German Government co-funds new Coastal Change Toolkit

11.03.2015: Die deutsche Regierung unterstützt ein Bildungsprogramm zum Klimawandel im Pazifik

COASTAL CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS: A Guide to Support Community Understanding of Coastal Erosion and Flooding Issues In November 2014 a „Coastal Change Toolkit“ was published that was developed by a wide range of experts and funded by the German Government and a number of partner organisations. The regional program “Coping with Climate Change in the Pacific Island Region” (CCCPIR) is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Since 2011 the SPC/GIZ CCCPIR programme is implementing climate change activities in 12 Pacific Island Countries (PICs), aiming at strengthening the capacities of PICs and regional organisations to cope with the impacts of cli-mate change that will affect communities across the region. (For more information see: www.spc.int/en/our-work/climate-change/cccpir.html). The Coastal Change Toolkit The new Coastal Change Toolkit responds to the emerging needs of many communities in the Pacific Islands whose members are expressing concerns about storm damage, sea-level rise, and the frequency and severity of coastal flooding events and shoreline erosion. With existing tools, communities have been able to identify the potential impacts of threats and hazards to the coastal zone. However, understanding the complex interaction between natural coastal systems and human development in order to determine effective responses requires further technical assistance, which is often not accessible. The Toolkit focuses on helping communities understanding changes to their coastlines, and causes for these change. It supports decision-making to reduce the impacts of coastal hazards such as flooding and erosion on communities.