An Overview of National Climate Change Strategies and Priorities in Palau

8/8/2019 An Overview of National Climate Change Strategies and Priorities in Palau

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ONRESPONDINGTO

CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC

Presented By The:

(Office of the President of the Republic of Palau)

HotelNovotel

Nadi,Fiji

1213October2010


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IntroductionEstablished as an independent country on October 1, 1994, the Republic of Palau is approximately 550 miles from the Philippines,

m es rom uam, m es rom n ones a an apua ew u nea an m es rom apan. a au s y ar mos wes ern o e

Caroline Islands cluster of the Southwest Pacific.

The Republic of Palau is an island chain consisting of about 586 islands, twelve of which are inhabited. The total land area is 188

square miles and encompasses more than 560 square miles of lagoon areas. Babeldaob, the largest island in the Palau archipelago has

an area of 332 square kilometers. It is believed that Babeldaob came to being about 70 million years ago, resulting from a series of

Eocene volcanic activit and com osed of basalt and andesite. The world renowned Rock Islands are formed from limestones situated

to the south of Koror State. Babeldaob is also known as the second largest island in Micronesia, comprising of seventy percent of Palaus

total landmass. At its greatest width, Babeldaob reaches fifteen kilometers/nine miles across (APCC, 2001). It is where Mt.Ngerechelechuus can be seen 719 feet/ 275 meters above sea level establishing itself as the highest point in Palau.

(identified with the red

border) is divided into three

regions, namely the Republic

of Palau (circeld in blue), the

e erate tates o

Micronesian (Yap, Chuuk,

Pohnpei, & Kosrae) in the

center, and the Republic of

the Marshall Islands (east).

Palau has 12 nautical

miles of territorial seas with

200 nautical miles of

which encompasses 600,900

square kilometers.


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OverviewofPalauIsland:Palau is comprised of 16 states from Kayangel to the

north, and Ngerchelong, Ngaraard, Ngiwal, Melekeok

(current capital), Ngchesar, Airai, Aimeliik, Ngatpang,

Ngeremlengui, and Ngardmau located on the big island of

Babeldaob to Koror (former capital) across the bridge to the

south and Peleliu and Angaur farther south through the

roc s an s an onsoro an ato o e a out a ays oat

ride far south. The Palau archipelago stretches 700 km

from Ngeruangel atoll in the north to Helens atoll to the

south.

Globe picture courtesy of googlemap!


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PALAUANS,LIKEALLISLANDERS,HAVEALWAYSPROTECTEDNATURE!,

construct. Respect for the environment and its

preservation is PaIau's most deeply ingrained tradition

and is at the heart of our culture. Palauans have always

-

environment is the foundation of our progress and

survival.

Mr. President, Palaus legend

teaches us that we spring from

President Toribiongs statement UN General Assembly in New York (September 2010)

Pre

si

Mother Nature. And historically,

we have shared a symbiotic

relationship. But, as a result of

abuses which we have committed

en

tT

oribion

gs

statem

e

aga ns er, e capac y o o er

Nature for tolerance has been

pushed to the breaking point. We

now feel her wrath. She has gone

ntCOP1

5in

Copenh

adversary in the form of climate

change. Now, we are engaged in

an epic battle against climate

chan e for the survival of our

gen,D

enm

ark

(Decem

planet and ourselves. Defeat is not

an option.

ber2

009)


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PALAUSENVIRONMENTISTHESOURCEOFOURLIFETHATBEGINSANDENDSWITH THELAND AIR ANDWATERClimateChangerelatedIssues:

Effects of Droughts

TheimpactonPalauincludedthefollowing:

1) droughtresultinginreducedavailabilityofpotablewaterandsubstantiala riculturallosses;

2) coralreefbleachingevents;

3) extremesea

level

variation;

&

saltwater

intrusionintaropatches;

4) erosionandlandslidesduetoextreme

rainfall;and

5) lossofcriticalhabitatandspecies,suchas

jellyfishintheRockIslandlakes.

The recent drought a couple months of months ago had a drastic effect on the public water dam.

Palaus landscape turned brownish with dead trees and taro patches dried up including local staples years ago

and has occurred more often as remembered by many of the old wise men still with us today!

Extreme dryness causes fires that results in landslides.


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Effects of Ocean Acidification


1) droughtresultinginreducedavailabilityof

potablewaterandsubstantialagricultural

losses;

2) coralreefbleachingevents;3) extreme

sea

level

variation;

&

saltwater



rainfall;and



The build-up of acids as a result

of huge amounts of CO2 emitted

into the air have had a devastation

effect on Palaus corals

With the governments

efforts corals are being

cultured on land and

brought to the ocean to

assist nature in coral

rowth and builds this

ocean city its resilienceto the effects of

Climate Change!

A healthy coral coming back to life from a dead zone as a result of

the El Nino in 1997 that decimated Palaus corals (coral bleaching).


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losses;


3) extremesea

level

variation;

&

saltwater



rainfall;and


An old woman standing dumbfounded by her

taro patch with not an ounce of understanding

why her farm is inundated with sea water and

Effects of Sea-Level Rise One of the most popular pictures that speaks for itselfshowing the effects of Climate Change on the island is ofthis young boy floating in a make-shift Styrofoam boat

not knowing that if we continue to ignore the damage

done to our world he would be one of the island refugees


coastal residences will immediately relocate if

theres funding assistance easily accessible.

missing an identity, culture, and heritage becoming and

extinct species of the human race and (above) beaches

slightly eroded by the rising tide.

The high and low tides were

considered when the ier to the left

was constructed about 15 years ago

and today the high tide shown on the

left picture is about 6.8 feet shown on

a tidal calendar for Palau!


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Effects of extreme Rainfall




losses;


3) extremesea

level

variation;

&

saltwater


4) erosionandlandslidesduetoextremerainfall;and



The increase of rain

occurrence results in flash

floods and destruction of

roads including land slides!


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PALAUSRESPONSETOCLIMATECHANGE Climate Change Policy/ies and Legislation?

Not yet but the office of the Environmental Protection Board is strictly enforcing

environmental laws.

National Climate Change Strategy and Priorities available?

Yes the current administrations priority is the promotion of the Green Revolution seekingalternative energy sources, planting of coconut trees, etc

Yes however it was never adopted by the Palau Congress!

Institutional Framework Climate Change Office established?

Yes Office of Environmental Response & Coordination is the responsible entity for

Climate Change issues and working with the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment &

Tourism.

Financial Support for Climate Change Response (available? adequate?)

Climate Change Programs/Projects (available? funding source/s?)

Yes available projects such as the Cool Earth solar project from Japan, Pacific Adaptation

to Climate Change (PACC) and with funding sources coming from UNDP, UNEP, GEF, ADB,

etc and countries Palau has diplomatic relations with such as the United States, Japan,

Australia, New Zealand, etc


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PALAUSNEEDSFORASSISTANCE&SUPPORT The islands cost for adaptation to Climate Change such as

- Interisland relocation (coastal residence to relocate to the high grounds);

- etc

Climate Change capacity building for government personnel (many in various departments and

agencies with some sort of connection to Climate Change can not tell nor make that connection).

Fundin su ort is and alwa s have a need for assistance from small islands such as Palau.


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END

Documents

An Overview of National Climate Change Strategies and Priorities in Palau