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.

The conference provided a unique setting where leading legal scholars came together with research scientists to discuss a wide range of pressing topics covering ocean threats, governance, science, and solutions. The week started with a visit to the CRIOBE International Research Station (pictured below), where participants heard from marine research stations across the Pacific and PI Dr. Victoria Keener gave a presentation on the current trends and impacts of climate change in the Pacific region, providing the climate background and context for working across science and policy spaces for the week ahead.

Later in the week, at UC Berkeley’s Gump Station, Project Specialist Chelsey Bryson gave a presentation on the opportunities and challenges of the Green Climate Fund in the Pacific as part of a larger discussion about governance and funding opportunities. Chelsey was also one of three rapporteurs, who presented the key themes of each day at the end of the meeting, such as access to scientific information and data, equity in community involvement, and regional engagement. From there, participants decided on goals and next steps for PIMSA.

On the last day, participants were given a tour of the nearby cultural and community center and heard from Hinano Teavai-Murphy, the Cultural Director of the Tetiaroa Society, before sharing a delicious last local Tahitian meal together.

Communications Manager Krista Jaspers happily tagged along for the week as well, eager at the chance to dive in Moorea’s crystal-clear waters. After a week of fruitful meetings, Chelsey and Victoria joined her on tour to swim with humpback whales on the south side of the island, where the team was greeted by a curious humpback calf – a powerful and welcome reminder of why we are dedicated to this work.