Last week, Zena Grecni, Sustained Climate Assessment Specialist with the Pacific Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments, a CPO RISA team, was invited to provide testimony regarding the Insular Area Climate Change Act during a hearing of the House Committee on Natural Resources. Zena’s invitation recognized her unique expertise supporting several recent reports that describe climate impacts across Pacific Island communities. The reports are part of the Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment (PIRCA), a sustained process of information exchange among a diverse, regional network of stakeholders working on climate impacts and adaptation actions. 

The proposed Insular Area Climate Change Act seeks to provide for climate change planning, mitigation, adaptation, and resilience in the U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States. Zena shared key findings from the latest series of PIRCA reports, as well as her experiences working in the Pacific Islands to educate lawmakers. 

PIRCA is supported by Pacific RISA, CPO Assessments, NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), the Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center (PI-CASC), and the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). This union of partners has produced a robust process shining light on human communities and natural resources far from the minds of mainland Americans but often reliant on U.S. government resources due to territory or affiliation status. 

Access the proposed legislation and testimony recording »