In this bulletin:
1. AUST — Australia’s export emissions under scrutiny ahead of climate talks
2. PNG — Marape unveils ‘no more than three children’ policy to manage PNG’s high birth rate
3. SOL — Solomon Islands delegation ready to participate in COP31
4. PACIFIC — World Vision calls for child-centered climate financing ahead of COP 31
5. FIJI — Sea levels around Fiji rising by up to 5mm annually
6. GUAM — World reefs at risk of collapse, Guam fares better with reproduction efforts underway
7. NZ — Mixed fortunes for Pacific candidates as MMP shapes uncertain NZ election outcome
8. PACNEWS BIZ — Fuel costs rise by nearly $300M for Fiji Airways, another loss expected – Scurrah
9. PACNEWS BIZ — ADB: Reliable Water Supply Vital for Economic Growth
10. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — Pacific Communities Rely on Sea-Level Observations to Face Rising Seas
11. PACNEWS DIGEST — Growing new roots: atoll communities pair opportunity crops with traditional foods in the Marshall Islands
12. PACNEWS DIGEST — Tonga launches first locally managed organic certification system to strengthen sustainable agriculture
AUST – EMISSION: ABC PACNEWS 3: Mon 09 Nov 2026
Australia’s export emissions under scrutiny ahead of climate talks
CANBERRA, 09 NOVEMBER 2026 (ABC) — Seven days after a glacier collapse caused devastating floods in Nepal, the United Nations gave a troubling update on global warming.
Surface temperatures were on track to exceed the 1.5-degree Celsius increase that scientists had long warned against crossing by 2030.
Countries with the greatest responsibility for climate change “should act the fastest,” the report’s authors wrote, to ensure “those who have contributed least” are not “left to bear its greatest burdens”.
It was awkward timing for the Australian government.
An open-cut coal mine expansion in Queensland’s Bowen Basin had just been approved, allowing 55 million more tonnes of coal for export until 2055.
The same week, Resources Minister Madeleine King smiled as she turned on the tap that would feed gas fracked from the Beetaloo Basin into the power grid.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was in Palau doing his best to spruik Australia’s environmental credentials in the Pacific, a region vulnerable to climate change.
“What do you say to Pacific leaders who see the resources minister opening a new gas project at Beetaloo?” AAP journalist Ben McKay asked the prime minister during a press conference on the island.
“Today a decision’s been made on the BHP Saraji coal mine expansion. They look at you, and they say you are the problem,” the journalist said.
“No, they don’t do that,” Albanese said. “Australia is highly regarded when it comes to climate change.”
This week, that claim will be tested at the highest level, when the most important global climate conference takes place in Türkiye.
As Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen leads the negotiations, Australia will work hard to present itself as the poster child for climate action.
The country has a target of reducing emissions 62 to 70 per cent below 2005 levels by 2035, and its latest greenhouse gas inventory has its domestic footprint down by 25 per cent on 2005 levels.
Renewables now supply almost half the national energy market and the government hopes that will reach 82 per cent by 2030, through a range of incentives.
But setting aside any limitations to the domestic policy framework, there is a glaring problem sitting beyond it.
Emissions from Australian coal and gas exports have almost doubled since 2005.
Calculations from the latest government data show estimated emissions from those exports, when burnt overseas, reached almost 1,200 million tonnes for the 2025-26 financial year, up from 681 million tonnes in 2005.
The Climate Council said it had tracked 16 new coal mines or expansions that had been approved in Australia since May 2022, and 11 new gas approvals.
Further expansions, including the Hunter Valley Operations coal mine in NSW and the Saraji East coal mine in Queensland, could be approved at the federal level before Christmas.
None of this has gone unnoticed by those paying attention, such as Lyric Thomas-Pera, a Sydney-based activist with the Pacific Climate Warriors group.
In late October, members of the group attended BHP’s AGM to ask a series of uncomfortable questions.
Thomas-Pera, who has family members affected by climate change in Fiji, asked board members if they were concerned about BHP’s reputational risk in pursuing coal mine expansions while marketing itself as a “future-facing company”.
Chairman Ross McEwen thanked the 23-year-old for the question and said reputational risks were “absolutely part of the risk assessment … for any of our projects”.
He also pointed to BHP’s “very clear plan” to reduce its carbon footprint by 30 per cent by 2030, “which guides the board too on all of its actions”.
But this carbon footprint, like Australia’s national greenhouse gas inventory, also excludes any downstream emissions produced overseas, including the coal exports from Saraji.
Under the Paris Agreement accounting rules and Australian legislation, these downstream or “Scope 3” emissions are not included in domestic reporting.
When the coal that the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance digs up in Queensland is used offshore, the emissions are the responsibility of the country that burns it.
But the logic behind this appears to be unravelling.
In October, the High Court found NSW planning authorities were required to consider the emissions caused by burning fossil fuels overseas when approving projects.
The decision was centred on a planning statute and its application in a Hunter Valley mine expansion.
It said the idea of “scopes” was merely an “accounting concept”, and ultimately “the impact of greenhouse gas emissions is the same, regardless of how they are categorised”.
The High Court found NSW law required authorities to consider “all greenhouse gas emissions [including Scope 3 emissions], and … to consider imposing conditions to minimise, to the greatest extent practicable, those emissions”.
The decision aligns with cases in the UK and Norway, which found that the environmental impact of a project must consider the full extent of the emissions connected to it.
London barrister Harj Narulla said Australia needed to be open about its share of responsibility in tackling climate change.
Narulla represented the Solomon Islands in a 2025 International Court of Justice (ICJ) case that found accountability for climate-related harm should rest with fossil-fuel-producing nations at the point of extraction.
“Importantly, the court affirmed the 1.5C target, and also they said that fossil fuel production, consumption subsidies and licensing may be unlawful under international law,” he said.
Narulla said a resolution at the UN General Assembly in May had strengthened the ICJ advisory opinion.
“[The ICJ] said that because of its outsized contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel production, consumption, subsidies and licensing may be an internationally wrongful act.
“Because it basically pushes us over the threshold of 1.5 degrees based on current trajectories.”
Narulla said Australia’s ongoing fossil fuel expansions go “well beyond” keeping the world on track for a 1.5-degree pathway, which puts the country “squarely in the frame for being challenged in terms of our compliance with international law”.
Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen did not respond directly to the ABC’s questions about how Australia’s expansion of fossil fuel projects was compatible with its international legal obligations.
In a statement, his spokesperson said Australia would try to “build consensus on electrification” at COP31 and work on unlocking climate finance and investment to support the clean energy transition.
The summit is focusing on 35 per cent electrification by 2035, aiming to capitalise on the economic pain brought about by soaring fossil fuel costs caused by the war in Iran.
Asked about Australia’s fossil fuel record on a Guardian podcast this week, Bowen said the “academic conversation” in the public debate around the issue differed from what happened in international negotiations.
“I’ve never had a minister say to me, ‘Well, we wish you’d stop selling us so much fossil fuels,'” he said.
“They’re in the middle of their transition … trying to get off fossil fuels, but they know they can’t do that immediately.
“They’re building renewables, they’re building batteries, they’re building capacity, but they know it’s not going to work overnight, and they need, in the meantime, to use fossil fuels, and they’ve got to get them from somewhere.”
In the past week, more than 500 Australian academics signed an open letter to the prime minister, requesting the government “end approvals for new or expanded coal, oil, and gas projects” and create a legally binding transition away from fossil fuels.
Albanese has not responded to the letter, but Bowen said in a statement projects were assessed case by case under national environmental law.
Lyric Thomas-Pera said the Australian government had spoken a lot about the country being “part of the Pacific family”.
“I feel like this is the time for the Australian government to really show us what being a part of that family is,” she said.
“When you’re in a family, you don’t let another one down. You don’t let them fall behind; you uplift them, you support them, and I believe that that is what the Australian government needs to do for the Pacific.”…. PACNEWS
PNG – POPULATION: RNZ PACIFIC PACNEWS 3: Mon 09 Nov 2026
Marape unveils ‘no more than three children’ policy to manage PNG’s high birth rate
PORT MORESBY, 09 NOVEMBER 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC) — Families in Papua New Guinea could soon be advised to have no more than three children, Prime Minister James Marape says.
He said the government would introduce a National Family Planning Policy designed to lower PNG’s high birth rate by encouraging families to stick to a maximum of three children.
Marape said the policy aims to curb uncontrolled demographic expansion, prevent unplanned pregnancies and reduce economic burdens on rural households.
PNG’s National Statistics Office said the country’s total population has reached 10.18 million people, with an average annual population growth rate of 2.6 percent.
The government said that the growth of more than 180,000 people annually placed critical strain on infrastructure, schools and health services.
The policy was announced by Marape as he visited the maternity wing at the newly-opened Pomio district hospital, the Dr Kaven Memorial Hospital, at Palmalmal Station in East New Britain Province.
“This is to ensure that there is prevention of unplanned pregnancies and births, and families will be encouraged to have no more than three children,” Marape said of the new policy.
According to him, managing the birth rate is essential for generating a long-term positive economic impact for families and protecting the wellbeing of mothers throughout the country…. PACNEWS
SOL – COP31: SOLOMON STAR PACNEWS 3: Mon 09 Nov 2026
Solomon Islands delegation ready to participate in COP31
HONIARA, 09 NOVEMBER 2026 (SOLOMON STAR) — Solomon Islands is preparing to join the rest of the world in the opening of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UN-FCCC) in Antalya, Türkiye on Monday 9 November.
Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM), Wayne Kituru Ghemu is leading a 26-member delegation to the Conference.
The 25 members of the Solomon Islands delegation represent the Government, Non-Government Organisations, Pacific Islands Forum and youth climate group who will be taking part in different thematic meetings.
The thematic meetings will be on finance, just transition, markets and non markets, capacity building, Global Stocktake (GST), Health, Adaptation, Oceans, Loss and Damage, Mitigation, Transparency, Gender and Education amongst others.
As build up towards the glamorous opening ceremony, United Nations Climate Change reports delegates are arriving from around the world, from country negotiators to youth, Indigenous Peoples, scientists, civil society and the media.
Badges are being collected, rooms are being set, and teams are working around the clock to get everything ready for the next two weeks.
Over the coming days, nearly 200 countries will come together to advance the work of the Paris Agreement.
COP31 will focus on turning the commitments and pledges already made into real action.
It is the steady, detailed work of delivering bold climate action and unlocking more resilience, health and economic opportunities for more people.
The Conference ends on 20 November…. PACNEWS
PAC – CLIMATE FINANCE/COP31: RNZ PACIFIC PACNEWS 3: Mon 09 Nov 2026
World Vision calls for child-centered climate financing ahead of COP 31
WELLINGTON, 09 NOVEMBER 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC) — With the United Nations annual climate talks set to begin this week, advocates are calling for urgent changes to how climate financing is administered so those most affected are not improverished further by a crisis they did not cause.
The 31st edition of the UN Framework Convention on Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) will be held in Antayla, Turkey, from 9 to 20 November. The global summit will bring together heads of state, ministers, scientists, business leaders, and civil society representatives from around the world.
World Vision is one of the global advocacy groups calling for change.
The organisation’s United Kingdom-arm has just released a new report calling for climate financing to prioritise children most affected by this crisis.
The Inheritance Trap report looks at the cycle of how disaster recovery efforts divert funds away from essential services to cover climate debt and how it affects children in smaller nations, like those in the Pacific, where these disasters occur.
World Vision NZ’s advocacy lead Rebekah Armstrong said the onus was not just on governments to build the infrastructure the Pacific needs.
“The Pacific should be leading all of this, and they are. It’s great to see… [but] people should be listening, governments should be listening, businesses should be listening, and we need to increase climate finance and keep it as grants when there is a cost recovery,” Armstrong said.
According to the report, during disaster recovery efforts, governments steer funds away from essential services to cover climate debt.
But Armstrong said when countries do this, schooling and access to food are often affected.
“There’s this kind of chunk of time where a child is losing out on some of the most important skills and abilities that they need,” said Armstrong.
In the Pacific, the report looked at Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Similar concerns regarding climate finance had also been aired by Pacific leaders at the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda.
UN data from 2022 shows Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) contribute less than 0.03 per cent of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions, yet are amongst the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
At CHOGM’s opening ceremony, Samoa’s Deputy Prime Minister Mulipola Anarosa Ale Molioo urged Commonwealth leaders to provide fairer, more accessible forms of climate finance, given the world was already moving beyond the critical 1.5 degrees Celsius warming threshold.
“Many nations and communities are facing permanent losses. But overshoot must not become an excuse for delayed ambition or inaction,” she said, as reported by Pac News.
She also called on Commonwealth leaders to heed the calls from the recent Pacific Pre-COP31 discussions in Fiji and Tuvalu.
“No nation should have to borrow its way out of a crisis it did so little to create,” she said…. PACNEWS
FIJI – SEA LEVEL RISE: FIJI TIMES PACNEWS 3: Mon 09 Nov 2026
Sea levels around Fiji rising by up to 5mm annually
SUVA, 09 NOVEMBER 2026 (FIJI TIMES) — Sea levels around Fiji have been rising by between four and five millimetres annually over the past three decades, according to the Fiji Meteorological Service’s 2025 Annual Climate Summary.
Satellite measurements from 1992 to 2025 revealed the continuing rise, highlighting the growing risks facing Fiji’s coastal communities and infrastructure.
The report also revealed that the sea-level monitoring station at Lautoka Wharf recorded an average relative sea-level rise of 3.7 millimetres per year between 1993 and 2025.
The Fiji Meteorological Service said this represented a statistically significant increasing trend, with a 95 per cent confidence level.
At the recorded rate of 3.7 millimetres annually, the cumulative increase over 32 years would be approximately 11.8 centimetres, assuming a constant rate.
The report noted that Fiji currently has monitoring stations at Lautoka Wharf and Suva Wharf, while a third station previously located at Vatia Wharf in Tavua had been removed because of changes in land ownership.
However, sea-level trends at Suva Wharf and Vatia Wharf could not be analysed because of missing data.
Globally, the report stated that mean sea level at the end of 2025 was approximately 11 centimetres higher than in January 1993, when satellite records began.
More concerning was the acceleration in the rate of global sea-level rise.
Between 1993 and 2011, global sea levels rose at an average rate of 2.65 millimetres annually.
That rate increased to 4.75 millimetres annually between 2012 and 2025, according to the World Meteorological Organisation’s State of the Global Climate 2025 report.
The Fiji Meteorological Service warned that sea-level changes around Fiji could differ from the global average because of ocean currents, changes in ocean temperature and circulation, and vertical land movement.
These factors could expose some coastal areas to faster sea-level rise, increasing the risks of coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion, flooding and damage to infrastructure and ecosystems.
Low-lying communities are particularly vulnerable to these impacts.
The report explained that global sea-level rise is primarily driven by warming oceans, which cause seawater to expand, and the melting of glaciers and ice sheets.
It warned that even if greenhouse gas emissions stopped immediately, sea levels would continue rising for centuries because of the climate system’s long-term response…. PACNEWS
GUAM – REEFS: GUAM PDN PACNEWS 3: Mon 09 Nov 2026
World reefs at risk of collapse, Guam fares better with reproduction efforts underway
HAGATNA, 09 NOVEMBER 2026 (GUAM PDN) — A global assessment of the world’s coral reef ecosystems issued October by the International Union for Conservation of Nature found that nearly all face a high risk of collapse within the next 50 years.
But right now, Guam’s reefs are “doing relatively well”, according to the Guam Coral Reef Initiative. Efforts are underway to increase genetic diversity in local reefs.
According to the IUCN assessment, 122 of the 127 coral reef ecosystems observed in their assessment, about 96 percent, are critically endangered. That’s largely driven by heat stress.
“Marine heatwaves are projected to become so frequent that reefs may not have sufficient time to recover between events,” IUCN reported. “Marine heatwaves are the biggest threat. As the ocean warms, heatwaves occur more often and last longer.”
Cuam Coral Reef Initiative Programme Manager Ashton Williams told the Pacific Daily News that local reefs are faring better than those in other regions.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, Guam is currently under a coral bleaching “watch,” the agency’s second-lowest alert level.
Average sea surface temperatures around Guam have generally remained below NOAA’s coral bleaching threshold in 2025 and 2026, based on recorded data.
In contrast, reefs in regions like the Caribbean have been affected by extremely high ocean temperatures.
But Guam’s comparatively favorable conditions do not mean its reefs are immune to similar impacts or that they have not experienced them before.
In 2017, Guam’s reefs experienced the worst recorded coral bleaching year according to NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch. At the time, Williams said she saw bleaching as far down as 90 feet deep, “which is almost unheard of.”
The super El Niño Guam has been experiencing has also put pressure on the local reef ecosystem.
Surface temperatures can reach up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, almost like a hot tub according to Williams, especially in very low tides like Guam has experienced recently.
“A lot of things are just kind of cooking on these reef flats during these low tide events, especially when the low tide is in the middle of the day,” she explained. “We’re seeing a lot more of these low tide events this year because of the super El Niño.”
While humans can leave the “hot tub”, corals, fish, sea stars, and other less motile or sessile animals cannot.
Guam’s reefs face challenges beyond what was put forward by the IUCN.
Williams said the Guam coral initiative has seen increased storm damage by the past several typhoons and is expecting larger and more frequent storms that will impact the local coral.
Additionally, there’s concerns about coral disease and invasive species, especially in reefs that are dominated by one coral species.
“If that one thing gets a disease or there’s an invasive species there, they can all disappear,” she said. “That would be devastating.”
Williams described an outbreak of an invasive coral species at the Sumay Marina, similar to an outbreak that had occurred in Hawaii.
She said that since it was on Navy property, they handled the outbreak, eradicating the invasive species to the best of GRCI’s knowledge.
“They hit it really hard because it’s a very expensive problem in Hawaii,” she said. “We’re really happy with their response to that, but, you know, we got lucky this time.”
Williams said our coral reefs will likely always exist in some capacity, but over time they’re going to change significantly.
Over the past 50 years, biologists have seen huge declines in coral cover, especially in places like Ypao Beach, where reefs were formally dominated by Yellow Finger Coral.
“A lot of those are dead now,” Williams said.
Williams said coral colonies provide plenty for the island, but if environmental conditions keep warming or the threats to coral become more prominent, we’ll lose our ability to avail of what she called these “ecosystem services.”
“So right now, coral reefs, protect our shorelines, they provide home for the fish we like to eat, they’re supporting our tourism industry, and those are kind of the services that we’d be looking at losing by losing the corals,” she said.
In some places around the world, the food for certain human settlements depends on coral reefs and a loss there would be devastating. While we don’t have that issue on Guam, “it would be a very sad situation to not see any fish or coral on the reefs,” she said.
More than 400 species of coral exist in the waters around Guam, according to Williams. The island’s coastal waters host approximately 42 square miles of shallow coral reefs, and 43 square miles of deeper coral reefs at least 3 nautical miles offshore.
The GCRI manages two coral nurseries on Guam: a shallow water nursery at the Piti Bomb Holes Marine Preserve established in 2024 and a deeper water and newer nursery at Dogleg Reef in Apra Harbor established in 2025.
Since March, biologists from the GCRI have outplanted some 479 pieces of coral at the Dogleg Reef site as a part of an effort to help increase the genetic diversity of coral on Guam. The site also serves as a testing ground for the best ways to outplant coral.
“We’re kind of like a matchmaking service for corals,” Williams told PDN.
Some species of coral are becoming more rare or less frequent and are either too far away from each other or are surrounded by genetic clones which prevent them from reproducing successfully.
The Dogleg Reef site is part of a three-phase project that’s currently in its second phase.
She said it started with hosting corals that can grow quickly and were ecologically important, meaning they hep create habitat for fish or can help mitigate wave energy.
Now, GCRI is studying rarer species of coral or species that have never been raised in a nursery. They hope to include even rarer species or endangered coral that are on Guam by next year.
“The ultimate basis of this project is … we’re never going to grow enough coral to outplant and repopulate all of Guam’s reefs. We are helping them through matchmaking service to reproduce successfully,” she said.
This also includes selecting corals that are thermally tolerant and are going to be more resilient to higher ocean temperatures.
Williams said breeding temperature-resilient corals is really important.
“The oceans ain’t getting cooler,” she said…. PACNEWS
NZ – ELECTION: PMN PACNEWS 3: Mon 09 Nov 2026
Mixed fortunes for Pacific candidates as MMP shapes uncertain NZ election outcome
WELLINGTON, 09 NOVEMBER 2026 (PMN) — Pacific candidates have emerged from Saturday’s general election with contrasting results, highlighting how New Zealand’s mixed-member proportional (MMP) voting system shapes who enters Parliament.
Pacific Media Network (PMN) has identified 28 candidates with Pacific heritage across nine political parties. Eight are set to enter Parliament, while 20 miss out under the preliminary results from the election on Saturday.
Several attracted thousands of electorate votes but failed to secure seats. Others qualify through party lists despite receiving fewer candidate votes.
Their results come as New Zealand faces an uncertain political future, with National, ACT and NZ First holding a narrow parliamentary majority.
The three parties have a combined 67 seats, just one above the 66 needed to govern in a 131-seat Parliament.
Nearly 400,000 special votes remain outstanding. The balance of power could change when official results are released on 27 November.
The close result has also renewed debate over MMP, particularly the rules that have produced an 11-seat overhang.
Labour received 710,330 party votes, slightly more than National’s 706,680. Yet National secures 42 seats compared with Labour’s 36.
The results demonstrate how electorate victories, party votes and list rankings can produce different outcomes for Pacific candidates.
Of the 28 Pacific candidates identified by PMN, 27 contested electorates and one stood only on a party list.
Five Labour Pacific MPs retain their electorate seats, with Barbara Edmonds, Tangi Utikere, Lemauga Lydia Sosene, Carmel Sepuloni and Jenny Salesa all returning to Parliament.
Four other candidates missed out including former Labour list MP Dan Rosewarne, who has Sāmoan ancestry through his grandmother, after contesting the Waimakariri seat. Rosewarne first entered Parliament in 2022 and returned in March this year following Peeni Henare’s resignation.
Former MP Anahila Kanongata’a also missed out in Papakura, alongside Dr Anae Neru Leavasa in Botany and Sange Malama in Rangitata.
Henrietta Hunkin-Tagaloa, who stood on Labour’s party list only, also falls outside the party’s parliamentary allocation based on the preliminary results.
National’s four Pacific candidates failed to secure seats in Parliament, including former National MP Agnes Loheni who previously served as a list MP from 2019 to 2020.
Angee Nicholas finished second to Labour’s Phil Twyford in Henderson, contrasting sharply with their contest in 2023, when Nicholas came within just 131 votes of unseating Twyford in the former Te Atatū electorate.
Dr Zabeen Lateef in Remutaka and Rosemary Bourke in Māngere were also unsucessful.
The result leaves National without a Pacific MP, despite winning more electorate seats than any other party.
The Green Party is set to double its Pacific representation from one to two MPs, with returning Cook Islands Māori MP Teanau Tuiono joined by newcomer Tania Waikato, who has Māori, Sāmoan and Hawaiian heritage.
Both secured their places through the party list after unsuccessful electorate campaigns.
The Greens’ other three Pacific candidates missed out. Zephyr Brown contested Kaipara ki Mahurangi, Michel Mulipola stood in Māngere, and Te Whatanui Leka Taumalolo Skipwith ran in Ōtāhuhu.
Former National cabinet minister Alfred Ngaro is set to return to Parliament under New Zealand First, securing a seat through his fifth-place party-list ranking.
Ngaro, a National MP from 2011 to 2020, unsuccessfully contested Glendene against Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni.
NZ First’s other three Pacific candidates missed out. Esther Tofilau-Tevaga stood in Manurewa, while Elliot Ikilei and Vicky Hau were unsuccessful in Takanini and Māngere respectively.
None of the five Pacific candidates representing smaller parties secured a parliamentary seat.
Despite the Opportunity party securing seven seats, Romeo Tevaga missed out being listed at 12.
ACT’s Henrietta Devoe, Animal Justice’s Avalua Tavui, Vision NZ’s Karl Mokaraka and Alliance’s Victoria Ale were also unsuccessful.
Overall, eight of PMN’s 28 identified Pacific candidates are set to enter Parliament, five through electorates and three through party lists.
Their results highlight how MMP shapes parliamentary representation. The final outcome remains subject to special votes being counted, with official results due on 27 November…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
FIJI – AIRLINE: FIJIVILLAGE PACNEWS BIZ: Mon 09 Nov 2026
Fuel costs rise by nearly $300M for Fiji Airways, another loss expected – Scurrah
SUVA, 09 NOVEMBER 2026 (FIJIVILLAGE) — Fiji Airways is expected to record another financial loss in 2026 as the airline faces nearly $300 million (US$150 million) in additional fuel costs due to the volatility in fuel prices compared to last year.
CEO and Managing Director Paul Scurrah revealed this during fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan, saying the airline continues to face significant financial challenges, with fuel prices having more than doubled compared to 2025.
Scurrah says although Fiji Airways has not finalised its financial results for 2026, he would not be surprised if the airline records another loss.
He says rising fuel prices are affecting airlines around the world, forcing Fiji Airways to review its spending and make difficult decisions to remain financially sustainable.
Scurrah says the airline also continues to carry significant debt and accumulated losses from the COVID-19 pandemic, making the current fuel crisis even more challenging.
He says Fiji Airways could have cut flights and grounded aircraft to reduce its losses, but such a decision would have had serious consequences for Fiji’s tourism industry and the wider economy.
Scurrah says approximately 70 percent of visitors to Fiji travel on Fiji Airways, and reducing flights would affect businesses and jobs that depend on tourism.
He says this is why the airline approached the Government for financial support to maintain its flight operations.
Scurrah explains that the Government’s $200 million (US$100 million) loan guarantee is not a direct cash payment to Fiji Airways, but provides security for borrowing from financial institutions.
He also reveals that the new 5 percent tourism tax is expected to generate approximately $48 million (US$24 million) for the airline this year.
Scurrah says the revenue will help offset some of the additional fuel costs, although Fiji Airways will still have to absorb most of the increase.
He says the airline has developed a five-year plan to return to sustainable profitability and is reviewing its operating costs, investments and business structure.
Scurrah adds that Fiji Airways is also strengthening its fuel hedging programme to better manage future fuel price fluctuations.
Despite the financial challenges, he says the airline remains committed to maintaining flights and supporting Fiji’s tourism industry.
Scurrah stresses that the decisions being made now are aimed at ensuring Fiji Airways remains financially strong and sustainable in the years ahead…. PACNEWS
SOL – ECONOMY: SOLOMON STAR PACNEWS BIZ: Mon 09 Nov 2026
ADB: Reliable Water Supply Vital for Economic Growth
HONIARA, 09 NOVEMBER 2026 (SOLOMON STAR) — Reliable water supply is critical to sustaining Noro’s economic activities and supporting future investment opportunities in Western Province, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) says.
ADB Country Director Anthony Gill said Noro’s position as one of Solomon Islands’ major fisheries and industrial centres made dependable water services essential for its continued economic growth.
Speaking at the commissioning of the Noro Water Supply Project on Thursday, Gill said reliable water infrastructure was important not only for households but also for businesses, institutions and investors operating in the township.
He said Noro’s long-term economic development depended on having sustainable water services capable of supporting its growing needs.
“Noro is one of Solomon Islands’ most important economic centres.
“As a major fisheries and industrial hub, reliable water infrastructure is critical for households, businesses, institutions and future investment,” Gill said.
“Sustainable growth depends on sustainable water services,” he adds.
His remarks highlighted the important relationship between water security and economic development, particularly in provincial centres where infrastructure plays a major role in supporting commercial activities.
Gill said investments in water supply and sanitation were necessary to create conditions that would allow provincial towns to grow economically while improving the quality of life for their residents.
He said the Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project was designed to extend improved water and sanitation services beyond Honiara and support the development of provincial growth centres and towns.
According to Gill, improved water services contribute to economic development, public health, environmental protection and social well-being.
He said the benefits of water infrastructure extended beyond the immediate provision of water, as reliable services also supported institutions, schools, health facilities and local economic activities.
Gill acknowledged the partnership between the Solomon Islands Government, Solomon Islands Water Authority (SIWA), ADB, World Bank, European Union and Global Environment Facility in supporting improvements to the country’s water sector.
He said the successful delivery of such infrastructure required strong government leadership, technical support, financing and cooperation from local communities.
However, Gill stressed that the long-term benefits of the investment would depend on effective asset management, regular maintenance and adequate resources for ongoing operations.
He said protecting the infrastructure was a shared responsibility to ensure reliable water services continued to benefit Noro and its future generations.
ADB reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Solomon Islands in improving access to safe, reliable and sustainable water services as part of the country’s broader development ambitions…. 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 Communities Rely on Sea-Level Observations to Face Rising Seas
Sea-level monitoring stations across the Pacific track changes in ocean height and land movement, helping island countries assess growing coastal risks and plan for adaptation
By Zulfikar Begg (COSPPac/SPC), Bipen Prakash (SPC), Laurence Lessire, Communications Adviser (COSPPac/SPC)
SUVA, 09 NOVEMBER 2026 (WMO) — For Pacific Island Countries (PICs), sea level is not an abstract climate indicator. It shapes the daily lives of coastal communities, influencing activities such as fishing, boating and inter-island travel. It also affects coastal infrastructure and increasingly determines the frequency and severity of coastal flooding.
Across the region, communities are already experiencing the impacts of higher sea levels through king tide inundation, shoreline erosion, saltwater intrusion and escalating risks to infrastructure and livelihoods.
Understanding how and why sea level is changing is fundamental to climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction, but measuring these changes in island environments presents unique scientific challenges. Islands are not always stable platforms. Some experience tectonic uplift, others gradually subside, while major earthquakes can alter land elevations by several centimetres or more. Distinguishing ocean changes from land movement is therefore essential to accurately assess long-term sea-level trends and future coastal risk.
For more than three decades, the Pacific Sea Level and Geodetic Monitoring (PSLGM) Network has addressed this challenge. By combining sea-level observations with measurements of vertical land movement, the network provides essential data for climate assessments, national adaptation planning, operational services and global climate science.
An observing system for the Pacific
The origins of the PSLGM network can be traced to growing concerns during the late 1980s and early 1990s regarding the vulnerability of Pacific islands to climate change and sea-level rise. Recognising the need for reliable observations, Australia partnered with Pacific Island governments to establish a regional network of tide gauges capable of detecting long-term changes in sea level and supporting local decision-making.
The network was later expanded to include measurements of vertical land movement, to better determine whether observed changes were caused by changes in sea level or by movement of the land itself.
It is now delivered under the current phase of the Climate and Oceans Support Programme in the Pacific (COSPPac), continuing more than three decades of investment in sea-level monitoring, geodetic infrastructure and ocean information services for Pacific Island countries.
The network extends to 14 countries and is also supported by New Zealand. Each station includes a precision tide gauge that measures sea level relative to a local benchmark, and a nearby Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) that monitors land movement with millimetre-level precision. Together, these observations provide a complete picture of sea-level change.
This integrated design has proven particularly valuable in the geologically active Pacific region, where tectonic movements can significantly affect local sea-level measurements. Without geodetic observations, apparent sea-level rise or fall recorded by a tide gauge might partly reflect movement of the land rather than changes in the ocean.
Over the past 30 years, the network has evolved from a climate monitoring initiative into an essential regional observing system. It now provides both long-term sea-level records and near real-time information to support operational ocean services and hazard monitoring.
The complexities of sea-level change
Global mean sea level has risen significantly over the past century because of the thermal expansion of warming ocean water and the addition of meltwater from glaciers and ice sheets. However, this change is not uniform, and local sea level can vary greatly due to differences in ocean temperatures, wind and ocean circulation patterns, and vertical land movement.
The Pacific Ocean displays some of the largest regional variations in sea-level trends observed globally. As a result, local observations are indispensable for understanding and responding to these differences.
The PSLGM network has generated some of the longest continuous and highest-quality sea-level records available in the tropical Pacific. These records reveal not only long-term sea-level rise, but also substantial variability associated with climate phenomena such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
During El Niño events, western Pacific sea levels often fall as warmer surface waters shift eastward. During La Niña conditions, sea levels across the western Pacific can rise substantially above average.
The long duration of network observations enables scientists to distinguish between short-term fluctuations and long-term trends driven by climate change. The data contribute to regional and global climate assessments, including those of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and inform adaptation planning in Pacific Island countries.
How sea-level information helps Pacific communities
Sea-level information supports a wide range of operational services across PICs. For example, data from the monitoring stations are used to generate tide predictions that inform maritime operations, fisheries, tourism and coastal transport. Harbour authorities also depend on tide forecasts for port management and navigation safety.
The observations play an increasingly important role in infrastructure planning. As governments invest in ports, roads, seawalls, airports and coastal facilities, accurate and locally relevant data on current and future sea-level conditions are required to ensure long-term resilience.
For example, in Tonga, the Meteorological Service issued multiple warnings based on real-time tide gauge data ahead of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai eruption and tsunami. Shared via radio and Facebook, these warnings advised communities to stay away from the coast and to be prepared, helping save lives.
“In terms of the recent eruption event here in Tonga [2022], the new tidal gauge very much provided timely information that was able to be distributed”, said Rosamond Bing, Former CEO, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Tonga.
Following the December 2024 magnitude 7.3 earthquake in Vanuatu, a joint geodetic survey identified vertical land movement across affected areas, providing critical information on how the land had shifted. Authorities have used these findings to assess risk, prioritise affected areas and guide safer reconstruction of infrastructure such as roads, bridges and water systems.
The work has also strengthened local capacity and leadership, with Vanuatu Lands Department surveyors actively contributing to national recovery discussions and applying these data in planning and decision-making.
Early warnings for coastal risks
Real-time sea-level measurements also provide valuable information for tsunami detection and help monitor storm surges, extreme tides, and coastal flooding events. As climate change increases the likelihood of coastal impacts from extreme weather events, these observations are becoming increasingly important for disaster preparedness and response.
The importance of multi-hazard early warning systems has gained international recognition through the United Nations’ Early Warnings for All initiative. Sustained ocean observations are a critical component of these systems, particularly for island nations where large populations and key infrastructure are concentrated along coastlines.
The practical benefits of the network are clearly illustrated in Tuvalu, one of the countries most vulnerable to sea-level rise and inundation. Tuvalu experiences coastal flooding associated with king tides, exceptionally high tides that occur when the Sun, Moon and Earth align, on approximately 50 days per year. As sea levels rise, the number of days affected by high-tide flooding is expected to increase to around 150 per year by 2050.
Operating for more than three decades, the Tuvalu tide gauge station provides an invaluable record of environmental change and robust, locally relevant ocean information to guide adaptation and planning.
These observations support the pioneering High Tide Parametric Insurance Product, showing how sea-level data can enable innovative climate financing and faster support for communities affected by high-tide flooding.
The challenges of sustaining observations
Maintaining the network requires equipment to operate continuously in harsh marine environments, exposed to salt corrosion, high humidity, tropical heat and extreme weather. Cyclones can damage infrastructure, while power interruptions and communications outages can affect data transmission.
Logistical constraints further complicate maintenance activities. Many stations are located far from major technical centres, making access expensive and weather-dependent.
A particular challenge for climate monitoring is preserving data continuity over decades. Instruments inevitably age and need replacement, but every equipment upgrade must be carefully managed to ensure that observations remain scientifically consistent over time.
Despite these challenges, the network has achieved remarkable continuity, made possible through strong partnerships between Pacific Island governments, the Pacific Community (SPC), the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Geoscience Australia, and other regional and international partners.
These partnerships provide technical expertise, equipment support, quality assurance, capacity development and sustained funding support. They also ensure that observations collected in remote island locations contribute both to local decision-making and to global climate observing systems.
Ultimately, the sustainability of the network depends on local expertise. National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and Lands and Surveys Departments play a critical role in routine inspections, basic maintenance and emergency response.
However, retaining technical capacity can be challenging given staff turnover, competing operational priorities and limited resources. Ongoing training, mentoring and knowledge transfer are therefore essential components of the programme.
Regional workshops, on-site training and technical exchanges have helped build a network of Pacific technicians and scientists with the skills to maintain ocean and geodetic observing systems.
“The sustainability of the Pacific observing network depends as much on people as it does on technology. Tide gauges and GNSS stations can only deliver long-term climate records when local technicians, surveyors and meteorological staff have the skills, confidence and resources to maintain them”, said Vaipo Mataroa, Deputy Secretary of Infrastructure Cook Islands and Chair of the Pacific Geospatial and Surveying Council (PGSC).
Better preparation for the rising seas ahead
As climate risks intensify, decision-makers will increasingly require local, evidence-based information to guide adaptation investments, manage coastal development and reduce future risk. Long observational records enable greater confidence in trend detection, climate attribution and future projections.
Emerging opportunities include stronger integration with satellite observations, improved coastal inundation modelling, and enhanced ocean services tailored to user needs. Advances in data management and communication technologies may also improve accessibility and increase the reach of observational products.
However, these opportunities depend on the continued operation of the observing network. Gaps in long-term observations can weaken the ability to detect trends and inform decision-making.
For Pacific Island countries facing rising seas and increasing coastal exposure, reliable observations are not a luxury, but an essential public good. As the region navigates a changing climate, the continued operation of the PSLGM network will remain central to understanding coastal risks, planning adaptation and safeguarding vulnerable coastal communities for generations to come…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Growing new roots: atoll communities pair opportunity crops with traditional foods in the Marshall Islands
MAJURO, 09 NOVEMBER 2026 (SPC) — In the Marshall Islands, food has always been about more than what is on the plate. Breadfruit, pandanus, coconut and taro have sustained atoll families for generations, and the knowledge of how to grow them in sandy soils has been passed from parents to children. As climate change brings more variable rainfall, longer dry spells and rising pressure on these fragile soils, communities are looking for ways to protect that heritage while growing the foods that will feed the next generation.
That spirit filled Majuro this past October as the Pacific Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (PACS) programme, led by the Pacific Community (SPC), joined partners to co-facilitate the Atoll Food Summit II. The summit was held alongside World Food Day and the Bob Festival, a celebration of pandanus, one of the islands’ most treasured traditional foods. It brought together government leaders, farmers, schools, researchers and community members around a shared question: how can atoll communities keep feeding themselves, and keep their food traditions alive, in a changing climate?
Opening the PACS workshop on Tuesday 13 October, as part of the summit programme, Maria Smith, Second Secretary at the Australian Embassy in Majuro, reminded participants that resilience begins in the ground beneath their feet.
“Growing nutritious food starts with soil, which has additional challenges on atolls, and increasingly needs to address climate risks, such as the impacts of the forecast ‘super El Niño’.”
For many at the summit, the most memorable moments came at the tasting table during the World Food Day event on Friday 16 October. Nei Naisher, Mayor of Jabat Island, tried cassava for the first time.
“This is the first time I’m tasting tapioka (cassava), and it tastes very good. It’s a bit soft like breadfruit, and I love breadfruit!”
That connection to breadfruit, a food at the heart of Marshallese life, captures what PACS hopes to achieve: nutritious opportunity crops that grow well in atoll conditions and feel at home alongside traditional foods. Moved by that first taste, the Mayor is taking potted cassava cuttings back to Jabat, planting the roots of a new food story for the atoll’s families.
Farrah Muller, Miss Marshall Islands 2026, also tasted cassava and sweet potato for the first time. “They both taste very good,” she said. She spoke warmly of the partnership between PACS, government agencies and local farmers to bring more nutritious, locally grown food to Marshallese households.
Stephen Patrick, a farmer with the Majuro Farmers Association who recently attended the Global Breadfruit Summit in Hawaii in September, put the challenge plainly: “I love breadfruit, but there is a lot of effort involved in harvesting and preparing for the family, as compared to rice that is easy to get from the shop.”
For PACS, this points to the need for innovation in how opportunity crops are produced, processed and sold. For example, frozen, peeled cassava that is affordable, easy to find and ready to cook, so that more families can make these foods part of their everyday meals.
Four opportunity crops have been selected by RMI for the pilot phase of PACS: sweet potato, cassava, taro and mango. Sweet potato, cassava and taro offer both energy-rich tubers and edible green leaves, which are important protective foods for nutrition and health in a country where most adults eat fewer than five servings of fruit and vegetables a day. Working through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Commerce (MNRC), PACS will profile these crops from planting to consumption and support the introduction and evaluation of new varieties. This means testing how well they grow in local conditions, and also whether communities enjoy them and want them on their tables. Where feasible, the crops may open new market opportunities for local growers.
PACS remains committed to walking alongside Pacific governments and communities, honouring the food knowledge they already hold while helping them adapt to the challenges ahead. Together, we are building food systems that are resilient, nourishing and rooted in Pacific identity…. PACNEWS
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The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Tonga launches first locally managed organic certification system to strengthen sustainable agriculture
NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga has launched its Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) through the Tonga National Youth Congress, making organic certification more accessible to local farmers.
The official launch of the PGS system across Tongatapu and Vavau marked the culmination of two years of collaboration between the Tonga National Youth Congress (TNYC), Tonga Organic Association (TOA), local farmers and the Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community (POETCom), supported by the Pacific Community (SPC) through the Pacific Organic Learning Farms Network (POLFN) Project.
The programme brought together farmers, government representatives and community stakeholders for a refresher training, knowledge exchange and the official launch.
The farmers who completed the PGS certification process were awarded their Organic Pasifika certificates.
POETCom Coordinator Claire Lataste said the newly launched system is Tonga’s first locally owned and managed organic certification system, enabling farmers to verify their organic practices through a community-based approach rather than relying on external auditors and costly third-party certification processes.
“Two years ago, we worked with Tongan farmers to design a PGS suited to their context. Together, we developed the farmer pledge, the documents needed for peer reviews, and the steps farmers would follow to achieve Organic Pasifika certification.
“We then worked across nine farmer clusters in Tongatapu and Vava’u, training farmers to conduct peer reviews and establishing certification committees on both islands.”
Following consultations with farmers, TNYC finalised the system and applied to the Pacific Community – SPC for authorisation to use the Organic Pasifika label.
The application was approved, and a Letter of Agreement authorising TNYC to award the label through its PGS was signed earlier this year.
“This is an important milestone because local farmers can now access organic certification through a community-based process, without relying on external auditors and the significant costs that can come with third-party certification,” she said.
Under the PGS, farmers seeking organic certification can join TOA farmer clusters, present their farming practices and participate in a peer-review process conducted by other farmers.
Applications are then assessed by the relevant certification committee, with successful farmers authorised to market their products using the Organic Pasifika label.
The one-week sessions also allowed farmers to share experiences from their initial peer reviews and discuss challenges they may face.
This system is expected to strengthen farmer-to-farmer learning and create opportunities for improved market access.
For consumers, the Organic Pasifika label assures that products have been verified against recognised organic standards through an approved local certification process.
Lataste stressed that the value of PGS extended beyond certification.
“But PGS is about much more than a label. It creates a support and learning network in which farmers visit one another’s farms each year, exchange knowledge and learn from each other,” she said.
Government support and traditional farming knowledge
The official launch ceremonies were attended by senior government representatives, including the Chief Executive Officer of Tonga’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forests (MAFF), ‘Elisaia Sylvester Ika, in Tongatapu, and the Governor of Vava’u, Lord Fakatulolo.
Ika stressed the need for a national organic agriculture policy and a clear government strategy to support farmers transitioning to sustainable, organic production.
“An enabling policy framework would help guide government action, strengthen institutional support and create a more supportive environment for organic farmers across Tonga.”
In Vava’u, Governor Lord Fakatulolo encouraged farmers to embrace organic agriculture to reconnect with traditional farming practices and knowledge passed down through generations.
“It is important to maintain the integrity of organic certification, and this certification represents a commitment and a promise to uphold the standards and principles associated with organic production,” he said.
The initiative also demonstrates the importance of farmer-led approaches in building resilient agricultural communities and creating greater opportunities for locally produced organic products.
Through the POLFN Project, SPC and POETCom continue to support farmer-to-farmer learning and the development of locally appropriate organic systems across the Pacific.
The Pacific Organic Learning Farms Network Project is implemented by the Pacific Community through POETCom, with support from the Kiwa Initiative, strengthening nature-based solutions and sustainable agricultural livelihoods in Pacific communities…. PACNEWS
