Climate Change

New Zealand travellers are being warned to take precautions when going to affected areas amid a surge of dengue fever in the Pacific this year, and a “type 2” strain that hasn't been seen in 20 years.

The symptoms of aching joints, headaches and fever are the same, but the absence of the strain until recently means many people haven't developed immunity to it.

Speaking at the 10th conference of Pacific Community (SPC), French Overseas Minister Annick Girardin thanked the Pacific for the support it provided for the successful adoption of the Paris Agreement during COP21.
 
“I want to thank you for the unfailing support that you provided during COP21. It was due to your contributions and commitment that COP21 was so successful.
 

Under the Paris Climate Agreement, the international community is aiming to limit warming to 2 degrees celsius.

But the Australian-led study in the Nature Climate Change Journal found increases in global temperatures causing extreme El Niños would continue to see extreme weather events, even if the global temperature stopped rising.

The lead scientist from the Australia research institute CSIRO, Wenju Cai said the study indicates that extreme weather events are likely to become twice as common in the future.

After the U.S. President Trump withdrew support from the Paris agreement, the international accord to restrict global warming, others are looking to fill the gap.

Every day, Pacific nations are fighting for their islands' survival as they contend with the ongoing effects of climate change.

Fiji is the first small island state to preside over the conference of parties (COP23), the annual round of the ongoing UN climate negotiations later this year.

Latu presented a perspective on the ‘Need for Accelerated Climate Change Action’ at the 14th Regional Meeting (Pacific Region) of the ACP-EU Parliamentary Assembly in Vanuatu last week.

“The Pacific has done very little to contribute to the problem of climate change yet stand to suffer the most as a result of the actions of developed countries and some emerging economies,” he said.

Terence Wesley Smith, from the University of Hawaii, says after the coup and sanctions, a lot of the driving force for Fiji has been dealing with the issue of climate change on an international level.

As part of this, Fiji will preside over the latest round of United Nations climate negotiations in November.

Mr Wesley Smith said the dynamic is changing, with China - with which Fiji has sought closer relations - taking a more active leadership role after the United States withdrew from the Paris climate accord.

China's regional position was strengthened by US president Donald Trump's proclamation that climate change was a hoax and the subsequent withdrawal of American support for the Paris Agreement, the international accord to restrict global warming.

A policy analyst for the Fiji government, Joseph Veramu, said Fiji was on a mission to get industrialised economies to reduce emissions to which China seemed committed.

"Fiji was the only Pacific nation invited to the Belt and Road, the global leadership meeting, that was held in Beijing in May," said Mr Veramu.

Ocean-bound wildlife is particularly vulnerable to environmental pressures, especially endemic species living on only one or a handful of islands. Among other things, this remoteness makes migrating to another land mass nearly impossible.
 
Dozens of species -- especially birds -- have also been wiped out over the last century by invasive species and disease brought by human settlers.
 

Greenhouse gas emission should be to levels that would keep global temperature increases to just 1.5C, the UN agency responsible for overseeing world heritage sites has said.

But while their proposal for the shipping sector to adopt climate targets in line with the Paris Agreement gained overwhelming expressions of support, the IMO said a consensus was not reached between more than 170 member nations.

It said at last week's London meeting, China and India voiced strong support for alternative low carbon fuels, while European nations joined the Pacific in highlighting the urgent need for sector action.

However, a number of countries including Brazil and Chile were concerned about potentially negative impacts of carbon reduction measures.