Edited by:
James Terry,
Geography Department,
The University of the South Pacific
Published by:
The School of Social and Economic Development
The University of the South Pacific
Available at a cost of US$20+postage from:
USP Book Centre
The University of the South Pacific
Suva
FIJI
Fax: +679 303265
Contents
Human impact on the pacific coastal environment over the past century
James E. Maragos
Early results from the south pacific sea level and climate monitoring project
T. H. Aung
On ENSO-related oceanic and atmospheric variability in the tropical Pacific
Thierry Delcroix
The influence of El Ni�o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on frequency and distribution of weather-related disasters in the Pacific islands region
Alan C. Hilton
Hydrological drought in western Fiji and the contribution of tropical cyclones
James P. Terry and Rishi Raj
Global climate change mitigation: issues of uncertainty, timeframes and equity
Tony Weir
Sea-level changes in the pacific: past, present and future
Patrick D. Nunn
Nuclear testing in the pacific from a geologic perspective
Barbara H. Keating
Preface
From 13-19 July 1997, the University of the South Pacific was host to the VIII Pacific Science Inter-Congress of the Pacific Science Association at its Laucala Campus in Suva, Fiji. The session on �Climate Change� (as it was originally called), convened by Professor Patrick Nunn and I of the Geography Department at USP, attracted 15 oral presentations, which dealt with a wide range of topics on past human activities, current scientific investigations and future predictions of climate and environment change in Oceania. The session was also the forum for a workshop on El Ni�o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) related climate variability in the tropical Pacific, and a meeting of the START Network--an organisation dedicated to developing and co-ordinating the capacity to respond to the regional implications of global environmental change.
This book is a selection of papers drawn from the contributions to the conference session and the ENSO workshop. A rationale for its publication is not difficult to find. While the continental industrialised nations of the Pacific Rim continue to debate where the costs and responsibilities of reducing greenhouse gas emissions should lie, it is the geographically and economically marginal oceanic island nations of the Pacific Basin that are most at risk if future climate change scenarios become reality, and least prepared and able to cope with the associated problems.
The eight papers that comprise this volume explore some of the climatic and environmental themes of current concern in the Pacific islands. These themes include historical human impacts, sea-level and climate monitoring, and hazards linked to the ENSO phenomenon. Although this work does not hold all the solutions to the problems of climate and environmental change in the Pacific, it is hoped nevertheless that it gives an indication to the people of the Pacific islands that some of their anxieties are being addressed.
Publish date: Dec, 1998
