Pacific Islands Climate Storybook 2021

The Pacific Islands Climate Storybook 2021 outlines a methodology for 'Climate Services Dialogs'—three-day workshops designed to bridge the gap between scientific climate data and local experiential knowledge. The process involves sharing climate knowledge, diagnosing existing services using the 'READY-SET-GO' framework, and developing 'Climate Stories' to communicate best practices. The report includes several case studies from the region, such as the impact of the 1997–98 El Niño on water resources in American Sāmoa, coastal flooding in Papua New Guinea and the Marshall Islands, and the link between drought and disease outbreaks in the Marshall Islands. It emphasizes the need for co-production of knowledge, community engagement, and the integration of traditional knowledge with scientific forecasts to enhance regional resilience.

• The 'Climate Services Dialog' is a structured three-day workshop process intended to help stakeholders analyze and strengthen the delivery of climate services, specifically focusing on early warning for El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and other climate events.
• The 'READY-SET-GO' framework is used to diagnose and design climate early warning systems, dividing the process into seasonal forecasts (Ready), mid-range forecasts (Set), and short-range forecasts (Go!).
• In American Sāmoa, the 1997–98 El Niño caused the worst drought on record since 1966, but impacts were mitigated compared to the 1982–83 event due to early detection by the PEAC Center and proactive community engagement in water conservation.
• Coastal flooding in Manus, Papua New Guinea, in December 2008 demonstrated the importance of traditional tribal governance (lapan) and family networks in mobilizing communities during disasters.
• The 2014 coastal flooding in Majuro, Marshall Islands, highlighted a critical failure in early warning, as most residents were unaware of the approaching swell until waves reached their homes at 3am.
• In the Marshall Islands, severe droughts are linked to public health crises, including water-borne diseases (such as gastritis and hepatitis) due to salty groundwater and vector-borne diseases (such as dengue fever) caused by water storage in outdoor receptacles.
• Vanuatu developed an ENSO Handbook and accompanying animations to translate scientific climate early warning into practical coping strategies for farmers, such as planting drought-tolerant taro varieties.
• The Humåtak Community Foundation in Guam uses youth education and the 'Umatac Coral Reef Ambassadors' program to address reef degradation caused by both climate-induced bleaching and human-caused soil erosion from hillside burning.
• In the Two Sāmoas, the Coral Reef Advisory Group (CRAG) and Sāmoa's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) collaborated with NOAA's Coral Reef Watch to create a 'virtual station' for localized sea surface temperature monitoring.

APA

The Council on Strategic Risks (2021). Pacific Islands Climate Storybook 2021. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Pacific-Islands-Climate-Storybook-2021-2021.pdf

Chicago

The Council on Strategic Risks. Pacific Islands Climate Storybook 2021. 2021. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Pacific-Islands-Climate-Storybook-2021-2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=The Council on Strategic Risks |title=Pacific Islands Climate Storybook 2021 |date=2021 |url=https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Pacific-Islands-Climate-Storybook-2021-2021.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{thecouncilonstrategicrisks2021pacific, author = {{The Council on Strategic Risks}}, title = {{Pacific Islands Climate Storybook 2021}}, institution = {The Council on Strategic Risks}, year = {2021}, url = {https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Pacific-Islands-Climate-Storybook-2021-2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }