This year, our third year of Phase IV funding, we accelerated research, outreach, and policy implementation with outcomes across all aspects of the program: engaged with Native Hawaiian and frontline or underserved communities; advanced modeling and visualization tools focused on the Island of Kauaʻi as a research hub; led authorship of the Hawaiʻi and Pacific Islands chapter of the Fifth National Climate Assessment; mapped compound flooding impacts; informed US federal agencies about the dual threat of invasive species and climate change, and initiated the next-generation of Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment (PIRCA) reports.
In August 2023, we saw firsthand how the synergistic effects of invasive species and a changing climate can impact the landscape, as a fast-moving wildfire devastated the town of Lāhainā, Maui, and ultimately became one of the deadliest wildfires in United States history. High winds with gusts up to 80 miles per hour were recorded on the dry, leeward slopes of the Hawaiian Islands due to Hurricane Dora, which passed 550 miles to the south of the archipelago. With dry conditions resulting from a summer of extreme drought, the risk of fire in Hawaiʻi was already high when the gusting winds likely caused the start of the fire and then accelerated it while also grounding the firefighting helicopters. Invasive grasses, a consequence of Hawaiʻi’s plantation history, cover over a quarter of the land in the state and burned quickly in the fire that was responsible for billions of dollars in damages and the displacement of thousands of residents. In response to the fire, Pacific RISA developed a web page with resources for understanding the context and science of wildfire in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Islands. As the devastating impacts of the fire continued to unfold, the team also responded to numerous media interviews and requests for information.
The Pacific RISA Team recently took a field day to volunteer with the Army Natural Resources Program on Oʻahu (ANRPO) in the Wai‘anae Mountains, where we got to see firsthand what it takes to manage and restore some of Hawai‘i’s most remote and precarious native ecosystems. Read More
As part of Pacific RISA’s UNEP CIS-Pac5 research program on climate information and early warning systems, the team convened a Sector-based Climate Services and Coordination Workshop in Koror, Palau from February 26 to March 1, 2024. The workshop was funded by the Green Climate Fund and hosted by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Pacific RISA, and the University of Hawaii in partnership with the Palau Ministry of Finance Bureau of Budget and Planning, Palau Office of Climate Change, and the Palau Weather Service Office.
Participants at the Sector-based Climate Services and Coordination Workshop included President Surangel Whipps of Palau and US Ambassador to Palau Joel Ehrendreich, center.
Invasive species are a significant threat to climate-preparedness and resilience, according to a new white paper prepared for the US Department of the Interior by the Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC). The paper, Invasive Species Threaten the Success of Climate Change Adaptation Efforts, addresses one of the most critical intersections between invasive species and climate change—where invasive species are posing a direct threat to natural climate solutions and climate resilience—and provides recommendations for action at the federal level.
“There are many examples—in the Pacific Islands and beyond—of how efforts to prevent and manage invasive species have resulted in more climate-resilient communities, ecosystems, and economies”, said white paper author and Pacific RISA Co-Lead Investigator Laura Brewington
Executive Order No. 14008mandates that US federal agencies and departments develop Climate Change Adaptation Plans to enhance the nation’s resilience to climate change, but invasive species are also documented to reduce the effectiveness of climate adaptation and mitigation actions. For example, fire-tolerant invasive grasses are supercharging wildfires in many parts of the United States, including Hawaii and the US Pacific Islands, which not only threatens critical infrastructure and ecosystems, but also reduces wildland climate resilience and carbon storage capacity. In spite of this, only eight of the 26 federal Climate Change Adaptation Plans directly reference invasive species, and just four meaningfully consider the reciprocal impact of invasive species on climate adaptation efforts.
The devastation of Lahaina, Maui, after wildfires fueled by invasive grasses and high winds in August, 2023 Credit: Elyse Butler
To develop recommendations for addressing this intersection of climate and invasive species, the ISAC author team conducted a gap analysis of the US Climate Change Adaptation Plans and synthesized case studies around the impacts of invasive species on US climate resilience. The five recommendations, if implemented, would transform how invasive species are considered within federal climate change planning, programs, and policies.
Five key recommendations for US federal agencies and departments to integrate invasive species into climate adaptation planning and processes. Source: ISAC 2023
“Our research confirmed what we already suspected: federal agencies have not yet actively integrated invasive species management into climate action planning, funding, and implementation—and they must take clear steps to do so in order to meet their own climate goals,” said Leigh Greenwood, TNC’s Director of Forest Pests and Pathogens programs and Chair of ISAC’s Climate Change subcommittee. “Each of the five recommendations is achievable and would help protect both people and nature from the damaging impacts of climate change.”
Featured image: Water hyacinth, a fast growing invasive weed that clogs waterways and flood control mechanisms in the southeastern United States. Credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife (via Flickr).
Among the findings of the Fifth US National Climate Assessment, released by the White House, are that climate change in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Islands worsens inequities and threatens unique island ecosystems, along with cultural resources, human health, livelihoods, the built environment, and access to clean water and healthy food. The assessment concludes that adaptation strategies incorporating local and Indigenous knowledge can improve the resilience of Pacific Island communities, and that efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit climate change impacts are now underway in every US region, including the Pacific Islands
“Climate change continues to threaten things we care about,” said Frazier, now an assistant professor at Clark University and the Hawai‘i-Pacific chapter’s lead author. “As the devastating hurricane-fueled wildfires on Maui and Typhoon Mawar in Guam made clear, when communities are already hurting from stressors like COVID-19, extreme weather can multiply harms. The sooner we scale up global action to curb threats from climate change, the better. Fortunately, cutting emissions or preparing for new extremes also creates immediate local benefits—improved health, a stronger economy, and more resilient communities.”
The chapter’s key takeaways for the region include:
Figure 30.5, US Fifth National Climate Assessment, https://nca2023.globalchange.gov/chapter/30#fig-30-5
Climate change impairs access to healthy food and water. Increasing temperatures, altered rainfall, flooding, pollution, and fisheries decline will further affect food and water availability.
Climate change undermines human health. Climate shocks and stressors compromise healthcare and worsen long-standing social and economic inequities that contribute to illness, but community strengths and adaptation measures can boost resilience.
Rising sea levels harm infrastructure and islands’ economies. Sea level rise intensifies loss of territory and disrupts livelihoods, but governments and communities are innovating through renewable energy, green infrastructure, and sustainable economic growth.
Responses help to safeguard tropical ecosystems and biodiversity. Increased fire risk, severe droughts, and ocean changes have broad negative impacts on native plants and wildlife, and ocean ecosystems. Effective adaptation strategies include ecosystem protection and restoration, invasive species measures, and fire prevention.
Indigenous Peoples and their knowledge systems are central to the resilience of island communities amidst the changing climate.
New since the Fourth National Climate Assessment, published in 2018, is the chapter’s inclusion of a key message on human health and its emphasis on food security, integration of Indigenous knowledge, and recognition of data inequities for the Pacific Islands and US Caribbean.
About the Fifth National Climate Assessment
Mandated in the Global Change Research Act of 1990, the National Climate Assessment provides authoritative scientific information about climate change risks, impacts, and responses in the US. The assessment reflects the scientific consensus and is widely used for decision-making but does not include policy recommendations nor advocate for any specific policy.
The Fifth National Climate Assessment includes 32 chapters on physical science, national-level sectors (such as water, energy, agriculture, ecosystems, transportation, health, infrastructure, etc.), regional impacts in the US, and responses. The assessment was written by a diverse team of more than 500 authors and more than 250 technical contributors from every state. The report has undergone multiple rounds of review, including three opportunities for public comment, extensive agency review, and an external review by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The Hawai‘i and US-Affiliated Pacific Islands chapter has 16 authors and 41 technical contributors and is backed by nearly 500 citations from published literature.
In September 2023, PI Dr. Victoria Keener and Project Specialist Chelsey Bryson traveled to Mo’orea, French Polynesia to attend the semi-annual International Ocean Science, Policy and Law Conference. The conference was organized by the Jon Van Dyke Institute (JVDI) and the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, and the theme was Te Ara Moana, or “ocean pathway.” The meeting encompassed a range of sessions dedicated to blue pathways to island sustainability. It also served as the inaugural meeting of the Pacific Islands Marine Stations Association (PIMSA), created by JVDI to provide a vehicle for collaboration on ocean science and data, to disseminate information about funding and research opportunities, and to elevate young scholars and researchers. Read More
Covering all of our accomplishments from June 2022 to May 2023, this year’s Annual Report demonstrates through research, engagement, and impact how we continue to be a leading and trusted program for island climate adaptation solutions. It is also our first Annual Report that reflects our new program name! Read More
Our hearts go out to our families, friends, colleagues, and all those affected by the devastating fires on Maui. As this tragedy continues to unfold, the Pacific RISA team is committed to supporting communities experiencing loss.
For anyone looking for a way to help, there are many ways to support Maui families through donation and mutual aid. Here are a few ways to donate or offer assistance:Read More
Resilient and sustainable Pacific Island communities using climate information to manage risks and support practical decision-making about climate variability and change.
Announcing the Pacific RISA 2023-2024 Annual Report
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Posted on October 23, 2024 by pacrisa
The Pacific RISA 2023-2024 Annual Report is LIVE!
In August 2023, we saw firsthand how the synergistic effects of invasive species and a changing climate can impact the landscape, as a fast-moving wildfire devastated the town of Lāhainā, Maui, and ultimately became one of the deadliest wildfires in United States history. High winds with gusts up to 80 miles per hour were recorded on the dry, leeward slopes of the Hawaiian Islands due to Hurricane Dora, which passed 550 miles to the south of the archipelago. With dry conditions resulting from a summer of extreme drought, the risk of fire in Hawaiʻi was already high when the gusting winds likely caused the start of the fire and then accelerated it while also grounding the firefighting helicopters. Invasive grasses, a consequence of Hawaiʻi’s plantation history, cover over a quarter of the land in the state and burned quickly in the fire that was responsible for billions of dollars in damages and the displacement of thousands of residents. In response to the fire, Pacific RISA developed a web page with resources for understanding the context and science of wildfire in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Islands. As the devastating impacts of the fire continued to unfold, the team also responded to numerous media interviews and requests for information.
Click to download and explore the Pacific RISA 2023-2024 Annual Report
CREDIT: Elyse Butler
Climate Change and Endangered Species Conservation in the Wai‘anae Mountains
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Posted on September 19, 2024 by pacrisa
The Pacific RISA Team recently took a field day to volunteer with the Army Natural Resources Program on Oʻahu (ANRPO) in the Wai‘anae Mountains, where we got to see firsthand what it takes to manage and restore some of Hawai‘i’s most remote and precarious native ecosystems. Read More
Palau Climate Services and Coordination Workshop
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Posted on March 18, 2024 by Laura Brewington
As part of Pacific RISA’s UNEP CIS-Pac5 research program on climate information and early warning systems, the team convened a Sector-based Climate Services and Coordination Workshop in Koror, Palau from February 26 to March 1, 2024. The workshop was funded by the Green Climate Fund and hosted by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Pacific RISA, and the University of Hawaii in partnership with the Palau Ministry of Finance Bureau of Budget and Planning, Palau Office of Climate Change, and the Palau Weather Service Office.
Read More
Invasive Species Threaten US Climate Change Resilience
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Posted on February 8, 2024 by Laura Brewington
Invasive species are a significant threat to climate-preparedness and resilience, according to a new white paper prepared for the US Department of the Interior by the Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC). The paper, Invasive Species Threaten the Success of Climate Change Adaptation Efforts, addresses one of the most critical intersections between invasive species and climate change—where invasive species are posing a direct threat to natural climate solutions and climate resilience—and provides recommendations for action at the federal level.
Executive Order No. 14008 mandates that US federal agencies and departments develop Climate Change Adaptation Plans to enhance the nation’s resilience to climate change, but invasive species are also documented to reduce the effectiveness of climate adaptation and mitigation actions. For example, fire-tolerant invasive grasses are supercharging wildfires in many parts of the United States, including Hawaii and the US Pacific Islands, which not only threatens critical infrastructure and ecosystems, but also reduces wildland climate resilience and carbon storage capacity. In spite of this, only eight of the 26 federal Climate Change Adaptation Plans directly reference invasive species, and just four meaningfully consider the reciprocal impact of invasive species on climate adaptation efforts.
Credit: Elyse Butler
To develop recommendations for addressing this intersection of climate and invasive species, the ISAC author team conducted a gap analysis of the US Climate Change Adaptation Plans and synthesized case studies around the impacts of invasive species on US climate resilience. The five recommendations, if implemented, would transform how invasive species are considered within federal climate change planning, programs, and policies.
“Our research confirmed what we already suspected: federal agencies have not yet actively integrated invasive species management into climate action planning, funding, and implementation—and they must take clear steps to do so in order to meet their own climate goals,” said Leigh Greenwood, TNC’s Director of Forest Pests and Pathogens programs and Chair of ISAC’s Climate Change subcommittee. “Each of the five recommendations is achievable and would help protect both people and nature from the damaging impacts of climate change.”
Download and share the full 2023 ISAC climate change white paper!
Featured image: Water hyacinth, a fast growing invasive weed that clogs waterways and flood control mechanisms in the southeastern United States. Credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife (via Flickr).
Fifth US National Climate Assessment Release
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Posted on November 14, 2023 by pacrisa
Pacific Confronting Growing Climate Change Impacts, Official US Assessment Finds
Adapted from the East-West Center Press Release at: https://www.eastwestcenter.org/news/news-release/pacific-confronting-growing-climate-change-impacts-official-us-assessment-finds
Among the findings of the Fifth US National Climate Assessment, released by the White House, are that climate change in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Islands worsens inequities and threatens unique island ecosystems, along with cultural resources, human health, livelihoods, the built environment, and access to clean water and healthy food. The assessment concludes that adaptation strategies incorporating local and Indigenous knowledge can improve the resilience of Pacific Island communities, and that efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit climate change impacts are now underway in every US region, including the Pacific Islands
The report’s chapter on Hawaiʻi and US-Affiliated Pacific Islands was written by 16 authors, including Pacific RISA’s Abby Frazier, Victoria Keener, Zena Grecni, Kirsten Oleson, and Chris Shuler. The chapter has 41 technical contributors and is backed by nearly 500 citations from published literature.
“Climate change continues to threaten things we care about,” said Frazier, now an assistant professor at Clark University and the Hawai‘i-Pacific chapter’s lead author. “As the devastating hurricane-fueled wildfires on Maui and Typhoon Mawar in Guam made clear, when communities are already hurting from stressors like COVID-19, extreme weather can multiply harms. The sooner we scale up global action to curb threats from climate change, the better. Fortunately, cutting emissions or preparing for new extremes also creates immediate local benefits—improved health, a stronger economy, and more resilient communities.”
The chapter’s key takeaways for the region include:
New since the Fourth National Climate Assessment, published in 2018, is the chapter’s inclusion of a key message on human health and its emphasis on food security, integration of Indigenous knowledge, and recognition of data inequities for the Pacific Islands and US Caribbean.
About the Fifth National Climate Assessment
Mandated in the Global Change Research Act of 1990, the National Climate Assessment provides authoritative scientific information about climate change risks, impacts, and responses in the US. The assessment reflects the scientific consensus and is widely used for decision-making but does not include policy recommendations nor advocate for any specific policy.
The Fifth National Climate Assessment includes 32 chapters on physical science, national-level sectors (such as water, energy, agriculture, ecosystems, transportation, health, infrastructure, etc.), regional impacts in the US, and responses. The assessment was written by a diverse team of more than 500 authors and more than 250 technical contributors from every state. The report has undergone multiple rounds of review, including three opportunities for public comment, extensive agency review, and an external review by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The Hawai‘i and US-Affiliated Pacific Islands chapter has 16 authors and 41 technical contributors and is backed by nearly 500 citations from published literature.
“Te Ara Moana” – International Ocean Science, Policy and Law Conference, Mo’orea
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Posted on October 27, 2023 by pacrisa
In September 2023, PI Dr. Victoria Keener and Project Specialist Chelsey Bryson traveled to Mo’orea, French Polynesia to attend the semi-annual International Ocean Science, Policy and Law Conference. The conference was organized by the Jon Van Dyke Institute (JVDI) and the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, and the theme was Te Ara Moana, or “ocean pathway.” The meeting encompassed a range of sessions dedicated to blue pathways to island sustainability. It also served as the inaugural meeting of the Pacific Islands Marine Stations Association (PIMSA), created by JVDI to provide a vehicle for collaboration on ocean science and data, to disseminate information about funding and research opportunities, and to elevate young scholars and researchers. Read More
Announcing Pacific RISA’s Latest Annual Report
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Posted on September 29, 2023 by Laura Brewington
Covering all of our accomplishments from June 2022 to May 2023, this year’s Annual Report demonstrates through research, engagement, and impact how we continue to be a leading and trusted program for island climate adaptation solutions. It is also our first Annual Report that reflects our new program name! Read More
Understanding the Maui Fires
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Posted on August 17, 2023 by pacrisa
Understanding the Maui Fires: Resources
Our hearts go out to our families, friends, colleagues, and all those affected by the devastating fires on Maui. As this tragedy continues to unfold, the Pacific RISA team is committed to supporting communities experiencing loss.
For anyone looking for a way to help, there are many ways to support Maui families through donation and mutual aid. Here are a few ways to donate or offer assistance: Read More
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Resilient and sustainable Pacific Island communities using climate information to manage risks and support practical decision-making about climate variability and change.
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