Page 37 - IB April 2023

Climate Change in the Western Pacific:

Where to Now?

Across the globe, climate change is altering the way people look at the
world. Adjusting to shifts in economic drivers is now the norm, as access to
natural resources becomes more limited and coastal infrastructure is often
diminished. Many nations experiencing the impacts of climate change are
responding by relocating to inland areas and identifying new target resources.
However, for island nations in the Western Pacific, land and resources are
limited. Without the ability to move inland, perform indigenous and cultural
practices, and/or pursue traditional food sources through local fisheries and
agriculture, many of these Pacific Island nations have nowhere to turn.
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council has
jurisdiction over the federal waters of Hawai’i, American Samoa, Guam,
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Pacific Pago Pago harbor in American Samoa showing infrastructure supported on the shoreline and the nearby
Remote Island Areas. The implications of climate change affect these islands coastal mountains. Photo: Wikipedia Commons/Iseulaolemoana.
in the Western Pacific with a higher degree of severity when compared to
other regions in the world, such as the continental United States (Figure
1). For example, in American Samoa, climate-related changes are being
observed through increased ocean temperatures and acidity, shifts in
species distributions and ocean currents, reduced nutrient levels, and most
immediately devastating, rises in sea level. Infrastructure in American Samoa
is extremely vulnerable to sea level rise due to the steep terrain of its islands
and relatively narrow coastlines. The situation is worsened by the recently
recognized rapid sinking of the islands, triggered by the 2009 Samoa
earthquake and predicted to last for decades. This subsidence is estimated
to lead to roughly twice as much sea level rise by 2060 as what was already
predicted from climate change alone. According to University of Hawai‘i Figure 1. The percentage of small island populations exposed to coastal inundation by 2100 as identified
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Sea Grant, American Samoa faces a total relative sea level rise of 0.8-1.4 m through the 6th Assessment Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
(2.6-4.6 feet) by 2100, which would severely impact the airport and low- $68.6 million allocated for American Samoa including:
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lying coastal roads. Ultimately, these changes will affect insular and pelagic • $4.6 million to rebuild roads and bridges (~$24 million expected
ecosystems and the communities that depend upon them. over five years)
As sea level continues to rise, coastal infrastructure and agricultural • $50 million to provide clean and safe water and improve water
grounds will diminish, and communities will be pushed further up the infrastructure
mountainside. So where can many of these Pacific island communities turn? • $1.7 million to bolster resilience against climate change and
This question is especially relevant when considering employment in the extreme weather events
tuna industry, specifically through the Starkist Samoa cannery, located at • ~$3 million to repair and improve ports and waterways
sea level in the Pago Pago Harbor. The cannery provides more than 80% o $850,000 to construct ferry boats and terminal facilities
of private employment for people in American Samoa, and also to many o $2.1 million for Aunu‘u wharf reconstruction – the sole access
nationals of other Pacific Island countries and territories, particularly Samoa, point to the island
Niue, Tokelau and Tonga. Tuna exports from American Samoa are valued at
approximately $353 million per year, with canned tuna comprising 99.5% of Much of the work focusing on climate resilient fisheries in the Western
the total. Loss of this industry due to the implications of climate change Pacific results from efforts led by the Council and NOAA with funding
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would be devastating to American Samoa and the communities it supports. from the Department of Commerce. Collaborative efforts have led to the
Recently, members of the American Samoa Resilience Commission met development of the Pacific Islands Regional Action Plan. It identifies priority
with the U.S. Government Accountability Office to discuss climate change needs and specific actions to implement the NOAA Fisheries Climate Science
in the islands. Director of Marine and Wildlife Resources and Commission Strategy in the region.
Co-chair (and former Council Chair) Taotasi Archie Soliai shared the NOAA hosts Annual Collaborative Climate Workshops to address the
Commission’s mission: “American Samoa recognizes the urgency of vulnerability of the islands in the Western Pacific Region. The goal of these
climate impacts with grave concerns and the need to respond quickly and workshops is to prioritize research needs and indicate how managers may
strategically to ensure the protection, adaptive capacity, resilience, and respond to changing climate conditions in support of the Pacific islands and
well-being of the islands and residents of American Samoa.” Following, their communities. The next workshop is scheduled for fall 2023.
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Acting Governor Talauega Eleasalo Ale said the quarterly meetings of the
Commission allow and ensure immediate accessibility for government Council Resources on Climate Change:
leaders to address issues. “As a small island in the middle of the ocean, we Pacific Islands Regional Action Plan - https://tinyurl.com/3t49nd3f
feel the effects of climate change every day. We see it in the rising tides, and Little Changes Have Big Impacts on Little Islands video -
we feel it in the increased heat in the day. We are mindful of the constant https://tinyurl.com/LittleChangesBigImpacts
change, and have refocused our efforts through this commission.” A main
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point highlighted in the discussion was the lack of a fair playing field when 1 USGS. Sea-Level Rise Viewer for American Samoa: A Co-Developed Visualization and Planning Tool.
Climate Adaptation Science Centers. Dec. 31, 2019. https://tinyurl.com/ASSeaLevelRise
island territories compete against states for federal funding. 2 www.samoanews.com/local-news/sea-level-rise-growing-threat-here-american-samoa
Fortunately, on Nov. 15, 2021, President Biden signed the Bipartisan 3 American Samoa Statistical Yearbook 2018 and 2019, American Samoa Department of Commerce.
www.doc.as.gov/resource-center
Infrastructure Law, recognized as the largest long-term investment in the 4 www.talanei.com/2023/01/23/gao-team-sees-impacts-of-climate-change-first-hand
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Nation’s infrastructure and economy in history. It provides $550 billion over 5 www.fhwa.dot.gov/bipartisan-infrastructure-law
fiscal years 2022 through 2026. As of March 2023, this has translated into 6 https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/American-Samoa-Fact-Sheet-March-
Edition.pdf
Sponsored Content Islands Business, April 2023 37