minister Feleti Teo told AFP in June that fossil fuel investments were “not a good look” given the nation’s climate advocacy.
The Tuvalu Trust Fund said it had achieved “substantial progress in reducing portfolio carbon emissions”.
Between 2020 and 2025, the carbon footprint of its investments had dropped 42 percent, the fund said.
But it was not clear if this was due to decisions the fund had made or simply part of a broader trend that has seen many companies strive to slash their own emissions.
New Zealand’s foreign affairs department said it would work with Tuvalu to make sure investment priorities were aligned with “long-term resilience”.
Australia said it was “supporting Tuvalu’s strong approach to environmental and social governance issues”…..PACNEWS
PNG – INDEPENDENCE STRUGGLE: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS 2: Thu 29 Oct 2026
PNG Minister says practical foundations vital for Bougainville
PORT MORESBY, 29 OCTOBER 2026 (THE NATIONAL)—Papua New Guinea Parliament must consider practical foundations necessary for sustainable self-government, Health and National Emergency Services Minister Dr Billy Joseph said during his debate on Bougainville’s independence last week.
He said effective institutions, good governance, accountability, disarmament, and the capacity to deliver services was essential to being an independent state.
“Building institutions requires them (Bougainvilleans) to operate effectively, remain accountable, and sustainably fund essential services so that any political settlement delivers practical and lasting outcomes,” he said.
“As we discuss Bougainville, we must understand our shared history, how the conflict began, how it evolved, and how it affected not only Bougainville, but Papua New Guinea as a whole.
“The conflict began with genuine grievances concerning the land, the treatment of resource owners, and the environmental damage caused by the Panguna mine.”
He said these concerns were shared by many Papua New Guineans including people from various districts who stood alongside Bougainvilleans when the fighting first began.
“Disarmament and the devolution of government functions remain incomplete, creating continuing challenges for peace and governance,” Joseph said.
“A functioning system of government requires more than modern buildings and staff.”
The Minister said in health, for example, a complete system depends on sound governance, reliable supply chains, a skilled workforce, and clear standards and regulations that are consistently enforced.
“When these foundations are lacking, services suffer, and lives can be lost. We cannot ignore these considerations as we determine the way forward.
“The Prime Minister has given a firm commitment that there will be no deployment of PNG police or military personnel to Bougainville, regardless of the outcome of the political process.
“My view is that Bougainville and Papua New Guinea share a history, a region, a culture, and a future that is larger than any individual political position.”
He said both sides needed to continue to seek a peaceful, negotiated settlement that respected the wishes of Bougainvilleans, followed the agreed constitutional process, and recognised the relationship binding our people together.
“Whatever the outcome of the political process, we must approach it with respect, honesty, and an unwavering commitment to peace.
“Let us remember those who suffered, acknowledge those who served, and ensure the next generation does not inherit the divisions of the past,” he added…..PACNEWS
SOL – PM: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Thu 29 Oct 2026
Solomon Islands PM Wale flown to Australia for urgent medical treatment
HONIARA, 29 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Cooper Wale is in Australia for urgent medical treatment after being admitted to the National Referral Hospital over the weekend.
A government statement said Wale was referred by doctors at the hospital for further treatment in Australia.
No further details about his medical condition or the treatment he will receive were provided.
The government wished the Prime Minister a speedy recovery and safe journey as he receives medical care in Australia….PACNEWS
FIJI – POLITICS: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 2: Thu 29 Oct 2026
Verbal warfare rampant in Fiji, warns RFMF Commander
NADI, 29 OCTOBER 2206 (FIJI SUN)—Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF)Commander Major-General Ro Jone Kalouniwai has warned that verbal warfare is becoming rampant in Fiji, contributing to the erosion of traditional values, mutual respect and unity within communities.
Speaking at the opening of the Ba Provincial Council meeting in Nadi , Major-General Kalouniwai expressed concern over the direction of leadership and the growing influence of foreign behaviours on iTaukei society.
“Our leadership has shifted, verbal warfare is rampant, and there is a high adoption of foreign behaviours, leading us to lose and forget the very things we as the iTaukei generation pride ourselves on,” he said.
He identified love, cooperation, mutual respect, communal work (solesolevaki) and the preservation of the Christian faith as values that were being eroded.
Major-General Kalouniwai said Fiji was facing a difficult period, with growing social, economic and political challenges affecting communities across the country.
“Fiji, our beloved country, is going through a challenging and difficult time.”
He highlighted the rise in HIV infections, the spread of illicit drugs and the economic pressures confronting families.
“We are seeing and hearing about the rapid rise in the number of people infected with the HIV pandemic, and part of this increase is linked to the uncontrollable spread and monitoring of illicit drugs,” he said.
The Commander also referred to ongoing national discussions surrounding constitutional amendments and the reinstatement of the Great Council of Chiefs.
“We are feeling the economic challenges, and we see and hear widespread discussions regarding changes to our constitution, alongside questions surrounding the purpose of reinstating the Great Council of Chiefs.”
He said these challenges were affecting communities at every level, from families and landowning units to districts and provinces.
“These matters are not up for debate; they are realities that are impacting the efforts within our families, communities, landowning units (mataqali), tribes (yavusa), districts (tikina), and provinces.”
“This does not just affect your province, it envelops our entire nation of Fiji.”
Major-General Kalouniwai warned that the challenges also threatened opportunities for children and future generations.
He urged provincial council members to strengthen their leadership through three fundamental principles — doing what was right even when nobody was watching, understanding their traditional responsibilities and serving all citizens equally.
He reminded traditional leaders that their positions were inherited through chiefly lineage rather than determined by elections.
“Being a member of this Council is not chosen by election; those who sit on this Council are anointed through their chiefly lineage and the traditional leadership gifts they were born with.”
“This is not artificial; it is a divine anointment.”
Major-General Kalouniwai concluded by reaffirming the military’s responsibility to protect Fiji and its people….PACNEWS
PNG – POLICE: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS 2: Thu 29 Oct 2026
Fijian to tackle Madang police issues
MADANG, 29 OCTOBER 2026 (THE NATIONAL)—New Madang police commander (PPC) Chief Insp Uraia Vakaruru has pledged to address policing challenges in the province such as shortages of resources and manpower and leadership issues.
He took over from outgoing PPC Supt Robert Baim Tuesday.
Vakaruru, a Fijian, said he was prepared to lead and support officers in addressing law and order challenges faced in the province.
“When I applied and was told I was coming to Madang, I did a bit of research into what the role involved,” he said.
“Some of the things (Baim) told me about the lack of resources, manpower and leadership challenges are things I am prepared to face.”
Baim, from Bilia village served the province for three years.
Vakaruru plans to continue the work Baim did during his term.
He said the force had a responsibility to prepare and support younger officers to take on leadership roles in the future.
“When I look at the young officers who have graduated, we owe it to them.
“We have to hand the baton to the new generation,” he said.
Vakaruru said his background was in operations and investigations.
He joined the New Zealand Police Force in the early 1990s and served until his retirement this month.
In 2021, he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, the highest honour recognising his service to criminal investigation.
He had served as a sergeant and senior sergeant in New Zealand before becoming an inspector in 2014.
“I will work on people who do not do what they are supposed to do in the force, and I will be strict with how and what we need to do to serve our people,” he said.
“Maintaining discipline, accountability and effective leadership would be important as the provincial command worked to improve policing services for the people of Madang.”
Meanwhile, Baim asked police officers to give the same support to Vakaruru.
“You only have one commissioner and three deputies. We serve them. We don’t serve other masters,” Baim said.
“We are mandated to follow command and control. You have hard working officers who don’t claim overtime they have a heart to serve. They need a good and strong leadership,” he said….PACNEWS
FIJI – TRUTH & RECONCILIATION: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 2: Thu 29 Oct 2026
GCC part of Fiji’s coup problem, priest tells FTRC
SUVA, 29 OCTOBER 206 (FIJI SUN) —Catholic priest Father Ioane Sigarara told the Fiji Truth and Reconciliation Commission (FTRC) that the Great Council of Chiefs “has been part of the problem” in Fiji’s coups, and that church leaders’ silence was “deafening”.
The Caritas Fiji president and former soldier spoke at the hearing at De Vos on the Park in Suva .
“They’ve led our people down a very dark road, and we’re still trying to claw our way out of it,” he said.
Fr Sigarara said villagers in the North told him they seized a police station on their chief’s orders.
“Our chiefs and our leaders have a lot to answer for,” he said.
He said chiefs still had a place in the nation’s future, but should do “serious soulsearching”.
He said church leaders took long to find courage in 1987 and 2000.
“The silence was deafening at first,” he said, adding that early statements were “really watered down”.
Fr Sigarara said he opposed the 1987 coup “then and to this very day”, even though most Fijians, including religious people, backed it.
He said unresolved trauma passed down generations may help explain drug addiction and the HIV crisis.
“A lot of it is tied to trauma,” he said.
He said he loved iTaukei people and had faith in them. The Great Council of Chiefs was abolished in 2012 and restored in 2023……PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PAC – AGRIFOOD: PACNEWS PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 29 Oct 2026
Pacific forum targets investment to transform food systems
PORT VILA, 29 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — Pacific leaders, investors and development partners will meet in Vanuatu next week to identify financing and practical solutions to strengthen food security, climate resilience and local agrifood production across the region.
The 2026 Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Solutions Forum will run from 03 -06 November in Port Vila, co-hosted by the Vanuatu Government and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
Held under the theme “Solutions for a Resilient Blue Pacific: Scaling Innovation and Financing Agrifood Systems Transformation”, the forum will focus on mobilising investment, strengthening local food production and improving the resilience of Pacific agrifood systems.
Pacific countries face growing pressures from climate change, food insecurity, economic vulnerability and disruptions to supply chains, affecting food production, processing, transportation and access to affordable, nutritious food.
The forum will bring together Pacific ministers, financial institutions, development partners, private-sector representatives, farmers, researchers and youth to identify solutions that can be implemented across the region.
Discussions will cover support for farmers and fishers, stronger local markets, improved food supply chains, healthier diets and measures to help communities adapt to climate change.
The four-day programme will include high-level sessions, 12 side events and exhibitions showcasing Pacific solutions.
The opening day on 03 November will feature an official opening, a ministerial round table on national priorities, and discussions on the FAO Hand-in-Hand Initiative and private-sector partnerships.
On 04 November, delegates will examine ways to improve crop, livestock and fisheries production, alongside nutrition and diet-related health challenges.
Climate resilience, financing, stronger agricultural value chains and the use of digital agriculture, data and artificial intelligence will be the focus on 05 November.
The final day will include the launch of the Pacific SIDS Investment Programme and Agrifood Investment Platform, followed by the presentation of forum outcomes and adoption of a Ministerial Declaration.
Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat and Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry and Biosecurity Ian Wilson Toagalana are among the expected participants.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu will participate virtually, alongside FAO Deputy Director-General Maurizio Martina, Chief Economist Máximo Torero Cullen and Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific Alue Dohong.
Other participants include representatives of the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development and regional organisations.
The forum aims to connect Pacific countries’ agrifood priorities with investment opportunities, helping turn national plans into projects that can attract financing and strengthen food systems.
The meeting will be held at Warwick Le Lagon Resort in Port Vila. The official opening is scheduled Tuesday, 03 November…PACNEWS
PNG – WEATHER WATCH/ELNINO: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 29 Oct 2026
Dry spell threatens multi-million Kina project in PNG’s Morobe province
MOROBE, 29 OCTOBER 2026 (THE NATIONAL) —El Nino is threatening agriculture programmes initiated by Morobe Consolidated Goldfields Limited in Papua New Guinea to help landowner groups in Wau, says programmes supervisor Esther Bill.
Bill said their fresh produce programme, a food security initiative, was now a multi-million Kina project.
“We have a portion of land being used as a seedling and animal breeding hub,” she said.
“Any interested farmer who comes, we distribute these to them for free.
“We also provide basic training on crop management and livestock care to ensure they can cultivate what they take back to their villages.”
Bill said the recent dry weather had been affecting the seedling and breeding programmes.
“We have stopped planting because of the heat and are now focused entirely on maintaining the plants already growing,” she said.
“While we are fortunate to have nearby streams in this area, we must share that water with the local community.
“This adds to the challenge of getting individuals interested in planting their own food crops.”
Bill said that while Wau and Bulolo were blessed with fertile soil for agriculture, the allure of alluvial mining had distracted many local people.
She said the project was introduced to remind people that when the gold ran out, agriculture would remain. We have a responsibility to ensure communities are food secure and healthy,” she said.
“This programme was to avoid health issues like malnutrition and anaemia as shown by health statistics.
“We already have about 100,000 coffee seedlings at the project area.
“Honey and fish production are also under this food security project,” said Bill…PACNEWS
PACNEWS In Focus
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Pacific nations emit less than 0.03 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases, yet pay the highest climate price
By Paul Dargusch, Asadul Islam
MELBOURNE, 29 OCTOBER 2026 (MONASH UNIVERSITY)—The Pacific Islands are home to some of the world’s most extraordinary natural assets.
From the tropical forests of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands to the coral reefs, mangroves and vast ocean ecosystems that connect the region, these landscapes and seascapes sustain livelihoods, cultures and economies while delivering environmental benefits to the world.
Yet these countries and communities face an extraordinary injustice.
They contribute less than 0.03 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions but confront some of the most severe consequences of climate change.
The Pacific’s annual adaptation financing needs alone are estimated at US$3.3 billion.
At recent Pre-COP31 discussions in Fiji, Pacific leaders reiterated a fundamental demand: wealthy countries, particularly neighbouring developed nations, have a moral obligation to provide grants, rather than additional debt, to help Pacific communities respond to a crisis they did little to create.
They are right. But there is another conversation we urgently need to have.
The limits of climate finance
When climate finance reaches communities, it can make a tangible difference.
However, the international climate finance system has consistently failed to deliver funding at the scale, speed and accessibility needed by Pacific nations.
Despite decades of negotiations, accessing grants from institutions such as the Green Climate Fund remains complex, expensive and administratively demanding.
Funding often passes through multiple international intermediaries, including multilateral agencies, development organisations and consultants, before reaching the communities where it is needed.
Each intermediary performs functions that may be necessary, but these arrangements can also absorb substantial resources through administration, project preparation, compliance and management costs.
The result is a system in which too much funding can be consumed before tangible benefits reach communities.
Meanwhile, geopolitical and economic priorities are shifting and many traditional donors are reducing their international development commitments.
Globally, official development assistance fell to US$174 billion in 2025, from US$215 billion the year before, the steepest annual drop ever recorded. The United States cut its aid by more than half and accounted for three-quarters of the decline; the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Japan all cut too.
The 2025 International Court of Justice advisory opinion, initiated through Pacific leadership, reinforced the legal obligations of developed country parties to provide climate finance. But legal and moral obligations do not necessarily translate into timely financial commitments from nation states.
This creates a difficult reality. The Pacific must continue demanding climate justice and grant-based assistance, particularly for adaptation, loss and damage, and essential public goods. Initiatives such as the Pacific Resilience Facility offer important opportunities to direct grant funding towards locally determined priorities.
However, reliance on an increasingly constrained international grants system cannot be the region’s only financial strategy.
From climate finance to natural capital investment
An alternative, and potentially transformative, opportunity lies in strengthening the investment proposition of the Pacific’s natural assets.
The forests, reefs, fisheries, agricultural landscapes and coastal ecosystems of the Pacific are not simply vulnerable environments requiring international assistance. They are productive assets capable, under the right circumstances, of generating significant economic value.
Natural capital investment seeks to recognise and responsibly realise this value through activities such as sustainable forestry, regenerative agriculture, carbon markets, biodiversity conservation, fisheries, ecotourism and ecosystem restoration.
Consider a mangrove forest. It stores carbon, supports fisheries, protects coastal communities and sustains cultural practices. Traditionally, these benefits have been poorly reflected in economic decisions. Yet carefully designed investments could generate revenues through carbon markets, sustainable fisheries and complementary enterprises, creating financial incentives for long-term protection.
Similarly, investment in sustainable agricultural processing or responsibly managed forestry could increase economic returns without expanding environmental degradation.
The opportunity is to shift from financing environmental protection primarily as an expense towards recognising ecosystem stewardship as an economically productive activity.
Importantly, investment capital can offer efficiencies that conventional grants frequently struggle to achieve. Where commercially viable projects can be developed, investors have incentives to deploy capital effectively, generate measurable outcomes and maintain productive assets over time.
Unlike grants, successful investments can generate recurring income, support further investment and reduce dependence on successive rounds of donor funding.
This does not mean investment is universally superior. Commercial finance carries costs, risks and expectations of financial returns. Many essential adaptation and conservation activities will never generate sufficient revenue to attract investors and must remain publicly funded.
The challenge is identifying where grants are indispensable and where investment can deliver additional, sustainable financial flows.
Investment on Pacific terms
There are legitimate concerns that natural capital investment could become another form of resource extraction, particularly given the Pacific’s colonial history.
Forests, reefs and customary lands are not simply commodities awaiting financial valuation. They embody cultural identities, traditional knowledge and relationships between communities and nature that extend far beyond commercial returns.
Indeed, customary ownership and community stewardship should be recognised as strengths rather than obstacles to investment.
Successful natural capital investment must therefore be designed with traditional owners, respect customary tenure, protect community decision-making and ensure fair distribution of economic benefits.
Communities must retain the ability to reject inappropriate proposals. Transparent agreements, safeguards and locally led governance are essential.
The objective is not to transfer control of Pacific natural assets to international investors. It is to attract capital on terms that strengthen Pacific ownership, prosperity and environmental resilience.
A new financial proposition for the Pacific
Australia and other developed neighbours must not use private investment as an excuse to retreat from their climate finance obligations. Grants remain essential, and their delivery must become more direct, accessible and efficient.
But grants can also help establish the conditions for investment: strengthening local institutions, developing viable project pipelines, reducing early-stage risks and building the technical capabilities needed to negotiate equitable financial arrangements.
This creates an opportunity to mobilise financial flows substantially greater than those available through public grants alone.
The Pacific should not be positioned merely as a recipient of international climate assistance. It should increasingly be recognised as a region possessing globally significant natural wealth, with the authority and opportunity to determine how that wealth supports its future.
The real ambition is not simply to attract more money into the Pacific. It is to fundamentally improve how finance reaches communities, who controls it, and how enduring economic and environmental value is created.
Climate justice requires grants. Long-term economic empowerment also requires investment. The Pacific deserves both….PACNEWS
Paul Dargusch Professor, Pacific Action for Climate Transitions
Asadul Islam Professor, Department of Economics
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
The Overlooked Coral Reef Network: Scientists say Atolls deserve greater Conservation attention
MAJURO, 29 OCTOBER 2026 (THE NATURE CONSERVANCY) —A new international study suggests that atolls, the ring-shaped coral reef ecosystems scattered across the Pacific and Indian oceans, represent one of the world’s largest coral reef networks yet remain underrecognised in global conservation planning.
Published in Frontiers in Marine Science, the study found that 309 Indo-Pacific atolls contain more than 27,000 square kilometers of mapped shallow coral reef habitat, accounting for 41.5 percent of all mapped reef areas surrounding Indo-Pacific islands and nearly 8 percent of the world’s mapped shallow reefscape. Collectively, atoll reefs occupy nearly as much area as Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
The findings challenge the perception of atolls as isolated or peripheral coral reef systems and suggest they should be more explicitly incorporated into coral conservation strategies.
“Atolls are often discussed as small, vulnerable islands, but when we look at the reefs associated with them collectively, they emerge as one of the planet’s major coral reef systems,” said Alex Wegmann, lead author of the study and Lead Scientist for Island Resilience with The Nature Conservancy.
“If we want coral reef conservation to reflect the full diversity and scale of the world’s reefs and address the associated challenges, atolls need to be part of that conversation.”
The study brings together atoll scientists, conservation practitioners, and community leaders from across the Pacific, Indian Ocean, North America, and Europe. Using a curated database of Indo-Pacific atolls and high-resolution reef mapping from the Allen Coral Atlas and the Interactive Data Portal for Indo-Pacific Atolls, researchers quantified the extent of reef habitat associated with atoll ecosystems and compared it to other globally recognised reef regions.
Researchers say the findings are particularly relevant as coral reefs worldwide face increasing pressure from climate change.
For decades, atolls have frequently been portrayed as ecosystems destined to disappear beneath rising seas. However, a growing body of research shows that healthy atolls are dynamic systems whose futures depend on the condition of the coral reefs that support them. Intact atoll reefs generate sediment, support island formation, sustain fisheries, and maintain ecological connections between land and sea.
“Too often, atolls are framed as doomed landscapes rather than living reef systems with remarkable ecological complexity,” said Sebastian Steibl, an atoll scientist from the University of Auckland and co-author of the study.
“The science increasingly shows that these systems are dynamic, resilient in important ways, and worthy of far greater attention from the conservation community.”
The authors also point to emerging evidence that some atoll reefs may harbor coral communities with elevated heat tolerance, potentially making them important sources of climate-resilient corals in a warming ocean. Research from places such as Palmyra Atoll has documented reef habitats that experienced widespread bleaching during marine heat waves but relatively limited coral mortality.
“Atolls offer a unique opportunity to understand how coral reefs can persist under climate stress,” said Hannah Stewart, co-author and coral conservation scientist.
“Protecting these systems is not only important for the communities and biodiversity they support today, but also for the lessons they may provide about the future of coral reefs globally.”
The study also highlights a challenge unique to atolls: while they collectively form a reef network of global significance, they are spread across dozens of jurisdictions and many small island nations. That geographic dispersion can make them less visible in conservation agendas than large, centrally managed reef systems.
For many Pacific and Indian Ocean communities, however, atolls are far more than reef habitats. They are homes, sources of food security, cultural landscapes, and foundations of local economies.
“People who live on atolls have long understood the connection between healthy reefs, healthy islands, and healthy communities,” said Dolores deBrum Kattil, co-author and Executive Director of the Marshall Islands Conservation Society.
“Recognising the global importance of atoll reefs should go hand in hand with supporting the communities that depend on them.”
The authors emphasise that elevating atolls in coral reef conservation does not mean shifting attention away from places like the Great Barrier Reef or the Coral Triangle. Instead, they argue that conservation strategies should better reflect the full range of reef systems that make up the global coral reef estate.
“Protecting coral reefs at a global scale means protecting all major reef systems,” Wegmann said. “This study shows that atolls belong firmly in that category,” he said …. PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Could the rope that pulls us apart also hold us together?
Opinion by Thomas Tarurongo Wynne
AUCKLAND, 29 OCTOBER 2026 (PMN)—Last week Israel announced it had been accepted as a second-tier, sectoral partner of the Pacific Islands Forum. Its Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar, said Israel would “participate in a framework for cooperation in areas of mutual interest,” including water, agriculture and climate change.
Across our communities, reaction has been swift and sharp. And how often are these reactions framed as either-or: for or against, faith or freedom, sovereignty or solidarity, colonised or decolonised? But what if the answer lies not in either-or, but in and-and?
The late writer and anthropologist Epeli Hauʻofa rejected the idea of our islands as small and dependent. “Oceania is us. We are the sea, we are the ocean,” he wrote. But is there room in that vast Oceania for Pacific people to see the world differently?
Our Avaiki Nui (Cook Islands) Māori language may offer a way through. Uriuri’anga is a vigorous discussion, the back and forth in which ideas are tested and contested. It can be likened to a rope pulled taut between people who refuse to let go of their convictions, but who recognise the mana of the person holding the other end.
Between the two ends lies the vā, the sacred relational space between us. The tension runs through it, but it is the vā, and its mana, that we are responsible for keeping whole.
So who is holding the rope? Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister, Viliame Gavoka, has told RNZ Pacific: “The entire Pacific Islands identify with Israel in ways many would not understand. It’s biblical and ageless and real.” Adding that “the relationship with Israel is timeless, whereas with others, it’s largely geopolitics.”
When Naoero opened its embassy in Jerusalem in September, Vice-President Lionel Aingimea said: “True friends stay consistent through both good times and hard trials, and that is who Naoero is to Israel.”
New Zealand’s Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, has called criticism of the leaders’ decision an “insult” to Pacific nations.
Pulling the other way, the Pacific Conference of Churches wants the partnership reviewed and engagement with Israel suspended. Its General Secretary, Reverend James Bhagwan, has said “we cannot talk about the suffering of one community only without ignoring what others are going through.”
Tongan scholar Nāsili Vakaʻuta asks: “How can nations whose histories have been shaped by colonial domination be so reluctant to challenge the domination of another people?” He also invokes the vā: “In Sāmoa, vā reminds us that relationships carry obligations. In Tonga, tauhi vā calls us to nurture and sustain those relationships.”
The Forum has backed self-determination since 1971. The Asia Pacific Report notes that this month, at the UN, Israel voted against every resolution on the decolonisation of the six Pacific territories, including Māʻohi Nui (French Polynesia) and Kanaky (New Caledonia).
Forum chair and Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr has said: “Our partners are welcome to sail with us but they do not choose our destination.” But who chooses the partners, and who determines the destination? Our leaders alone, the people whose future they carry, or both?
Each of these voices speaks from conviction, faith or history. Each belongs holding the rope.
But whichever end of the rope we hold, surely as people of the moana, we can agree that the death of innocents is never justified.
Our tūpuna built vaka lashed with ka’a, not nails, so the vaka could shift with the moana rather than break against it. Is this not disagreement in a Pacific world? We can critique a decision, scrutinise the influence behind it, even the theology that informs it. Where we may need caution, if we want the rope to hold, is when we question the belonging or the Pacific-ness of the person on the other end.
Kūpapa, colonised, antisemitic. When these words become labels for dismissing people rather than arguments to examine, they do not pull. They cut. And they cut both ways. Those who support the decision are called kūpapa or colonised. Those who question it are called antisemitic or anti-Christian. Both lose hold of the rope that connects us.
If we believe in self-determination, is it only self-determination when the outcome matches our own view of the world?
Uriuri’anga does not ask us to choose between conviction and connection, between pulling and holding. It asks us to do both. If our unity can only survive when we agree, how strong was it to begin with?
Question the decision. Question the influence. Question the theology. But hold the mana of the person you are pulling against, and protect the vā between us. As our Sāmoan āiga say, teu le vā. We may never agree, but we can sail this storm together without capsizing ourselves or each other.
Hauʻofa wrote, “We are the sea, we are the ocean.” If we cannot disagree without denying each other’s belonging, or each other’s Pacific-ness, then what kind of ocean are we creating?….PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
The latest regional ‘snapshot’ of education suggests persistent foundational challenges
SUVA, 29 OCTOBER 2026 (SPC/ISLANDS BUSINESS) —A strong foundation in literacy and numeracy enables young people to fully participate in their communities and in the world. Recognising the importance of literacy and numeracy, the Pacific Community (SPC) developed the Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (PILNA) in 2012.
PILNA helps Pacific education systems monitor the progress of students’ literacy and numeracy outcomes. By providing evidence on what learners can do, PILNA supports education systems to identify priorities, strengthen teaching and learning, and create opportunities for young people to reach their full potential. This work contributes to building resilient, prosperous, and sustainable societies across the Pacific.
PILNA is conducted regularly and provides a ‘snapshot’ of education outcomes for students who have completed four and six years of basic education. It also captures important contextual factors that can support or hinder learning. PILNA is not about ranking countries. Rather, it provides each country with evidence that can be used to identify strengths, respond to challenges, target priorities, and support continuous improvement of students. The most recent PILNA was conducted in 2025 with more than 41,000 students participating across 15 countries in Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. SPC launched the latest edition PILNA 2025 Regional Report on International Literacy Day (8 September) 2026. It shows progress alongside persistent foundational challenges across the Pacific.
Strengths
PILNA 2025 shows that numeracy is the strongest performing domain, with around seven in ten learners meeting the expected standards. While the 2025 average numeracy scores remain below those of 2018, scores have increased since 2021, indicating recent improvement. The average writing scores are also encouraging, with around 70 percent of Year 4 students and 53 percent of Year 6 students achieving the minimum expected proficiency levels for writing.
Challenges
Reading emerged as the most pressing foundational learning challenge. Only around 44 percent of Year 4 students and just over half (54 percent) of Year 6 students met the minimum expected proficiency level. Almost half (46 percent) of Year 6 students were at or below the minimum expected proficiency level for Year 4. Analysis across all test areas indicated students performed better on familiar, routine, or straightforward tasks, but did not do so well on inferring meaning, explaining reasoning, connecting information, or completing multi-step problems. The results also highlighted a gender gap. Girls continue to outperform boys across numeracy, reading, and writing at both Year 4 and Year 6. Encouragingly, the gap has narrowed since 2021, but the persistence of the gap indicates a need to address the factors that may affect boys’ engagement and progression, while continuing to support girls and ensuring all learners have equitable opportunities to succeed.
What else affects learning?
One of PILNA’s strengths is the exploration of wider contextual factors that influence learning such as support at home, safe learning environments, well-being of teachers and school leaders, sufficient resources, and access to learning materials. The contextual findings suggest many learners and educators face pressures that can affect learning. Around one in five students reported frequent hunger, tiredness, sadness, or worry at school. More than half reported experiencing bullying. Most teachers and school leaders also reported high levels of stress. Only around a quarter of students reported having their own textbooks, and many schools have a shortage of reading materials. The findings indicate participation in early childhood education is high and it has a positive association with learning outcomes. Strong caregiver support and lower levels of bullying are also linked with higher proficiency. These results do not imply simple cause and effect, but reinforce that learning outcomes are shaped by the interaction between the learner and the conditions around them.
Priority areas for action
The findings point to several priorities: improving reading, identifying learners who are falling behind early, and providing targeted support before learning gaps become entrenched. Learners also need regular opportunities to apply their basic reading, writing, and numeracy skills in more challenging and unfamiliar ways. Context matters too. Children need safe and supportive home and learning environments, supported teachers and school leaders, and access to high-quality learning materials to reach their full potential.
From evidence to action
PILNA can be compared to a health check-up: the results show areas of strength and concern, but the real value lies in actions taken. The PILNA 2025 findings show where students stand today and how they compare with previous assessments, and provide evidence to guide priorities and action.
A regional commitment to evidence-based education
PILNA reflects a shared commitment by Pacific governments and development partners to strengthen education through evidence. By providing a consistent regional benchmark, the assessment helps countries monitor progress against national education priorities, regional goals, and international commitments.
Partnership driving progress
The success of PILNA is built on collaboration. Implemented by SPC’s Educational Quality and Assessment Programme, with support from the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), PILNA brings together regional leadership, international expertise, and the commitment of Pacific ministries of education, schools, teachers, students, and families. This partnership is central to the value of PILNA. It ensures that the evidence generated through PILNA is reliable, regional, and relevant.
Looking ahead
PILNA 2025 offers both encouragement and a call to action. The report provides a starting point for sharper discussion, reflection, and action. For policy-makers, teachers, and communities, it offers an opportunity to better understand the challenges learners face and the support they need to succeed. Over the coming months, SPC will disseminate the PILNA 2025 country-level findings. Technical teams will present each nation’s results, discuss country-specific findings and contextual factors, and work alongside ministries of education to identify priority interventions and practical actions. This process will help countries translate evidence into meaningful policy and stronger classroom practice. The dissemination of PILNA 2025 marks not the end of the assessment cycle, but the beginning of using evidence to inform action and improve learning….PACNEWS
