The document discusses the impacts of climate change on agriculture and rural development in Pacific island countries. It notes that rising sea levels and changes in rainfall patterns from climate change threaten coconut trees, an important food and cash crop. On Maiana Island in Kiribati, decreases in rainfall are reducing food and copra production, potentially exacerbating effects of sea level rise such as land loss. Climate change also poses challenges for rural energy development projects in Kiribati by reducing incomes from copra that communities rely on to purchase and maintain new energy systems. Adaptation will require financial resources, developing resilient cash crops, and gender-sensitive policies.

1. Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission www.sopac.org EU Development Days, Lisbon Will Climate Changes Development 7 th November, 2007 Climate Change impacts on Agriculture and Rural Developments in the Pacific Region Koin Etuati Project Officer - Energy Community Lifelines Programme - SOPAC

3. Pacific Energy Gender (PEG) Network in the Pacific Region PEG is a network that pools together Gender and Energy expertise from all of the 14 Pacific Island Countries (PICs), including international and regional partners. It is currently housed within the Secretariat of the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) in Fiji. The Community Lifelinnes Programme is mandated regionally to work on Energy, Water and ICT – GIS etc. Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission www.sopac.org

5. Current Rainfall Outlook Rainfall outlook for South Eastern Region - Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga and Niue rainfall is above average. October to December 2007 Rainfall outlook for Kiribati, Tuvalu and Cook Islands :well below average expects dry weather conditions in all of the central part of the Pacific region. Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission www.sopac.org

11. Pacific Micro Energy Services Project- (PMESCOs) Project countries: Kiribati & Solomon islands Financial support: €40,000 REEEP contribute € 27,600 Implementation Period: 1 Aug 2007 – 31 July 2008 Output: (1) 90 LUTW systems 2 LED lights with a 5 Watts panel and 7Ah battery (2) Local Entrepreneurs trained (3) A micro-credit contractual arrangements put in place. Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission www.sopac.org

14. La-Nina is coming Copra production will be dramatically reduced, a repeat of the 1996/1997 and 2001/2002 La Nina. Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission www.sopac.org Intensity of La Nina will increase due to climate change