Pacific Islands Regional Climate Forum

The Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment (PIRCA) presented the Pacific Islands Regional Climate Forum on December 10-12, 2012, at the East-West Center’s Hawaiʿi Imin International Conference Center located in Honolulu, Hawaiʿi. This public session represented the official release of the 2012 PIRCA report, Climate Change and Pacific Islands: Indicators and Impacts. The Forum was sponsored by the Pacific RISA, Pacific Islands Climate Change Cooperative (PICCC), USFWS Pacific Islands Fish & Wildlife Office, USGS Pacific Islands Climate Science Center, and NOAA NESDIS NCDC Regional Climate Services.

The morning of December 10 consisted of a public session, open to all members of the community. Over 200 people attended the public session, which featured an interactive dialogue with climate experts and sector leaders from across Hawai‘i and the Pacific Islands region, and opening remarks from former Hawaiʿi Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz. The keynote address was given by Dr. Victoria Keener, East-West Center Fellow and Lead Editor of the PIRCA report.

The remainder of the Forum was a working session by invitation only, and brought together over 80 scientists, managers, and other professionals from across the Pacific region, as well as from Hawaiʿi and the US mainland. The objectives of the working session were to:

• Disseminate PIRCA findings & recommendations.
• Evaluate value of the PIRCA product (report) and the process.
• Dialogue on how to improve the assessment process, particularly with regard to how decision makers will utilize the PIRCA report.
• Identify gaps to be addressed in next iteration.

Participants worked together in plenary sessions and smaller breakout groups to discuss the PIRCA report, assess the PIRCA process, and identify gaps and improvements to be made in the future. The Forum adjourned in the afternoon of Tuesday, December 11, 2012.

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