About Pacific EcoAdapt
Applied research for climate change adaptation in the Pacific
A multi-disciplinary and collaborative project
The Pacific EcoAdapt Project is a five year collaborative research project led by Griffith University, Queensland, Australia.
It aims to generate new knowledge at the local level to better understand the interactions of the physical, ecological, social, cultural, economic, policy and governance activities and factors that shape communities' ability to adapt to anthropogenic climate changeanthropogenic climate change Relatively rapid change in the global climate, oceans, and Earth system, brought on by an increase in greenhouse gases from human activity, in particular, the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and agriculture..
It is also investigating the advantages and limitations of different adaptation interventions including ecosystem-based approaches, 'soft' engineering approaches that use natural processes, and 'hard' engineering approaches (such as seawalls) from a systems perspective.
Research Objectives
Key objectives for the research are to:
- Advance understanding of the natural processes that determine climate change impacts in the coastal zone with respect to sea level rise, storm surges and coastal inundation, and develop simulation models of these processes and impacts under current and future climates;
- Evaluate the ‘hard’ engineering and technologically-based climate change adaptation responses being currently proposed and implemented and compare these to ecosystem-based approaches;
- Undertake a micro-economic analysis of the benefit-costs of ecosystem-based approaches and compare these to hard engineered approaches;
- Investigate what are the current policy and sociological barriers to the uptake of ecosystem-based approaches, identify how these barriers can be overcome by, among other things, providing incentives for community conserved areas;
- Identify limits to adaptation, including limits to use of ecosystem-based adaptation and where loss and damage is unavoidable; and
- Develop support tools for policy and decision makers to help ensure that ecosystem-based approaches can be integrated into policy and decision making by governments and local communities particular in the coastal zone of Least Developed CountriesLeast Developed Countries Least developed countries are a list of developing countries that, according to the United Nations, exhibit the lowest indicators of socioeconomic development, with the lowest Human Development Index ratings of all countries in the world.
Study Area
Vanuatu and Tanna
The program of research focused on the nation of Vanuatu to explore issues of EbAEbA Ecosystem-based adaptation - an adaptation approach to climate- and environmental-change which primarily deploys ecosystems and ecosystem functions to mitigate risks from hazards. at the local level. Vanuatu faces significant risk from climate change and development pressures. Case studies were conducted in the southern island of Tanna, with the community of Port Resolution in the south-east of Tanna being a key focus. Also Erakor Lagoon and Mele Bay on Efate, near Port Vila (the capital of Vanuatu) were the site for coastal process modelling and water quality considerations. Through partnership with local and national government agencies and organisations, the local-scale of research is helping support more informed, evidence-based planning and decision-making for climate change adaptation.
Research Streams
The objectives of the program were addressed through four broad streams of research:
Research questions
The Pacific EcoAdapt research process was designed to address three key research questions. Answering these questions is fundamental to building our understanding of how climate change adaptation interventions can be designed to support ecosystem and community functionality, sustainability and resilience in Pacific Island nations.
1. What are the risks to Pacific Island communities and ecosystems from anthropogenic climate changeanthropogenic climate change Relatively rapid change in the global climate, oceans, and Earth system, brought on by an increase in greenhouse gases from human activity, in particular, the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and agriculture.?
Understanding the local processes and risks and how these are experienced at the local level is important to being able to effectively manage and plan for the future.
2. How do the differing social and economic contexts in the Pacific influence outcomes for ecosystems when selecting climate change adaptation responses?
Understanding the impacts and interactions of factors such as cultural norms and values, economic and financial structures, governance arrangements and how these support or impede community and ecosystem resilience outcomes.
3. What information and decision support is required by policy and decision-makers to adopt an ecosystem-based adaptation planning approach?
Understanding governance and decision-making processes and working collaboratively with agencies to co-design decision support tools will lead to more informed policy and decision-making for better outcomes on the ground.