The report, Climate Change in the Federated States of Micronesia: Indicators and Considerations for Key Sectors, is the fifth in a series of reports prepared by the Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment (PIRCA), a consortium of government, NGO, and research entities. Authors from Arizona State University’s Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation, the East-West Center, and the University of Hawaiʻi, along with 30 technical contributors from local government, NGOs, and research, collaboratively developed the FSM PIRCA report. The report lays out the changes the country is already experiencing, as well as what lies ahead. The key messages for decision-makers include:
- Hotter days and nights and stronger typhoons affect human health. More intense tropical cyclones mean a greater potential for loss of life, damage, and public health issues.
- Sea level rise threatens infrastructure, including housing, drinking water, and transportation, as well as agroforestry, ecosystems, and cultural sites. The FSM’s numerous low-lying atolls especially face growing challenges.
- Ocean changes disrupt fisheries and cause coral death. In the FSM, the ocean is life—more than 70 percent of FSM households engage in fishing.
- Collaborations can bolster traditional knowledge and cultural resources and enhance resilience.
The collective efforts of the technical contributors, coordinating authors, and PIRCA Advisory Committee made the FSM PIRCA report possible. PIRCA is funded and supported by CPO’s NOAA CAP/RISA Program, Arizona State University’s Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation, the East-West Center, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s PI-CASC, and the U.S. Global Change Research Program. In conjunction with other regional assessment efforts, the PIRCA provides guidance for decision-makers to better understand how climate variability and change impact the Pacific Islands region.
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For more information, contact Zena Grecni.
Image credit: CLM Photography
