ALM UNDP

Cook Islands - National Communication - 30 October 1999

Key Vulnerabilities

• Water Resources
• Coastal Zones
• Natural Resources
• Agriculture/Food Security
• Health

Potential Adaptation Measures

Agriculture and Food Security

Information Gaps

• Understanding of areas most vulnerable to changes in weather patterns
• Understanding causal factors leading to insect and disease outbreaks
• Identification of most suitable plants, crops, varieties and cultivars to climate change
• Additional methods of quarantine to reduce further pests and diseases introduction
• Measures to understand land zoning and building policies
• Gene bank of plants
• Lack of up-to-date information on plant/crop, livestock, and forest production figures

Specific Capacity Building Needs

• Develop geographical information system (GIS)
• Update information on agricultural land use through application of GIS
• Continuous monitoring of insect and disease incidences and severity.
• Gather information from other countries and organisations on performance of plant cultivars/varieties under certain climatic conditions
• Education and awareness
• Gene bank development

Coastal Zones

Knowledge of circulation processes within lagoons and the influence of climate. This would assist in understanding oceanographic processes relevant to:

• Pearl and mariculture production
• Shallowing lagoons
• Lagoon flushing
• Lagoon temperature change
• Knowledge of the interactions between marine flora and fauna (including coral), and the effects of external influences on these species and their interactions. These effects could include local species extinctions, changes in species dominance, species resilience (tolerance) to disturbance, species introductions and species substitutions.
• Increase knowledge of pelagic fisheries migration and recruitment patterns in our EEZ.
• Develop gene bank of marine flora/fauna.
• Model low diversity marine ecosystems.
• Understanding of ecosystem rejuvenation after implementation of traditional conservation management practices e.g. Ra’ui.
• Identify specific integrated effects affecting marine resources – e.g. coastal sedimentation from rainfall runoff through Avatiu Harbour.

Water Resources

Information Gaps

• Identification of leakages
• Water quality and chemical analysis monitoring
• Methods and measures to improve water distribution at all times
• Water consumption data
• Pipeline network data
• Lack of co-ordination between development and water distribution
• Methods to improve water storage and conservation

Specific Capacity Building Needs

• Education and awareness
• Training and equipment
• Geographical information systems development
• Legislation
• Metering and tariffs
• Groundwater management
• Mechanism for water development
• Improvement in water quality

Health

Information Gaps

• Unavailability of up-to-date information on the pattern of lifestyle disease, vector borne disease and water borne disease in relation to climate change.
• Limitation of resources to monitor the high density of mosquitoes and possible outbreaks of dengue fever.
• Limited access to modern technology (internet) to enhance skills and knowledge on global impacts of climate change on human health
• Measures to develop and enforce legislation
• Methods of development and implementation of integrated pest management

Specific Capacity Building Needs

• Regular access to workshops, conferences, meetings and internet services
• Education and awareness
• Training and equipment
• Integrated pest management systems
• Legislation