Climate Variability and Change Workshop in the Territory of Guam


Wildfire in Guam. Source: FEMA News Photo
March 23, 1998

On April 24 and 25, 2006, representatives from government agencies and private organizations met for two days to explore changing climate conditions and their impacts in Guam. The NOAA National Weather Service Forecast Office in Tiyan, Guam sponsored the workshop locally and ensured that critical agencies and sectors dealing with climate attend the workshop (http://www.prh.noaa.gov/guam/). The Guam WFO also assisted in providing information, personnel, and resources to support the other regional workshops.

As a higher island, Guam has greater freshwater resources and drought was not as severe during the 1997-1998 ENSO event. The worst problems during the drought were the severe wildfires, which contributes to loss of vegetation and destabilizes hillsides and stream banks, resulting in erosion and sedimentation. Even though Guam has enough water availability for its current residents during the drought, the changing climate and potential increase in extreme climate events could result in increased population pressure on limited water and energy resources, as people from the neighboring Micronesian atolls migrate to Guam. Increased population will result in environmental changes that could further impact Guam's tourism economy, resulting in decreased recreational visitors.

The coral reefs, which provide habitat, food, and protection for the islands, could experience increased pressure on use from local and migrant residents. Extreme events could result in bleaching or sedimentation that covers and kills the reefs. Climate change adaptation measures need to be incorporated into the coral reef management plans. With a large port and transshipment operations, fisheries are an important economic sector in Guam. Resource and fisheries managers advocated using climate information in the development of their strategies. As requested in the other islands, Guam recognized that a participatory process would be best for developing plans and strategies to deal with changes in climate.