Responses to the topic: Early Impacts
14/08/08 Asia, Bangladesh, Ina Hume writes:
Hello,
Thank you for sending this information about the work you are doing documenting Indigenous peoples experiences and those at the thin edge of climate change. this is a very important project.
I have been working with Indigenous communities (mainly my own- the Jummas of Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh) for some years now.
I am also a filmmaker and participatory media practitioner, and have just made a film for another organisation i thought you might be interested in. the ngo is the eparliament- and the project brings together legislators from africa, carribean and pacific to tackle issues if climate change and energy access for the poor.
it is different for me in some ways documenting the process from the view of those with decision making power in their countries and communities.
here is a link-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZjuVgY8kas
anyway, well done for your good work.
you can see some more of mine:
web: http://www.vanishingrites.com/
pic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/35387190@N00/collections/
vid: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=VanishingRites
blog: http://vanishingrites.blogspot.com/
Regards and best wishes,
Ina Hume
(Jumma Peoples Network International)
14/08/08 Europe, Germany, Heinz Otto writes:
Thank you for your newsletter.
My question is:
Have you ever tried to get IMO and Shipowners in "our" boat?
Thanks for answering,
Heinz OTTO from Hamburg
Mobil: 0177-582 98 04
www.windships.de
13/08/08 North America, USA, Doug Kiel writes:
In my own part of the country, the winters are clearly not as cold as they used to be. Nor is there as much snow, reports Doug Kiel, an Oneida Indian from Wisconsin, USA (North America). Wisconsin's 15,000 lakes are a tremendously important natural resource and we usually fish them year-round, even after they freeze over in the winter. But the winters are getting warmer, and in recent years this has not always been possible. When I was a child, the lakes froze over in December and did not thaw until nearly April. Now, the lakes do not freeze until much later into the winter - if at all - and the ice is often dangerously thin. And now when the lakes do freeze, they don't stay frozen. The water is getting warmer during the summer months as well, and this threatens the walleye and trout, two of our most important cold-water fish species.
13/08/08 Africa, Keny, Jane Naini Meriwas writes:
The situation is really now quite alarming for the pastoralist community, especially where I come from, explains Jane Naini Meriwas, a Yaaku from Kenya (Africa). Traditionally, we say that in this season it is rain, in this other season it is dry. So the community makes plans. As my community is nomadic, we move with the livestock. If it will be a very long dry spell, then we use a traditional set-up where we select places where animals can graze, and other places that we will protect. And then other times, we will move. So when it is dry, people migrate. However, if you cross from your own district to this other district, there are already people there. We border with the Samburu, Borana and Bantu. The people here do agriculture. Also we border with other settlers. The lands that are actually left to graze have become really limited. In 2000, we really experienced a lot of drought. For a whole year there was no rain. It was terrible. The drought forced the community to migrate. It was so alarming that the government had to open the very big Park Mount Kenya where they gave the pastoralists permission to take their animals. But to move to Mount Kenya, you have to walk 100 km along a fenced road. The animals are weak and because it's fenced, they don't have water or grass. So thousands of animals died along the road. You can find many carcasses when you go to Mount Kenya. Since 2001 the rain pattern has now changed completely. When the rain pattern changes, there is no way to prepare the community.
05/08/08 Africa, Uganda, Kabishanga Emmanuel Ruguuza writes:
Thank you for responding to my subscribing to the Forum. Am more in the kind of work am engaged, as per now. Am also interested in CDM/ climate change and ground water/ forestry e.t.c. I found this IISD mailing list. I would be getting updates, link with other, events/ research participation and the like.
Major Desired Policy Action Outcomes in Pastoralism and Dryland Management am engaged at New Horizons (NGO)
1 Drought cycle management.
2 Women and desertification (gender), water for agriculture production and Pastoralist integrated into Districts Development Plans (DDP)
3 Strengthening the voices making decentralization to work for marginal groups.
4 Changing the way we think about pastoralism, water and agriculture.
5 Fight poverty by improving access to agricultural water and its use.
6 Build the knowledge base for sustainable land management in the country.
7 Using water in agriculture and restore degraded areas and enhance ecosystem services.
8 Increase productivity of water.
9 Upgrade rainfed systems. A little water can go along way.
10 Adapt yesterday's irrigation to tomorrow's needs.
11 Reform the reform process-targeting state institutions.
12 Deal with tradeoffs and make difficult choices.
Kabishanga Emmanuel Ruguuza
Country Liaison Manager / CEO
New Horizons, Women's Education Centre
Kampala, Uganda
04/08/08 Asia, Thailand, Scott Leckie writes:
Dear Friends,
Greetings from Displacement Solutions (DS)! We are a new initiative dedicated to identifying viable, rights-based solutions to all forms of displacement, including forced climate displacement. Our focus is on assisting forced climate migrants to claim and assert their legitimate housing, land and property (HLP) rights under international law. Please check out our website - www.displacementsolutions.org and please contact me to discuss possibilities of collaboration. We have a large Registry of over 100 experts on housing, land and property rights who can be drawn upon to problem solve within these sectors. We have worked specifically on climate change issues thus far on the Maldives, Bougainville and are currently preparing a Handbook on the HLP Rights of Forced Climate Migrants, which may be of interest to you. We are based in Australia and Thailand and hope to be able to meet with you soon. All the best, Scott Leckie, Director, DS
30/07/08 Latin America, Bolivia, Evelyn Taucer writes:
Thank you for your e-mail, in general terms I have been working on the spontaneous adaptation of the indigenous aymara communities attempting to cope with climate change. Some aspects of this spontaneous adaptation concern the incorporation of new crops, but at the same time these crops require the use of more water ; the incorporation of new varieties of traditional products, but this also means more pests due to the fact that these new seeds are not –officially- certified ; in other cases these communities are trying to reintroduce traditional practices and when the situation becomes too critical they look for seasonal salaried work.
Currently I have a M.A. student and we are looking for a Ph.D. subject for him. We are thinking about having him study food security in his ayllu( the ayllu is a group of families with a common mythical ancestor represented by a mountain, for example, or a snow-covered range that provides water to the community) – he is an « indígena »-. For this study we will focus on his ayllu’s three main crops and we will take the gender variable into account.
I am also starting a study for the National Program on Climate Change in order to make an economic evaluation of the effects of climate change in different Bolivian regions.
I am also involved in a research project concerning the indicators of climate change in aquatic ecosystems in the subtropical mountains of the central Andes in Bolivia.
I too would be interested in participating in the Forum and in keeping in touch with you, that is the reason why I wrote you and visited your website, as suggested in your flyers.
Kind Regards,
Evelyn Taucer
30/07/08 Pacific Ocean, New Zealand, Te Tui Hoterene writes:
Kia ora,
I receiived an email regarding effects of climate change on indigenous communities and I'm interested in collaborating with others on this matter.
Tui
I am the environmental manager for the Ngatiwai tribe of Aoteroa, New Zealand and I also work with Ngati Hine and other tribes in Tai Tokerau - Northland. I manage several different areas particularly the cultural impacts of developments and research including the assesment of diets of marine mammals that dead strand in Northland and environmental effects on sea birds and how traditional environemtal management can inform these management processes.
I look forward to connecting up
Mauri ora
24/07/08 Asia, Nepal, Kamal Rai writes:
Dear Sir,
I am Kamal Rai sending this email from Nepal. I am a Master in Biodiversity and am working on restoration, conservation, training, research and public education in the field of biodiversity, wetlands, agro forestry, agro biodiversity, Climate change and Indigenous peoples through a non profit making organisation.
I am seeking information on Climate change and Indigenous peoples and small grants support for indigenous knowledge based participatory research on Climate change in Himalayan (Mountain) Nepal.
Thanks with regards
Kamal Rai
Society for Wetland Biodiversity Conservation Nepal
Nepal
23/07/08 Pacific Ocean, James Ward writes:
Dear People of the Islands
I have been a friend of the island countries in the South Pacific for about 10 years. I have an appreciation for the extrodinary beauty of the cultures and people in this area. I do acknowledge that changes are occurring. I am still not convinced whether it is really a change in the climate or a variation in weather. In the past both conditions have occurred. Only time will tell. The real question is what is causing it and what are we going to do about it.. I would hope that the people in the islands are making plans in the event that the changes are as devastating as expected. If the activities of the human race are causing the changes it is unlikely that corrective measures can be made in time to stop the process. The whole process is now political both within countries and between countries around the world. It is unlikely that industralized countries especially those that are discovering the new prosperity through industry are going to cut production in their industries if pollution is the cause for the changes. I can only hope that the evidence becomes so overwhelming that corrective action will be supported by the entire global community.
22/07/08 Asia, Thailand, Julia Schonharl writes:
Dear journalist / editor,
The World Tourism Day 2008 is approaching (September 27) for which ECOT will prepare a media pack with articles and background information for you to use: worries, insights and perspectives of civil society groups around the world including the alternative tourism movement. These entities are challenging the global travel and tourism industry – a fast growing sector which is heavily contributing to global warming but still denying the necessary change of its operations.
The UN Body for travel and tourism, UNWTO (www.unwto.org/wtd) has chosen to address Climate Change from an industry perspective under the motto “ RESPONDING TO THE CHALLENGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE’ on World Tourism Day 2008. The government of Peru will host the official ‘celebrations’.
On the one hand, the UNWTO has signed an agreement with the ICAO (the International Civil Aviation Organization (www.icao.int)) for an carbon offsetting mechanism for passenger flights which - according to European NGOs – lacks the needed sustainability approach (see ‘Letter to the UNWTO’ in the documents section of ECOT’s google-group TOURISMSCAN).
On the other hand, the global Climate Justice network is denying any sort of carbon trading considering this market mechanism as a totally inadequate and ‘green-washing’ tool for the industry.
NGOs around the world will express their concerns towards the industry action which is far from a real commitment to stop global warming (as indicated in the IPCC and Stern reports) in an ECOT Media Release.
Simply reply to this email if you are interested in the Media Pack, and indicate your timeline for the relevant edition of your magazine/newspaper.
For any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with ECOT.
With kind regards,
Julia Schonharl
13/07/08 Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Crispin Swedi Bilombele writes:
Dear Ladies/Sirs,
Here is a copy of our training activity report on the indigenous leaders in the territory of Uvira.
Sincerely yours
Mr. Crispin Swedi Bilombele
16/06/08 Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Crispin Swedi Bilombele writes:
Dear ladies/sirs
This is a brief introduction about our organisation named: New Down for Women and Developmenet in acronym NDWD, it is a french acronym - means, Aube Nouvelle pour la Femme et le Développement en sigle ANFD, created in 1998 in the eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo.
We work for promoting indigenous human right and environment management in the Eastern part of DR.congo. Therefore we have heard about the forum and we have so interested to apply for accreditation in order to attend in this forum.
We hope to hearing from you soon
Sincerely yours
Mr. Crispin Swedi Bilombele
Project Manager
ANFD, non-profit NGO
Bujummbura
Burundi
04/07/08 Asia, Thailand, Julia Schonharl writes:
Dear friends,
I would like to announce our new Contours magazine : ‘Contours of the Challenge : Climate Change Justice’ which will be released soon. I would appreciate if you could point your readers/peers to our website: www.ecotonline.org, or to office@ecotonline.org to order a copy (PDF or print).
The magazine, Contours, appears 4 times per year as a newsletter of ECOT, the Coalition network for advocacy on human rights in tourism. ECOT was founded in 1982 and has ever since raised awareness about the negative impacts of tourism worldwide. With the climate change and carbon emissions by air travel and tourism debate, we need to work towards a shift of the tourism paradigm, which is possible with community based tourism projects and a change of the tourism hype we experience all around the world!
In solidarity,
Julia Schonharl
Julia Schonharl - Program Coordinator / Communications
ECOT - www.ecotonline.org
A. Muang. Chiang Mai 50000. THAILAND
Join the TourismScan Google group: http://groups.google.com/group/tourismscan
16/07/08 Africa, Burundi, Léonard Habimana writes:
Dear Friends,
Indeed climate change is a problem that is spreading more and more. Apart from the experiences you had in your respective countries, I inform you that even here in Burundi climate change is taking an alarming pace. During these last years, for 4 years now, we notice that it is necessary to take some precautions if possible. Studies are necessary to face it or see how we should act in such situations. In Burundi, the drought began in the Province of Kirundo in northern Burundi for a whole year, 3 years ago, while it used to be called the breadbasket of the country (province of food resource, especially beans, bananas, .. .). Further details can be provided in future messages.
I wish you good reflection on this great idea.
Léonard HABIMANA
Inspector of State and Secretary General of the UNIPROBA Organization (Let us unite for the Promotion of the Batwa)
16/07/08 Asia, India, Dr.Kavita Khanna writes:
Climate change challenges 'The tide country'
THE TRUTH
20 yeas ago, Fokir and his family used to live contentedly, farming on acres of land on the now vanished island of Lochachara."I had dreamt of my children living their lives farming and fishing, me playing happily with my grandchildren in my old days...",82 years old Fokir bursts into tears. In sobs, he continues "Little by little we saw the sea swallowing in and eating up our land and one day we were forced to flee our homes"
Now they own half an acre in a nearby island for displaced people. If this sounds terrible then listen to this : by the end of the century there will be millions like him- displaced and disturbed.
A state diplomat declared "Climate change is fast becoming a grim reality in the Sunderbans region."
An unbelievable reality is the five-square km island of Ghoramara in the middle of the Bay of Bengal-once an island inhabited by over 40,000 people. Rising sea was evident here too. Locals tried confronting the rising sea by building bunds only to be gradually washed away. Today, with it losing more than 50 per cent of its landmass due to rising sea levels, only a few thousand brave men reside here.
WHAT ABOUT THE FLORA AND FAUNA?
"Sunderbans" or the land of "beautiful forests" which is the largest mangrove forest in the world and home to the Royal Bengal tiger is facing the heat; the consequences can be deadly.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC)'S technical paper on "Climate Change and Biodiversity" shows how changes in climate exert additional pressure in affecting biodiversity. It predicts that by the end of the 21st century sea-level rise is projected to be 0.09 to 0.88 m.
The spatial and temporal patterns of precipitation have changed, frequency and intensity of El Nino effects has increased and the average temperatures have soared. These factors posses a risk of extinction of species with restricted habitat requirements. For example- mangroves.
Local fishermen too have bore the brunt of climate change. According to locals, fishes which earlier used to throng the sea have now become extremely scarce as their migration and reproduction patterns too have changed with the changing climate. On entering such a village, one can see fishing nets that were once thrown into the sea but seldom used now.
The same report also predicts that by the year 2080,about 20% of coastal wetland could be lost due to sea-level rise. But it is no doubt that Sunderbans is getting submerged far faster than that rate.
WHERE LIES THE ANSWER?
In recent times, atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased due to excessive combustion of fossil fuels. These greenhouse gases trap the sun's heat and hence increase the earth's average temperature which causes the melting of polar caps and ultimately the rise in sea levels.
Earth's mean surface temperature is projected to warm by 1.4 to 5.8 C. This could mean the end of many glaciers and ultimately many landmasses as well as islands including-"Sunderbans".
WHAT YOU COULD DO?
What you do in your daily life does matter. Using public transport or sharing cars while going to work itself can help reduce Co2 emissions by a staggering percentage. Saving electricity and planting trees must be familiar to you. So good luck-to save your own 'earth' and our country's pride-'the Sunderbans'.
So, take the action before its too late. Remember"the heat is on".
The response titled 'climate change in the tide'was sent by me Dr.Kavita Khanna as my perceptions on the changes on the fragile coastlines of India. I am now working with an organisation that works for the environment as a programme coordiantor.It has been an immense joy to be a part of the forum ever since its inception.
best wishes
Dr. kavita khanna
Center for environment
New Delhi, india
17/07/08 Pacific Ocean, Samoa, Iteli Tiatia writes:
Greetings from Apia. It’s a bit difficult to get the right person to be interviewed where I am now. You see I grew up on the big island of Savaii, where I was groomed on these issues, (if you are familiar with geography of Samoa) I am now living in town Apia. The person we need to interview here should either be from Savai'I or from the Rural Areas and moreover that person should now be at his late nineties or even at his early 100's.
Of course wind patterns have dramatically changed. Not only the directions have changed but also the timing are not as in those days. For example, the old folks of the time know beforehand which months hurricanes are possible. In fact in those days late January, February and March were the worst months. November/December used to be the best months as you would know these are the months everyone look forward to a happy Christmas.
But if you would go back to the most destructive hurricane in Samoa you will find that this was in December 1991 (Hurricane Valerie).
Moreover, in those days, a hurricane used to come in one direction and eventually fade out once you hear of strong lightning and loud thunders. That’s when these old folks would say "The hurricane is been shaken" in Samoan "Ua taliligia le matagi".
However for that Hurricane Valerie in Dec,1991, it did not end till it covered the four directions of the globe and it did not end despite the strong lightnings and heavy thunders while at its most destructive power.
I have just had a chat with one of my neighbors who is a prominent talking chief of his village and he is in his early fifties. I asked him if he would have knowledge of the various winds of Samoa. And unfortunately, he said he only heard of these things from his father who passed away fifteen years ago. And this is exactly what I had said earlier. I even asked him about the hurricane path in where we are living now and he said this has shifted dramatically further east since Hurricane OFA in 1990.
I have also talked with some fishermen, about a way to tackle the rising cost of fuel. I suggested if only the people can go back to paddled canoes. But they said, they don't think anyone would dare face the waves which seemed to have grown higher as well the stronger currents in a paddled canoe.
Cheers and God Bless,
Iteli Tiatia.
13/07/08 Pacific Ocean, Samoa, Iteli Tiatia writes:
I fully agree with the notion that Climate Change is changing seasons and making them increasingly unpredictable. And in my home country of Samoa Climate Change has done far more than that. It looks as if we are beginning to loose much of the traditions, the wisdom and the skills that has kept us survive life for many years and I can see no way we will be able to get those back. It looks as if we will loose them forever. Before the fifties, we used to depend largely on the knowledge of our old folks to tell us what and how the climate is becoming, in fact these old people know exactly what wind is blowing just by feeling the wind or simply by looking up where the wind are directing the tree tops. They have a name to any wind from any direction of the globe, like the TO’ELAU, LA’I, LA’ILUA, the TUA’OLOA and many others. These Samoan Old folks are eventually all dying (as anybody will) and of course these Samoan Terms, the wisdom and the skills, fading out with them and we will hear them no more. We did not have many radios or telephones at the time in fact there was only one radio at the village mayors house where all the villagers would go and listen and one wireless station serving my whole district. It means we did not depend on those things for advise on when a hurricane is coming, but rather depending on our old folks as these guys would know how one of any of the above winds will develop to become a hurricane.
Even when our young and strong would decide to go bonito fishing the old folks would come and tell them not to do this as the winds do not look good. They even do know which winds blow in a certain month in fact I can still remember at a certain time of the year, my old chief would tell me to have an early shower as the TUA’OLOA will start blowing and the water will become too cold for us as kids. During this TUA’OLOA season also, my old chief used to tell me the animals would look nice and beautiful and the human beings become not too good looking, and it was true.
Back in fifties also we could see our young and strong fishing bonito not far from our reefs using our paddled canoes. What is it now? I do not think you can see any more of these bonito fishing canoes as they are being replaced by engine driven boats. Yes, I am sad my kids and my grand sons and daughters will never have the opportunity to see how their ancestors used to live life. Much of the oratorical language of Samoa comes from the art of fishing especially bonito and catching sharks the traditional way. And I am further saddened by the fact my grand children will only speak of words of which they will never understand how these words came about or come to be part of the oratorical language.
In my opinion it is about time the small islands should stand up to these bullying developed countries who are the main cause of these Climate changes. The do not care how these has affected us, but they only need our votes for their selfish agendas.
12/07/08 Europe, Germany, Ann Waters-Bayer writes:
ClimAdapt: innovative responses in sustainable agriculture - an Open-Space event for stakeholders in rural development
5-7 November 2008, Bonn, Germany
Since the dawn of agriculture, people have adapted their land use systems to changing environments. But now, with global warming, the environment is changing faster than ever before. Food security is jeopardised worldwide. According to latest projections, grain production in many tropical countries of Africa and Latin America will decrease signiicantly during the next 50 years. Many different types of adaptation will
be needed, for example:
- Rising temperatures demand greater heat tolerance in plants and animals; lower and less regular rainfall demands greater resilience in crop and animal husbandry systems.
- Increasingly occurring natural disasters require new answers and concepts in rural development, food security and poverty alleviation.
- Rising targets and stricter regimes to control greenhouse gas emissions call for new ways of trade and communication in a globalised world.
How can we – stakeholders in rural development – take up this challenge? Being agricultural or water engineers, sociologists, economists or the like, we come from different backgrounds and – as development practitioners, researchers, advisors or decision-makers in donor organisations – we are involved in a variety of working situations. But we have one thing in common: we are all exposed to climate change – not only privately but also within our work – and we are all searching for a better understanding of what is happening and what we can do.
ClimAdapt will provide space to explore your questions, ideas and potential solutions. The exchange will spawn new ideas, encourage entry into new territory and trigger positive action – both individually and in joint initiatives of participants.
For further information and registration, see http://www.agrecol.de/climadapt or contact climadapt@agrecol.de
Dr Ann Waters-Bayer
Chair, Agrecol e.V.
Web: www.agrecol.de
09/07/08 Europe, Guernsey, Andrew Casebow writes:
Guernsey is in a very unusual (and envious) position just a few miles off the North West coast of France in the Bay of St Malo. As a consequence the island's wildlife has much more in common with northern France than England, which is over 60 miles to the north.
The mean annual air temperature in the island has been increasing steadily over the past 50 years but is most noticeable recently with every one of the past 16 years being higher than the average of the past 30 years. This has resulted in very marked changes in the flowering dates of spring flowering wild flowers (with the average trend being earlier by 21 days earlier over the past 21 years), with the mean flight times of moths being some 12 days earlier than they were, and changes in the behaviour of migrating birds. For instance the White Egret was a very rare visitor until recently but we now have two colonies of 54 birds which bred here for the first time in 2004. Migrant birds (Swallows, Willow Warblers, House Martins and Sand Martins) are now arriving much earlier and some Blackcaps are overwintering rather than migrating. From records collected by La Societe Guernesiaise, migrating House Martins arrived in the island each spring an average of 27 days earlier at the end of the 20th Century than they did at the start of that Century. Many birds are nesting more than a week earlier and birds that were rare, such as the Dartford Warbler, are thriving. All effects that you would expect to see in a warming climate.
Mean air temperatures in the island are now about 1 degree Centigrade higher than they were 30 years ago and this is true for every month of the year but is particularly pronounced in the winter when we rarely have frost now. Rainfall has reduced significantly in August and September which are now much drier months than they were, with a drought recorded almost every year. The sea is warming and again surface temperatures are more than 1 degree Centigrade higher than they were some 20 years ago. Plankton in the sea is moving Northwards and with it sand eels and other species such as Spider Crabs. We are benefitting from a large increase in the abundance of some fish - sea bass and black bream - that are coming to our shores , whilst other species are in decline. Guernsey is famous for its Ormers (European Abalone - Haliotis tuberculata) as the island is at the northern end of their range, but they have now reached Alderney, an island some 23 miles to the north of Guernsey and they are being successfully farmed off the coast of Cornwall in the UK, some 60 miles to the north. Sea levels are also rising and in a foretaste of what might come in the future, on 10th March 2008 exceptionally low air pressure caused a much higher spring tide than had been forecast. We already have one of the highest tidal ranges in the world but on that date the Guernsey harbourmaster recorded a tide of 10.7 metres height whereas it should have been only 9.8 metres. This caused flooding on the sea front in St Peter Port and the tide overwhelmed sea defences and damaged large sections of sea wall in the west of the island. A foretaste of what climate change could bring as a normal occurrence in 50 years time.
I am attaching a few http://www.climatefrontlines.org/sites/default/files/Casebow Guernsey Climate Frontlines.pdf" target="_blank">PowerPoint slides/pictures (converted to PDF) that summarise this whilst anyone interested in finding out more about the consequences of climate change in our island can read our book "Planet Guernsey: Towards a Sustainable Future", available free of charge. Either Google 'Planet Guernsey' or go to http://www.societe.org.gg/planetguernsey/index.html I should be happy to help others develop a similar book about their own island.
Andrew Casebow
Agriculture & Environment Advisor
Client Services Unit
Commerce and Employment Department
A States of Guernsey Government Department
04/07/08 Europe, Guernsey, Andrew Casebow writes:
Members might be interested to read about the climate changes that have occurred in Guernsey. I have been collecting information on the changing climate, seasons and wildlife in Guernsey for the past 20 years. Some of our wildlife data goes back much further and our meterological data for the past 160 years. I gathered all this information together in a book called 'Planet Guernsey: Towards a Sustainable Future'. This is now sold out but it is available free of charge on our local Natural History website.
http://www.societe.org.gg/planetguernsey/index.html
Please take a look as there is lots of interesting and colourful information about our islands and our changing climate.
07/07/08 Pacific Ocean, Federated States of Micronesia, Jocelyn Howard writes:
Aloha,
My name is Jocelyn Howard, known as Josie. I am from a small Island in Micronesia call Onoun. It is one of the five Islands in the Namwonweito Atoll. The water level is rising causing way of life in these small islands to change. These islands have been affected greatly by the changing climate. The shorelines are getting shorter, and our taros, the main stable food are dying and our coconut trees are not producing as much. Some of the low lying islands in Micronesia had been abandoned, and people are seeking better life elsewhere includeing Guam, Hawaii, and the Mainland USA.
People are depending more and more on foreign imports such as rice, flour, ramen, can goods, etc. Most of these islands survive on subsistance economy. With the high prices of gas, life is very difficult. Relatives trying to survive in the USA are sending money home to help their families with the costs of gas , and foreign goods.
I am afraid to hear 5 years from today, that my island had vanish as a result of this changing climate.
Thank you,
Josie Howard
07/07/08 Pacific Ocean, Cook Islands, Mata Hetland writes:
Hi
I am climate change officer at Cook Islands Red Cross in the South Pacific and yes, we have noticed a lot of changes. Currently we have participants at a First Aid training from our outer islands in the north. They shared information such as some of the shell fish that they usually feed on have rapidly depleted recently and coral bleaching seems to be evident.
The sea level rise is prevalent as root crops now have to be moved to higher grounds to avoid the saline water.
Thanks
Mata Hetland
Red Cross Climate Change Officer
07/07/08 Pacific Ocean, Papua New Guinea, Mali Voi writes:
As regards to loss of land, I have made this preliminary observation from belief systems of the Pacific Islands. As you know the people of the Pacific are closely associated with land.
In the traditional practice, when one is born, one's placenta is buried on land at which a tree (usually a coconut tree or rosewood tree) was planted.
As the baby grew up so too that tree. Once the baby was old enough she/he was told to look after the tree. The land on which both the tree and the human being became their common reference both physically, sociologically and spiritually,
Physically the tree when matured it provided food in the case of coconut tree. You know coconut tree provides more things such as: broom, shelter, timber for house, fibre for matresses, oil, medicine, ropes and string, fishing line, posts, but to name some and as well as food.
As both the human being and the tree grew up, they both became interdependent. The human being depended on the coconut tree to provide food direct contribution and the coconut tree depended on the human being to keep it safe from fire.
The entity (the site, coconut and human life) became social reference for this member of the community a place in it to particiate. People in the community say, "This is, for example Mali's tree", which means Mali is a full member of the community in which he has every right to participate in the social, cultural, political and economic life of the community.
In the case of the rosewood tree, it signalled the periodic seaonal changes between winter and spring. The second function was when it was big enough it would be felled and made into a canoe. Both functions signalling seasonal changes and transpotation i.e. are but symbols of communication.
Land is both life bearing and life giving and parts of it was declared sacred for the places of abode of the dead, on whose guidance for the living to conduct life. Once land is removed or destroyed neither what had been briefly described above nor the sacred abode of the dead exist.
The above is a general observation. What could be considered as a possible project is to conduct impact of re-settlement of the Carteret Islanders or similar situations elsewhere. How and what do they feel of loss of land?
I have viewed interviews conducted by TV Samoa screened some two weeks ago on a number of people in Tokelau on the same topic.
Some of them said they will look to their aiga or relatives in Samoa for re-settlement. They still, however, feel the loss of land with "psychological pain". How do we measure such pain is yet another question?
What of the the other Tokelauans who have no aiga in Samoa? How and what do they feel when they are dispossed of land by sea level rise?
Once again thank you. Best regards. Mali.
04/07/08 Pacific Ocean, Papua New Guinea, Mali Voi writes:
I am original from Papua New Guinea but I now live in Samoa, South Pacific.
The debates so far on climate change are centred around weather and how it is affecting plants and animals and the environment. These are very important issues and they ought to be brought to this forum.
In the Pacific the issue that is not so obvious is the effect of loss of land due to the sea level rise. Land is very important to and for humanity without which humanity, or for that matter, all other living things cannot conduct the business of sustaining their lives.
In the Pacific land is not a commodity that one buys and sells or leases for money. Not only Land is for sustaining life but it is associated with spirituality of the people. Land is the people's life and soul. A person without land or land connection is soulless. Moreover there is also loss of cultural heritage.
Now land loss is happening through sea level rise. For example the case of Cartright or Cartret Island in Papua New Guinea where the people are being re-settled in Bougainville. There are other low lying attols such as Tuvalu, Tokelau, Kiribati and others in this category.
Land loss has psychological and sociaological dilemma and is devastating to the affected people. It has adverse effect on self-esteem and a lack of motivation and drive to survive.
Best regards. Mali.
03/07/08 Pacific Ocean, Samoa, Steve Brown writes:
PS Liked your article. Hope this gives a true Samoan perspective – we are trying our best against all odds and no one seems to care.
SAMOA's Cool Earth Attempts - Samoan Diesel emitting some cool responses
TALOFA and Hello to you all from the Samoan Islands.
Samoa, South Pacific, has had enough of your global impacts from carbon emissions.
Time to Cool our Earth, Samoan-style.
We need $USD2Million to adapt to the already gradual and insidious impacts of climate change, and we need to build resilience along our coastlines.
With 50% of our aid monies going into restoring the damage caused by your global impacts, our health and education sectors will just have to wait for further prioritization. Our Samoan children will just have to continue to suffer, but who cares?
Mind you, Pacific cultures are suffering as well, directly because of climate change, but that’s not on any overseas’ radar screens yet.
And it’s sure no concern of yours. Or is it? If so, read on. If not, carry on.
Samoans have proven traditional adaptation skills, we are the Professors of Sustainability, living on these islands for 3000 years plus in harmony with nature.
Well, until just recently.
You need a little South-South Technological Transfer (SSTT) and, to be bold, may be a little South-North Technological Transfer (SNTT),.
We own these traditional patents, but we’re willing to share these technologies with the so-called ‘developed’ world that is leading countries like Samoa further into ‘under-development’ or ‘mal-development’.
What makes you think that you are ‘developed’, especially when it is at our expense as Samoans?
UN Human Rights were written for a reason, and we all know why.
UNFCCC was written and negotiated for 16 years unsuccessfully to date for a reason, and we all know why.
Proof in the pudding is in the eating, and we Samoans are still eating your emissions, and you are serving us up with more, not less.
Why? Where’s your Climate Justice? Have you heard of Climate Health?
Well, “Serving’ in Samoa has a different connotation – it means to provide sustainably, socially, economically, culturally, respectfully. It relies on possessing some real proven values that put our society in touch with ourselves, each other, our surrounding natural beauty and ecosystems, even our proven successful Ancestral Gods.
We’ve all ignored the Pacific’s “Education for Sustainable Development’ (ESD).
Samoa is entertaining these 3 documents/strategies/action plans to help provide, firstly, the training we all need to help protect ourselves from yourselves; secondly, we then may acquire the understanding needed to further and rapidly protect ourselves and yourselves from yourselves; and thirdly, with all this training and understanding comes commitment and implementation, at least nationally, with lessons learned regionally and globally, hopefully.
Samoa is going to make a stance, united, against this disrespect of yours: disrespect for humanity, disrespect for indigenous cultures, disrespect of your own children, disrespect of our Ancestral Gods of Sustainability.
Our children are crying out, planning a “Global Class-Action Suit” against all adults for dis-service to humanity, especially us Kids:
http://nuanuasooaemalelagi.blogspot.com tells all, albeit theatrically, poetically, and from an epistemological viewpoint that most of you emitters out there will not/cannot relate to.
We are just indigenous Pacific Islanders, traditional landowners of the South Seas, or is it the South Seize?
Pacific Island cultures are today enjoying the fastest rate of disappearance of all cultures in the world, right here here in Oceania. 3000 Pacific languages, and cultures, are eroding at an alarming rate and you don’t care.
Well, it seems to us that you don’t care. Are we right?
We have successfully appealed to the Least Developed Country Trust Fund for Adaptation to Climate Change with our $USD2M proposal - attached.
We urgently need a Climate Early Warning System (CLEWS) to help protect our Kids from Climate-related Diseases – WHO estimate 150,000 deaths annually globally because of Climate Health Risks taking their toll during 2008. This figure is expected to rise as you know, but you simply don’t seem to care, not even about yourself, your own children, your grand-mothers.
Where can we appeal to?
Who can help us?
JICA, NIWA (http://www.niwascience.co.nz/rc/atmos/ICCAS-PorteousReport-WLG2008-46-17...), GEF-PAS, LDC Trust Fund, WHO, UNDP, etc. are all coming to our rescue.
If you can assist us, then please do so because we are so ignorant of the real precautionary steps that we may need to be taking with some urgency. We’ve tried our best to include these in our attached $2Million proposal – a draft only.
Finally, Samoa would like to become a carbon-neutral holiday destination so come along and off-set your carbon holiday footprints and help us implement the attached projects.
To leave you with a thought: ‘Samoan Diesel’ is being used in our boilers, our generators, our vehicles and our rugby players, right here on-island – that’s why our International Rugby players run so fasttttttttttt.
It’s been working like this for the past 3000 years, and it’s been helping to save your Planet.
If you have any further ideas and offers of assistance, or you’d like to argue against any of the points of view put across somewhat boldly and theatrically to you here, then please do so.
Samoa has a $USD63Million proposal being dreamt of for further adaptation across other sectors (tourism, ecosystem, rural communities, etc.) just waiting to be funded, probably being funded by the biggest emitters.
Can we Samoans ethically accept these funds? Somehow it just doesn’t seem to fit comfortably with our traditional proven ethical social values.
Anyhow, many of you may have read all the climate change literature without realizing a few of the above basic facts and impacts on Pacific Island cultures. That’s OK. We can forgive you, once you’ve stopped your carbon emissions.
So, please, help form a partnership to help Cool this Earth.
Just read Samoa’s Climate Risk Profile (2007) - attached.
And explain why our fruit trees are all flowering this year (July 2008) way out of season – not recorded like this over the past 20 years.
Explain why the coral reefs throughout the Pacific are all turning white, bleached by sea temperature rises of 0.7 degrees Celsius or more in Samoa.
And ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillation) events are closely correlated over the past 20-30 years with serios outbreaks of Dengue Fever throughout the Pacific, and, more recently, even the often fatal Haemorrhagic Dengue Fever.
We in the Pacific have enough to contend with with just ENSO events, but this tells us clearly what a ‘global ENSO Event’ (or Climate Change catastrophe) is likely to do to us all.
The evidence is here. And it is inconveniencing us Pacific Islanders.
The global commitment is still not here: an Inconvenient Truth, as some might say.
The GORE you people have!!
Voters globally will not vote for their governments if Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation measures are going to impact on the pockets of the voters (and of course on the pockets of we Samoans trying to live an idyllic South Seas lifestyle, full of romance and hope for our children).
To prove this, just look at New Zealand and Australian voting logic these past few months.
Disrespectful – unless you can explain to me a more polite way of saying “No one cares about Samoa’s Rugby Players’ children dying”.
So, face up to it now, reduce your emissions by 100% within 2 years.
YEAHHHHHHHHHHHH, how?
Stop mining coal.
Stop exporting coal to China, Australia.
Stop building coal-fired power stations Australia (in China).
Stop eating all that meat. Errrr, what’s the connection with meat and Climate Change.
Stop smoking. Errrr, what’s the connection with tobacco and Climate Change.
Any past-time that causes deforestation, globally, must now be questioned, especially if it means less oxygen, more atmospheric carbon, and more methane (from meat producing cows!!!). Got it. Hari Krishna still practice the above ethics, for a reason. Oh YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHH?
So today, why turn your back on ‘Samoan Diesel’ any longer? Come and see our ‘CocoGens’, our expansive coconut plantations, our bio-fuel project plans, our plans to Cool the Earth for your global benefit, for the public good.
This may contradict your own philosophy, but we can temper that as well with our proven traditional technologies.
Tofa Soifua and Goodbye
Cheers
Steve
Dr. Steve Brown
GEF Services (Samoa)
Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment (MNRE)
MNRE Website: www.mnre.gov.ws
GEF-PAS Samoa Blog: http://gef-passamoa.blogspot.com
Further information:
Pacific Education for Sustainable Development Framework
Endorsed for the Pacific Forum Education Ministers
27 September 2006, Nadi Fiji
Action Plan for Implementing Education for Sustainable Development in the Pacific Islands 2008-2014
Education for Sustainable Development Toolkit, Version 2, July 2002
Climate Risk Profile for Samoa, March 2007
03/07/08 North America, Canada (Queen Charlotte Islands), Kii'iljuus (Barbara Wilson) writes:
This year our berries and fish are later than usual - at least one month behind the time when they usually are ready to eat. The coast line has suffered erosion along the eastern shores of our islands. This year, the herring and whales did not show up in our inlet as they usually do. A few gray whales came into the inlet but, left shortly after - in the past we could count on enjoying their visit for any where up to a couple of months.
Respectfully,
Kii'iljuus (Barbara Wilson)
Cultural Liaison Specialist,
Cultural Resource Management
Queen Charlotte, Canada
03/07/08 Caribbean, Jamaica, Basil Fernandez writes:
In your last forum someone from the Dominican Republic attributed above average rainfall and two storms to climate change.
We must be careful not to take cyclic weather patterns as climate change. Between 2001 and 2007 the Caribbean has been having above average rainfall with increased groundwater storage and steam flow. This is a cyclic pattern observed for over 100 years. If you speak to the older farmers in the country they will tell you that every 5 to 7 years the springs "burst out". The emergence of these springs can be correlated to the above rainfall periods.
In 2008 we may be starting another dry season cycle.The analysis of rainfall for the past 100 years indicate that Jamaica has been experiencing below average rainfall and since 1970 we are now above the 100 year average. One dry season and two storms is insufficient evidence to state that this is a result of climate change. While climate change is occuring I do not think that the data exist in the Caribbean to emphatically state that climate change is the cause of our storms and dry season.
As scientists we need to carefully examine the data and do the analysis to determine if we are in a weather cycle (dry/wet), how severe is it compared to those in the past and link this to other afctors (Temperature, Evaporation etc)? We should also look at the storm data and see if we are in a cyclic pattern. Prior to Gilbert in 1988 Jamaica's last hurricane was Charley in 1953. Since then we have had Ivan in 2004 and Dean in 2008. Maybe we wont have any for another 35 years.
All comments on climate change impacts must be based on long term and reliable data not just one season.
03/07/08 From Dominique M Deschamps
Tools for humanitarians and climate changes [PDF 31 Kb]
03/07/08 Pacific Ocean, Fiji, Leo Nainoka writes:
Hi
Thanks for sending this article. I am emailling you from Papua New Guinea. I am here only for 2 weeks to attend training with our NGO brother organization. I am from the Fiji Islands and work as a Social Worker. I am a Coordinator for a program called Social Empowerment & Education Program (SEEP). Our program works closely with rural indigenous community in our country. One of the areas we would like to involved ourselves more with in our work is Environmental issues like CLIMATE CHANGE, RISING SEA LEVEL etc, etc.
I there fore request you to send resources by Pamphlets, charts, etc so we could study and be well equipped and translate it in our vernacular language so that we could be ready to answer questions from the communities.
Thanks a lot
Leo B Nainoka
Program Coordinator SEEP
SUVA
Fiji Islands
03/07/08 Africa, South Africa, Karen Kohler writes:
Good day
We live on the east coast of South Africa, in the city of Durban. Recently, over the past few years, we have noticed several occurances, attributable, arguably, to global warming and climate change associated with it.
We had a massive storm in March last year which caused immense damage to many of our beaches, in effect washing them away. The storm also did a great deal of damage to coastal infrastructure such a roads, sewage pump stations, beach boardwalks, life saver huts, houses, and, to the south, narrowed one beach by over 90 meters.
Again this year, just a few weeks ago, we had a series of extremely heavy rains (we are a summer rainfall areas and thus these rain storms were completely unseasonal) which did severe damage to the beaches again, particularly on our South Coast area. That area has subsequently been declared an official disaster zone.
As one of the country's most important tourism destinations, and a beach toruism one at that, such climatological phenomena are a bit of a disaster. The unpredictability and apparant increasing severity and unseasonality of such events is alarming.
A colleague in the municipality has been studying sea level increase and his findings further underscore the fact that these sorts of events will increase - in number and severity.
We often get snow in our Drakensberg mountains in winter. However, the last big snows we received were in about 1996. The mountains do not seem to be getting winters as cold as they used to be at all and, for example, ice climbing in the area has been quite restricted and the season very short these past few years, as noted by the Mountain Club of South Africa, KZN Section climbers.
In the city again, the use of heaters in winter has almost completely stopped - there is no need. Southwards, towards Port Elizabeth and Cape Town, it still appears to get very cold, but in the Durban area and northwards, this is not so. I don't have any statistical basis to support this finding, simply anecdotal and experiential ones, but I hope this provides at least some information on this part of the world.
If you require some photographs, you might contact Mr Omar Parak of the Provinvial Coastal Committee as he has many of them.
Best regards - and thank you for a most interesting email
Karen Kohler
Research Manager
TOURISM KWAZULU-NATAL
03/07/08 Europe, Germany, Eva Quistorp writes:
dear friends, thanks for the information and this network, what are your initiatives for other forms of tourism and energy politics, because the tourism by flying is becoming a always bigger part of climate change and destructive events for poor communities and islands-who on the other side want tourists coming by airplanes- how do you solve that problem??
thanks,
Eva Quistorp, women for peace and ecology, former member of parliament, Berlin www.berlin-declaration.org
03/07/08 Indian Ocean, Maldives Hixham AmeD writes:
Most huge countries are not concerned with the tiny little nations like ours, The Maldives. Its totally unpredictable how the climate had become. Our grand parents as they tell us, they used to go fishing with no technical items (such as radars, compases, GPS, or any other navigational equipements), but they would safely reach their destination with no question at all. They used to have their own calander which demonstrates how seasonal changes were observed through out the year. It still exists today, but doesnot provide any use. There was no record of any Tsunami. Now, tidal waves have become so common here in the islands. So part of the sea spoilt with bactria, which the local officials are unable to identify the origins or what it is. Temprature has been constantly rising. Most of all, diseases are spreading at an alarming rate. These diseases are so much irreitating and so painful, locals again are unable to identify what it is. Even me, I am having severe pain in my joints for years now. I have done all kinds of medical tests, with no results. Everywhere, it appears that climate change is much of a political topic than social or scientific. That really sad! Actions of the few, million more take suffering, for several decades to come. There may never be a solution for this phenomenon. Investment in protecting the environment most often is appearing to be harming the environment. Its all about attention, never about ACTION. I think we should have spend all that money in getting attention, rather to ease environmental suffering. – COIN
03/07/08 Pacific Ocean, Hawaii (USA), Isaac D. Harp writes:
Aloha,
I live in the middle of the Pasific Ocean in an area known as Waimea, which is located on the island of Hawaii. I live on what has been known for decades as the "wet side," where constant drizzle, fog, and wind swept sidewards rain were common. In recent years we have had much less rainfall than normal. Actually, we are suffering drought conditions here in Waimea while the normally dry area known as Kona has had more rain than usual. The rainfall seems to have shifted from the wet to dry areas on this island.
Isaac Harp
23/06/08 North America, USA, Lori Johnston writes:
Hello,
We are an NGO interested in writing an in-depth report about the climate changes in our area, what has caused it, and how it affects us. How can UNESCO help us to do that?
Thank you.
Lori Johnston
Yamasi People
22/06/08 16/06/08 Africa, Kenya, Nataan Lomorukai writes:
1) Photo 1: The first photo are turkana people along the shores of lake turkana after erecting a museum to preserve their culture and history to avoid extinction.
2) Photo 2: While performing a traditional dance in the honour of the visiting american and german ambassadors during our cultural festivals,and dressed in hides skins leather which is our traditional way of life.
3) Photo 3: Lomorukai nataan emmanuel pastoralist network of kenya turkana chapter national board member dressed in turkana regalia at a world gathering for transhumanst pastoralist passover in Madrid (SPAIN).
16/06/08 Africa, Kenya, Nataan Lomorukai writes:
Having been victims of drought and famines for the last two decades turkana district once a savannah is a no go zone. The district is 77,000sq kms, vast and arid.hosting one of the hottest spots on earth known as suguta valley with temperatures ranging from 50C to 65C. The contributing factors to these climatic changes is as a result of: -
1. The river omo which once used to flow with a huge amount of water from the ethiopian highlands and a main feeder tributary to lake turkana formerly lake rudolf has been blocked for irrigational purposes by the ethiopian authorities,and hence it has resulted into these lake to diminish.
2. The river turkwell which flows from Mt. Elgon to lake turkana has been blocked upstream for hydro-electric power for kenyans on the highlands. and this has resulted to dying of indigenous trees and plants along the riverine downstream where the Turkana people live even tree pods which enabled the livestock to live are no more. Animals are dying of severe drought, inhabitants have opted to move to urban areas to work as labourers and others have resorted to charcoal burning for bio-fuel from the drying trees to supply to refugee camp in Kakuma and urban areas.
Turkanas are now dependant on emergency relief aid from international communities through WFP as a result of this catastrophy. Rainfall once used to rain between March to September is now realised only thrice or four times a year.
3. The famous ferguson gulf in lake Turkana is history it has disappeared and it used to abreeding ground for the Tilapia fish. The fishfolk along here have nothing to eat for food therefore, the area once occupied with the ferguson gulf, foreign plants have emerged called acacia prosophis which have endangered the lives of donkeys around here. for when an animals eats these plants after some months the animal becomes toothless and as a result it dies.
As a result to the climatic change menace, mechanism and solutions are not yet in place since the ecosystems programme are not in place to restore and reflendish more trees and plants.
Water is a scarcity since the water table is sinking,these pastoralist have to track for around 70 kms in search of water.
20/06/08 Indian Ocean, Seychelles, Michael Jean-Louis writes:
Hi,
Thank you for the newsletter i am very concern about the subject of climate change since i live on a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean called Praslin. The island is
11 km long and 4 km wide with a population of around 7500 Praslinios and around 20 % tourist at any given point in time.
The impact of climate change on my island is not as severe as the pacific islands due to the unique geology of our island.All the northern island in the Seychelles archipelago close to the equator are what is called 'Granitic islands'that is, it has a continental origin, in fact the continental plateau where we are situated on was once part of what is now called the Indian sub-continent, so as India moved up north from Africa to hit with Asia,and as a result raise the Himalayian plateau,we where left behind at the equator.
Being continental base the islands are quite high with real hills and mountains the highest mountain in the Sey.is 905 m my island 347 m high.
We have evidence on the island that the sea level has risen before in the past we can see coral heads and quasi reef structures on rocks 3 to 4 meters above current sea level, which proves that at one point in time all the flat coastal land was under the sea.With the curent climate change, what we have suffered the most from, is the El Nino phenomenon , which has destroyed a large percentage of the reef structures 'coral bleaching' which affects tourism and obviously the fish population.The reef structure here acts as a barrier where by waves will crash on it and dicipates most of its energy hence causing no effect on the sandy and very dynamic coastline.
Now after the great El Nino of 1998 this coral barrier has been structurally weaken and in some instances has collapse on itself, hence making the barrier lower and less effective at wave breaking so now more water,with more energy, is coming into the lagoon and this is creating to a certain degree, coastal erosion, but we do not have the sea coming inland yet.In the case of the Sey.the sea must go up by a good 2 to 3 metres to have this effect.
We know that the climate is changing, in fact it has always change, there has never been one point in time that the climate has remain static, now we are on a warming trend,and we have to adapt to the consequences of these changes which has happen in the past.this is where good planing and foresight can come in very handy and poeple will start to adapt to their environment rather than modifying their environment to their needs.
16/06/08 Caribbean, Dominican Republic, Solangel Gonzalez writes:
Hello,
My name is Solangel Gonzalez and I come from República Dominicana, in our country we have observed during the last decade that the period while hurricanes get formed has got longer, last year we have been impacted by two Tropical storms during November and December which had left precipitations that exceeded the regular quantities of the month, arriving until 300% more in some areas of the country, as well the storm Olga took place out of the season, during December. We have observed as well that the patrons of precipitation are changing, during the year, the month which presents the most elevated patrons of precipitation is May, but during this year May was dry specially during the third decade.
Lic. Solangel Gonzalez
Climate Change Unit Coordinator
National Office of Meteorology
ONAMET
15/06/08 Pacific Ocean, Samoa, Nat Tuivavalagi writes:
We have 2 seasons in Samoa – the “hot/wet” and the “cool/dry” season. We have been going through a “hot/wet” period but theoretically, this is supposed to be the “cool/dry” season for Samoa.
14/06/08 Asia, India, Dr. S.K. Sharma writes:
Dear Sir,
I am on the Frontlines of Climate Change and putting hereunder a case from India :
The adverse affects of climate change on the declining availability of water in parts of India like in Cheerapunji (famed as the world’s wettest point because of the abundant rainfall, remained unusually dry during 2006) and Ladakh (the glaciers in Ladakh accounts for 13 % of Kashmir’s land area are now fast receding), and for agriculture purpose are already visible in India.
Hope you will find it in order.
Thank you.
Dr.S.K.Sharma
| Attachment | Size |
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| Turkana1.jpg | 157.33 KB |
| Turkana2.jpg | 113.16 KB |
| Turkana3.JPG | 92.27 KB |
| Casebow Guernsey Climate Frontlines.pdf | 776.27 KB |
| Germany Invitation_ClimAdapt_08.pdf | 464.56 KB |
| CongoBasinReportIndigenousWomen.pdf | 245.09 KB |
| PacificESDFrameworkEndorsed270906.pdf | 88.07 KB |
| PacificESDRegionalFINALActionPlan24-2-008.pdf | 192.47 KB |
| PacificESDToolkitSPBD9-10-007.pdf | 394.73 KB |
| SamoaClimateRiskProfile2007.pdf | 542.1 KB |
| Tools for humanitarians and climate changes.pdf | 31.04 KB |
