Case-study /
South Pacific Regional Environment Programme
South Pacific region
SPREP is a regional organisation established by the governments and administrations of the Pacific region to look after its environment. It has grown from a small programme attached to the South Pacific Commission (SPC) in the 1980s into the Pacific region’s major intergovernmental organisation charged with protecting and managing the environment and natural resources. It is based in Apia, Samoa, with over 70 staff.
The Pacific island governments and administrations saw the need for SPREP to serve as the conduit for concerted environmental action at the regional level. The establishment of SPREP also sends a clear signal to the global community of the deep commitment of the Pacific island governments and administrations towards sustainable development, especially in light of the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in the form of the Plan of Implementation, the Millennium Development Goals and Declaration, the Barbados Plan of Action and Agenda 21.
SPREP has 4 focal areas related climate change:
– Strengthen meteorological and climatological capacities of Pacific Island Countries.
– Research into climate variability, climate change and sea-level rise, with a focus on scenario development and better prediction.
– Develop frameworks for analysing Impacts and Vulnerability and develop adaptation response measures.
– Enhance the development of climate change policy in Pacific Island Countries internationally, regionally and nationally and to identify and secure funding for this.