Communication in support of climate change adaptation in the Pacific

Scientell undertook consultations with government officials, non-government organisations and industry representatives in Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu to determine needs and requirements for climate change adaptation decision support tools.

Client: Griffith University, Queensland

Audience: People and agencies undertaking climate change adaptation activities in Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu.

Pacific iCLIM is a program of Griffith University, Queensland. Supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, iCLIM is designed to assist the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP) and the Governments of Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu in implementing a regional approach to climate change data and information management throughout the Pacific.

The project involved undertaking and documenting consultations with officials in Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu and from SPREP in Samoa, as well as identifying where there were needs that could be met by decision support tools.

Innovative Features

This is an example of a user-driven project, based entirely on people’s stated needs. We interviewed over 50 people, who described their roles and identified what they saw as the major gaps and impediments in performing their work and responding effectively to climate change and natural disasters.