One key finding is just how disproportionate the impacts are. Between 1980 and 2019, invasive species caused more than $11.7 billion in damages across US and US-affiliated islands. When adjusted for land area, that’s five times higher per square kilometer than on the US continent. Islands import most of their food and goods, rely heavily on tourism and military transport, and often have limited resources to respond when new pests arrive.

But the paper also shows that the biggest challenges are not about a lack of tools or knowledge. This research, led by Pacific RISA PI Laura Brewington as part of her service on the US Invasive Species Advisory Committee, identifies three lessons that apply not only to US islands, but to island nations around the world. First, local capacity and trust determine whether efforts succeed. Programs that invest in local jobs, training, and community engagement are more likely to detect invasions early, while long-term support of island-led research, workforce development, and implementation supports sustained management as climate extremes intensify. Second, prevention at ports of entry matters. Airports, seaports, and shipping routes are the main gateways for invasive species. When inspections are inconsistent or under-resourced, new pests slip through—and the costs multiply later. Third, long-term control tools are essential but often underused. Islands have successfully applied biological control, targeted chemical treatments, and ecosystem restoration, but these approaches are frequently limited by short-term funding or regulatory delays. Expanding access to conservation-relevant tools and investing in restoration infrastructure also both increase ecosystem resilience following disturbance.

“In many cases, the science exists and the solutions are known,” says lead author Laura Brewington. “The real challenge is making sure systems are in place to prevent invasions in the first place and to act quickly and effectively when they occur.”

The paper also highlights promising examples, from interagency agreements in the Pacific to biofouling controls in Australia and community-driven biosecurity efforts in Mexico. These cases show that coordination and sustained investment can make a real difference. Islands are often described as “sentinels” for environmental change. But in the case of invasive species, they are also shields—protecting surrounding regions from further spread. Strengthening island biosecurity isn’t just an island issue. It’s a global one. Download the paper here.

Featured image: Sunset over Tumon Bay, Guam. Credit: Laura Brewington

]]> 7326 https://www.pacificrisa.org/2025/05/14/new-report-details-climate-change-challenges-and-adaptation-strategies-for-the-marshall-islands/ Wed, 14 May 2025 21:30:02 +0000 https://www.pacificrisa.org/?p=6983 Read More]]> Growing challenges from sea level rise and risks to water and food security and human health are among the major issues detailed in a new report on climate change in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). Considerations for managing threatened resources, including fresh water, fisheries, and infrastructure, are outlined in the report by the Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment (PIRCA), a consortium of several government, NGO, and research entities.

Climate Change in the Republic of the Marshall Islands: Indicators and Considerations for Key Sectors is one in a series of PIRCA reports. Authors from Arizona State University, the East-West Center, the Majuro Weather Service Office, and the University of Hawaiʻi—along with 29 technical contributors from local government, NGOs, and research—collaboratively developed the RMI PIRCA report.

Key Messages

Climate Change in the Republic of the Marshall Islands lays out the changes the country is already experiencing, and what lies ahead. The key messages for decision-makers include:

• Sea level rise threatens infrastructure, food and water security, and important ecosystems and cultural sites. Frequent and extensive flooding, coastal erosion, and saltwater contamination of groundwater are expected as sea level rise accelerates, threatening the long-term habitability of the atoll nation.
• Ocean changes disrupt fisheries and cause coral loss. Coral reefs are key to the Marshall Islands’ fisheries and protection from coastal flooding. Fisheries changes and extensive coral loss are possible within the next few decades if current trends in rising ocean temperatures continue.
• Hotter days and nights and stronger storms affect human health. Temperatures have risen, and heat waves stress water supplies and exacerbate a range of pre-existing health issues. More intense tropical cyclones mean a greater potential for flooding and associated public health and safety risks.
• Collaborations and increased climate finance can bolster resilience. National government, international partners, non-governmental organizations, and local communities can work to expand adaptation strategies and access to climate finance, which is needed to meet the scale of challenges facing the RMI.

About Climate Change in the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the PIRCA

The collective efforts of the technical contributors and coordinating authors made the RMI PIRCA report possible. The report builds upon the US National Climate Assessment, offering a closer look at climate change impacts in the RMI and providing information for a wide range of sectors.   

The PIRCA is funded and supported by Arizona State University’s Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s CAP Program (through Pacific RISA), and the East-West Center’s Research Program.

Cover photo: An aerial view of Majuro shows that atolls are primarily covered with forest or agroforest, surrounded by shallow reef. Photo courtesy of USGS project, “‘Vegetative Guide & Dashboard’ relating atoll traditional agroforestry recommendations to predicted climate and sea level conditions in the Marshall Islands.”

Through a cooperative agreement with the University of Hawai’i Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation (OVPRI), the U.S. Army Garrison is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Federal Endangered Species Act on more than 50,000 acres of U.S. Army training ground on the island of Oʻahu. The ANPRO manages 90 of the 474 federally listed endangered species in Hawaiʻi, including plants, birds, land snails, and insects. These ecologically and culturally valuable species are often located in remote, mountainous terrain that can only be accessed by highly trained biologists and technicians using 4WD vehicles and helicopters. To attain the program’s goal of balancing the requirements of the Army’s training mission with its natural resource responsibilities, the ANRPO maintains nurseries and a seed bank for rare endemic species, and engages in monitoring and surveying activities, biocontrol research and deployment, eradication of invasive plant and animal species, building fencing to keep out feral pigs and goats, and hosts public volunteer workdays to foster community engagement in conservation.

The Pacific RISA team was most excited to see the highly endangered Hawaiian land snails, known as kāhuli, which through habitat loss, climate change, predator introduction, and over-collection have been disappearing at an alarming rate. There are estimated to have once been up to 750 species across the Hawaiian Islands, but 90% of them are now thought to be extinct. Our hike would take us through forests of native species (many of which are being managed by ANRPO), up to two protected snail enclosures, one managed by the Army, and the other by the State’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) and Snail Extinction Prevention Program (SEPP).

We met ANRPO Conservation Manager Jane Beachy and Rare Plant Program Coordinator Tim Chambers at the ANRPO baseyard where we were briefed, equipped with weeding tools, and fitted with spiked shoes for the steep and often muddy trail. After a 45 minute drive to the trailhead in the Wai‘anae Mountains, we hiked to Kahanahāiki, where we immediately noticed biocontrol on the very pervasive and invasive strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum), and passed a number of rodent traps and fencing designed to keep out feral goats and pigs. Tim stopped along the way to point out the extensive work ANRPO has done to reintroduce native species, including grasses, ferns, and more well-known species like koa and ʻōhiʻa. ANRPO must not only contend with extreme conditions, predators. and invasives, but also the effects of climate change, which climate models predict will result in higher temperatures and drier conditions in the Wai‘anae Mountains.

We reached the Army snail enclosure, designed to keep out a multitude of predators, and got to work weeding out invasive species throughout the enclosure. The Army snail enclosure was recently invaded by yellow crazy ants (Anoplolepis gracilipes), so the remaining snails have been removed to SEPP’s captive rearing facility.

Our next stop was the State snail enclosure, where we immediately spotted the native tree snail Achatinella mustelina, endemic to the Wai‘anae Mountains and listed as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List Ranking. The snails seem to be thriving there – we found many of them living on the underside of the leaves of the pāpala kēpau (Rockia sandwicensis) and olopua (Notolaea sandwicensis) trees.

The hike back took us along a ridgeline where we had sweeping views of the North and West shores of O‘ahu. It also took us past a very successful plot of reintroduced hāhā (Cyanea grimesiana subsp. obatae), federally listed as endangered and found only in the Wai‘anaes. The hāhā was in bloom and its floral display seemed to surprise even our guides – their enthusiasm was contagious, and we all clambered down a steep hillside to get a closer look. ANRPO collaborates with DOFAW’s Native Ecosystem Protection and Management (NEPM) program to manage this unusual lobelia.

We would like to thank Jane and Tim for sharing their time and mo‘olelo (stories) about the good, the bad, and the ugly of what it takes to restore an ecosystem, and for the incredible job they are doing of managing natural resources in the Wai‘anaes under so much uncertainty.

Army Natural Resources Program Oʻahu
https://oanrp.com/about/

Hawaii Snail Extinction Prevention Program
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/ecosystems/sepp/

How to Help Native Snails
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/ecosystems/sepp/howtohelp/

ANRPO and UH
https://research.hawaii.edu/noelo/anpro-and-uh/

Oʻahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC)
https://www.oahuisc.org/

Division of Forestry and Wildlife: Native Ecosystems Protection and Management, Rare Plant Program
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/ecosystems/rare-plants/

This Communities of Practice gathering marked the second annual convening of technical experts, practitioners, and government leaders from national and subnational islands across the globe. The meeting provided space for island leaders, practitioners, and technical experts to share best practices and lessons learned, receive technical training, collaborate, and exchange knowledge and unique island experiences in a collaborative, peer-to-peer forum. Participants also engaged with the thematic focus areas with place-based learning featuring some of Hawai‘i’s exemplary leaders in sustainability. 

Climate Action Pathway Session: Palau Climate Services and Coordination Workshop

On Day 2 of the convening, Project Specialists Paula Moehlenkamp and Chelsey Bryson led a session with NOAA Climate Services Director Dr. John Marra and Data & Reporting Officer for the Palau Office of Climate Change, Mikayla Etpison, on the Climate Action Pathway – a framework developed to connect in-country high level adaptation goals to actionable data and indicators. The session provided the outcomes of the Climate Services and Coordination workshop recently held in Palau, and explored how to engage the right stakeholders for the successful implementation of climate services to support decision-making in participants’ home islands.  

Dr. Marra kicked off the session with an overview of the Climate Action Pathway and the overarching goals and objectives of the Palau Climate Services workshop – an effort led by NOAA, UH, Pacific RISA, the Palau Weather Service Office, Palau Ministry of Finance, and Palau Office of Climate Change. Mikayla then provided an overview of Palau’s climate priorities, including updating the Palau Climate Change Policy, to illustrate how different project streams are aligning to the established national goals.

Following the structure of the Palau workshop and using its outcomes as examples, Paula then guided participants through different categories of climate indicators and connected them to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Lastly, Chelsey talked through the Climate Services Dialog process, using the development of sector-based Climate Early Warning Systems (CLEWS) as an example. The dialog process is described in the 2021 Pacific Islands Climate Storybook and focuses on the two-way exchange of information between technical patterns and users.

After a presentation providing a contextual background of the Palau workshop, participants were asked to split into four groups to share reflections on a deeper level. In these breakout groups participants had  vital discussions around identifying most important stakeholders in their home islands to engage in the climate action framework. Further, they discussed best practices and strategies to get the community engaged and to break down silos. The global representation of participants from over 42 island economies, including technical stakeholders from various governmental and community entities, fostered a vital exchange of insights and perspectives cutting across cultures and disciplines. Offering a structured approach to bridging high level climate adaptation goals with tangible on-the-ground impacts and data, this session complemented the broader themes of the Data for Climate Resilience CoP, while also fostering peer-to-peer dialogue on breaking down silos, engaging stakeholders, and ensuring conscientious data collection practices.

Adapted from the East-West Center Press Release 

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:

• 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.

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:

• The Hawai’i Community Foundation Maui Strong fund is providing financial assistance that can be deployed rapidly for disaster response
• Maui Food Bank is accepting online and in-person donations (see webpage for requested food and aid items), and is coordinating emergency volunteer response efforts on Maui for those on island
• Maui United Way is providing daily grant funds to grassroots organizations on Maui to meet urgent community needs
• Maui Humane Society is accepting monetary donations as well as pet food and supplies, as it strives to reunite lost pets with their owners and care for animals injured in the fires
• Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement through the Kākoʻo Maui Fund is matching donations to provide shelter, food, financial assistance, and other services to those impacted by the fires
• The Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization is accepting donations for the ongoing relief efforts, as well as partnering with communities and grassroots groups to reduce risk and increase preparedness for climate-related wildfire disasters
• A Master List of Direct Fundraisers for Maui Fire Victims has been developed with direct links to fundraising pages for victims of the fire
• Maui Rapid Response has created this online form to efficiently match community needs to the overwhelming influx of offers that are coming in on the islands and beyond
• To determine if an online charity is reputable, you may use this resource from the Hawaiʻi Attorney General’s Office

For additional up-to-date information and updates, here are a few pages to follow:

• If you or someone you know is looking for a person you believe is missing or impacted, please use this resource.
• The County of Maui Facebook page is posting real-time updates – you can also find them on Instagram @CountyofMaui
• NASA and the US Forest Service have produced a real-time fire information map for Maui

Here, we offer some resources for understanding the context and science of wildfire in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Islands. The following articles, books, and web resources examine how fires and their impacts are driven by factors such as drought, invasive species, and our changing climate, as well as possible solutions. We will continue to update this page with relevant resources.

Web Resources
Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization (HWMO)
Pacific Fire Exchange
Pacific Drought Knowledge Exchange
Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal

Overview of Wildfire in Hawaiʻi (From HWMO)

• Wildfire in Hawaiʻi
• Annual Summary (2018) of Wildfires in Hawaiʻi
• Overview of Wildfire in Hawaiʻi: Trends/Patterns and Available Programs (webinar)

The Role of Weather, Climate Change, and/or Invasive Species in Wildfire

• Webinar: When Climate Change and Invasive Species Intersect
• El Niño and Fire Weather on Pacific Islands
• Weed Fire Risk Assessment Tool: a Hands-On Webinar for Land Managers & Owners
• Webinar: Changing Climate and Wildfire in Hawaiʻi
• Changing Climate and Fire: a Crisis Brewing in the Pacific (fact sheet)
• Changing Climate & Wildfire in Hawai‘i: Current Observations & Future Projections (fact sheet)

Pacific RISA PIs Featured in Coverage of Maui Fires
Los Angeles Times, Chaos and Terror: Failed Communications Left Maui Residents Trapped by Fire. Scores Died.
New York Times, “How Climate Change Turned Lush Hawaii Into a Tinderbox”
CNN, “These factors are making it hard to combat the deadly Maui wildfires”
CNN, Anderson Cooper 360 (video), “Records show Hawaii underestimated the deadly threat of wildfires”
CNN, “Hawaii underestimated the deadly threat of wildfire, records show”
Washington Post, “Maui fires not just due to climate change but a ‘compound disaster’”
LA Times, “How a perfect storm of climate and weather led to catastrophic Maui fire”
Grist, “Wildfires just destroyed a Maui town. Next year could be worse.”
ClarkNOW, “‘There’s likely a climate change signal in everything we see’”
Global News, Canada (video), “Maui wildfires: How Maui was caught off guard by catastrophic wildfires”
Nature News, “Hawaii wildfires: did scientists expect Maui to burn?”
NBC10 Boston News, “Maui wildfires: Mass. sending 2 emergency responders to help in Hawaii”
BBC Radio interview with Dr. Abby Frazier (audio unavailable)
BBC World Service interview with Dr. Abby Frazier
Spectrum News 1 (San Fernando Valley) (video), Your Morning (Host Giselle Fernandez)
Vox, Today Explained (podcast), https://open.spotify.com/episode/7L6PDNan8nKltjPDZFGuPJ?si=e5db532f6da14e66
ABC News, “Why climate change can’t be blamed entirely for the Maui wildfires”
Honolulu Civil Beat, “It Will Be Years Before Clean Water Is Restored In Lahaina” (Shuler)
Honolulu Civil Beat, “Heavy Rain Washed Fire-Related Contaminants Into The Ocean Off Lahaina. How Bad Is It?” (Shuler)

 Academic Articles and Books

Kamelamela, K. L., and Coauthors, 2022: Kōkua aku, Kōkua mai: An Indigenous Consensus-driven and Place-based Approach to Community Led Dryland Restoration and Stewardship. Forest Ecology and Management, 506, 119949, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119949

Trauernicht, C., E. Pickett, C. P. Giardina, C. M. Litton, S. Cordell, and A. Beavers, 2015: The Contemporary Scale and Context of Wildfire in Hawai’i. Pacific Science, 69, 427–444.

Trauernicht, C., E. Pickett, P. Beimler, C. P. Giardina, S. Cordell, J. B. Friday, E. Moller, and C. M. Litton, 2018: Assessing Fire Management Needs in the Pacific Islands: A Collaborative Approach. Fire Management Today, 76, 30–35.

Articles & Stories in Popular Media

“Why Hawai‘i’s Wildfires Are Growing Bigger and More Intense”
By Cynthia Wessendorf, Hawaiʻi Business Magazine, Nov 11, 2022

“These factors are making it hard to combat the deadly Maui wildfires”
By Ray Sanchez, CNN, Aug 10, 2023

 “How Climate Change Turned Lush Hawaii Into a Tinderbox”
By Christopher Flavelle and Manuela Andreoni, New York Times, Aug 10, 2023

 “Chaos and Terror: Failed Communications Left Maui Residents Trapped by Fire. Scores Died.”
By Rong-Gong Lin II, Alexandra E. Petri, and Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, Aug 11, 2023

“As Fires Destroy Native Hawaiian Archive in Maui, Mutual Aid Efforts Are Launched to Help Lahaina”
Democracy Now! (video and transcript), Aug 11, 2023 

“Unprecedented”: Fire Expert Says Climate & Native Vegetation Changes Fueled Explosive Maui Wildfires”
Democracy Now! (video), Aug 11, 2023

“Living Through Maui’s Unimaginable Wildfires”
By Carolyn Kormann, The New Yorker, Aug 11, 2023

“Maui fires not just due to climate change but a ‘compound disaster”
By Scott Dance, Washington Post, Aug 12, 2023

 “Records show Hawaii underestimated the deadly threat of wildfires”
CNN, Anderson Cooper 360 (video)

“Hawaii wildfires: did scientists expect Maui to burn?”
By Emma Marris, Nature News, Aug 14, 2023

“Why Maui Burned”
Vox, Today Explained, Aug 15, 2023

“Maui’s Grass Fire Cycle Explained”
BBC (video), Aug 17, 2023

“Locals have been sounding the alarm for years about Lahaina wildfire risk”
Anita Hofschneider, Grist.org, Aug 17, 2023

“How 19th-century pineapple plantations turned Maui into a tinderbox”
Claire Wang, Guardian, Aug 27, 2023

We are now Pacific Research on Island Solutions for Adaptation, or – as you already know us – “Pacific RISA” for short.

Why make a change?

Fifteen years ago, we adopted NOAA’s national program moniker “Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments” into our name to clearly demonstrate our relationship with the NOAA RISA network. In 2022, however, NOAA selected a new program name and all of the former RISA teams are now collectively known as “NOAA Climate Adaptation Partnerships“. This gave us an opportunity to consider whether to keep our current program name or explore other options.

After discussing with the team and our close partners, we agreed that maintaining the Pacific RISA brand was our preferred course of action but took the opportunity to modify the acronym to more accurately reflect what we do. With “Research on Island Solutions for Adaptation“, we believe our new name captures both the science-based nature of our work and the fact that Pacific Islands are global leaders in climate adaptation solutions.

What’s next?

This change is effective immediately and we are updating our online presence accordingly. Our team members and research partners will begin using the new name in meetings, presentations, publications, and other activities. And for our existing partners and long-time collaborators, we hope you won’t find this transition to be difficult – we are still the Pacific RISA, after all!

If you have any questions about the name change or next steps, please reach out to us at info@pacificrisa.org.

Featured image: Sunrise over Kailua Bay, Oahu. Credit: Laura Brewington

At the 14th annual University of Guam Conference on Island Sustainability this April, it was all of the above and much, much more. Featuring hundreds of island sustainability scholars, practitioners, and students from across Micronesia and the world, this year’s conference shared innovations and strategies to collectively move toward a sustainable future under the theme of “Rediscover the Depths of Our Island Abundance“.

The University of Guam 14th Conference on Island Sustainability team, led by Associate Professor and Sea Grant program Director Austin Shelton. Photo credit: Laura Brewington

Conference attendees had the chance to learn more about Guam’s southern ecosystems from the Guam Restoration of Watersheds (GROW) Initiative, which is conducting essential conservation work to protect the island’s drinking water and coral reefs, and is in line with the Guam Green Growth Action Framework for sustainability. After planting over 100 trees in the Ugum Watershed to reduce erosion into the local water supply, participants toured the river below and the reef in Talo’fo’fo’ Bay.

Left: Participants planted over 100 seedlings of an acacia tree to stabilize the soil and reduce erosion in the Ugum watershed. Right: A boat trip down the Talo’fo’fo’ river provided an opportunity to see the importance of protecting southern Guam’s drinking water supplies. Photo credits: University of Guam; Laura Brewington

Farther inland at Chamorro Village, participants also visited the Circular Economy Makerspace and Innovation Hub – the first of its kind – which is supporting Guam’s emerging Green Economy by inviting craftspeople and community members to utilize the facility and training opportunities to create marketable products out of upcycled and recycled waste. Not only will the space help reduce Guam’s reliance on imported goods, it supports entrepreneurs who want to benefit the local economy in a regenerative, transformative way.

Left: Visitors learn about the Makerspace from University of Guam technicians. Right: The Precious Plastics workspace contains tools for creating new products from recycled plastics. Photo credit: Laura Brewington

“[The circular economy] concept is a win-win for our business, academia, our island’s environment, and all of Guam”

~Governor Lou Leon Guerrero

As part of the main conference events, Pacific RISA PI Laura Brewington joined three notable island experts in a panel to discuss sustainable alliances across oceans, moderated by Lieutenant Governor of Guam Josh Tenorio. Along with Kate Brown (Executive Director of the Global Island Partnership), Bob Underwood (former University of Guam President and Guam Congressional Delegate), and Kristin Wilson-Grimes (Research Assistant Professor of Watershed Ecology at the University of the Virgin Islands), PI Brewington shared examples of action being taken to build more resilient and sustainable island communities through Pacific RISA and the Pacific Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change (RISCC) management network.

PI Brewington and panelists discussing cross-ocean island alliances for sustainability. Photo credit: Trina Leberer

Didn’t have a chance to join in the celebration and exchange this year?

Save the dates for next year’s conference on April 8-12, 2024!

Meanwhile, learn more about the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability.

Featured image: A member of the GROW Initiative looks over Ugum watershed in southern Guam. Credit: Laura Brewington

Two of Hawaiʻi’s critically endangered birds, the ʻAkikiki and the Kiwikiu, are at risk of extinction within the next four years due to the twin threats of climate change and avian malaria carried by an invasive species. Credit: Birds Not Mosquitos

What does this have to do with climate change, you might ask? The invasive southern house mosquito, introduced to Hawaiʻi hundreds of years ago, cannot reproduce in cooler temperatures like the upper elevation forests of the Hawaiian islands. But as the climate has warmed in recent decades, they have been able to persist at higher and higher locations, which puts the native forest birds at risk of extinction from avian malaria that is carried by these mosquitos. Scientists estimate that without drastic action, some of these birds will go extinct within a few years.

Before making this momentous decision, the Board heard over three hours of testimony from citizens, scientists, school children, and natural resource managers–the overwhelming majority of which was in support of the mosquito suppression program. Often emotional, many offered testimony in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi with stories of their relationships to the native manu (forest birds). The Pacific RISA and members of the Pacific Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change management network testified that given the dire projections for continued temperature increases in the islands, the only way to protect the birds from avian malaria is to eliminate the vector (mosquito) that carries it.

Learn more about the research behind the mosquito suppression program, or take an opportunity to explore information about these endangered birds and the public outreach materials for the program. The full hearing before the Board can be viewed here – testimony begins at approximately minute 23.

I Ola Nā Manu Nahele  –  So The Forest Birds Thrive.

Featured image: Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project

islands make up just 6% of the world’s total land area but are hotspots of biodiversity. They are also epicenters of biodiversity loss. Over 60% of species extinctions have occurred in islands and of those, more than 80% were caused by invasive species. In addition to reducing biodiversity invasive species also cause habitat loss, which changes the ecosystem services that islands provide such as food, water, recreation opportunities, and cultural practices. Invasive species also impact infrastructure, trade, food prices, jobs, and human health.

Adding to these impacts, islands are already experiencing the negative impacts of climate change. Research has shown that Pacific Island ecosystems and communities are particularly vulnerable to climate-induced threats: sea level rise and flooding are detrimental to freshwater resources, while declines to coral and reef structure, along with ocean temperature increases and acidification, cause marine and fisheries losses. Meanwhile, damage to land and water systems jeopardizes agricultural and subsistence activities, resulting in lost food security.

The effects of climate change are projected to become “catastrophic” for Pacific Islands should global heating exceed the Paris Agreement target of 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Natural resource managers in the region need new solutions to respond to these compound threats, so the Pacific Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change (RISCC) network was created in 2020. Dr. Brewington demonstrated how, as a manager-researcher collaborative, the Pacific RISCC serves diverse science generation and communication needs in the region. On the Island of Maui, for example, water managers are able to prioritize conservation efforts and protect future freshwater sustainability under an uncertain future climate, using results from research that was co-developed with them at relevant scales. Pacific RISCC researchers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are studying vegetation changes and recovery times from typhoon events between native and invasive forests, which will help them understand if post-typhoon food security is affecting the sustainability of endemic bird populations.

As the Pacific RISCC network continues to expand and evolve, it will become a trusted source for regional information, data, and tools while accelerating sustainability solutions in a region that is uniquely vulnerable to these threats.

Islands are “model systems” for sustainability

There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about” Margaret J. Wheatley

Beyond the twin issues of invasive species and climate change, Summit attendees expressed an undeniable consensus that islands are leading when it comes to sustainability solutions. Dr. Austin Shelton, Director of the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant, described how the US Territory of Guam rediscovered its commitments to sustainability through the Guam Green Growth partnership and initiatives to promote a circular economy, with new community-focused employment opportunities that are dedicated to preserving the island’s natural and cultural heritage.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, which devastated the Galapagos tourism economy that the islands’ residents depend on, the Galapagos Barcode Project created jobs in research and training—which also served to engage and empower local people in science, build skills, and create a more resilient island community.

And as the world emerges from the pandemic, lessons from islands and the expansion of networks like the UN Local2030 Islands Network are helping to advance sustainability solutions globally. At the close of the Summit, Dr. Neil Davies, Director of Gump South Pacific Research Station in Moorea, French Polynesia, reminded participants that the idea that we can be independent is false, and being sustainable involves “imagining a better future together”.

Islands have long been used as model systems in the study of ecology and evolution, but they are also important models for sustainability as we confront wicked problems like climate change, biodiversity loss, and inequality. Dr. Brewington and other featured speakers at this year’s Summit will be authoring several chapters in a forthcoming Springer volume on Island Sustainability, to be published in early 2023, so please stay tuned and contact us for more information!

Featured image photo credit: Laura Brewington