Fiji’s Presidency of COP 23
Bonn, Germany
6-17th November, 2017
UniFiji COP 23 Awareness Seminar Sessions
The 2017 UN Climate Change Conference will take place from the 6th – 17th of November at the World Conference Centre in Bonn, Germany. Given that the conference will be convened under the Presidency of Fiji, the discussion on climate change and strategies to combat climate change is imperative. In addition to Fiji’s presidency of COP 23 is our role as co-hosts of the UN Oceans Conference with the Swedish government.
The School of Science & Technology has been hosting monthly seminar sessions as curtain raisers to the Oceans conference this June and the main COP 23 event in November.
The University of Fiji’s Saweni Campus has hosted guest speakers from FRIEND FIJI, The South Pacific Community (SPC) and the Pacific Islands Development Forum Secretariat (PIDF). Topics have ranged from Approaches to Climate Change Adaptation, Wave & Coastal Hazards, Importance of Oceans in the Pacific – a Reflection on the UN Ocean Conference and the Lead-up to COP 23.
The first seminar session was held in early April and was facilitated by Dr. Jone Hawea – Associate Director for the Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprise & Development (FRIEND – Fiji). The presentation highlighted various adaptation approaches to climate change.
In continuation of its efforts to create awareness amongst our students and faculty the second session was facilitated by Mr. Herve Damlamian, Senior Specialist in Oceanography at the Pacific Community (SPC- formerly known as the Secretariat of the Pacific Community). This session focused on Wave action & Coastal Hazards in the Pacific providing the audience with an understanding of the two major regional coastal hazards; inundation and erosion as well as the pros and cons of popular coastal hazard mitigation solutions.
The University of Fiji’s partners in creating awareness on climate matters and COP 23 – the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) – came onboard as facilitators of the third session in late May. This session highlighted the crucial function that the world’s oceans play in regulating earth’s climate as well as the link between sustainable ocean management and its role in mitigating the impacts of climate change on already vulnerable Pacific Island Countries (PICs).
For the month of June the University of Fiji will be delivering presentations on COP 23 and Climate Awareness at several selected schools and some local communities in the Western division. The first school visit was made on June 6th to Lautoka Muslim College with the next few visits scheduled to be made to Xavier College, Tilak High School, Kamil Muslim College, Lautoka Andhra Sangam College and Votualevu College.
Watch the video screened at the beginning of Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama’s address to delegates in Bonn.
Resources
2017 UniFiji-McDonalds Eco-Contest
The Science Department held the Eco-contest Elimination Rounds on Wednesday 31st May. A total of 19 schools from around the Western Division participated in this round with only the Top 8 schools qualifying to the Pool rounds and Finals which is scheduled to be held at the University of Fiji, Saweni campus on Thursday 29th June, 2017.
Teams for each pool have been drawn and are as follows:
Pool A: Penang Sangam High School, Tilak High School, Natabua High School, Central College
Pool B: Sangam S.K.M College (SSKMC), Pundit Vishnu Deo Memorial College, Lautoka Andhra Sangam College, Votualevu College
The main aim of the Eco-contest is to create awareness on issues relating to climate and environment in the Pacific by providing a platform for our high school students to learn and share means through which these issues can be effectively dealt with. This year’s contest will place even greater emphasis on climate issues in support of Fiji’s Presidency to the 2017 23rd Conference of Parties-COP23 deliberations in Bonn, Germany. In keeping with the core objective of the annual COP meetings which is to review the UNFCCC’s (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) implementation; issues such as climate change adaption, mitigation and disaster risk reduction are a few key areas that will be highlighted over the course of the competitions.
University of Fiji COP 23 Awareness Seminar Session 5
OUTREACH EVENT ON THE
INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE(IPCC)
ROLE, ACTIVITIES AND FINDINGS
The University of Fiji, Lautoka, Fiji.
This outreach event will take place on 6 October in Lautoka, Fiji. It is kindly hosted by the University of Fiji, supported by Fiji Meteorological Service and with the participation of Bureau members and authors of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It will draw on the presence of IPCC experts at the first Lead Author Meeting for the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, taking place in Nadi on 2-6 October.
This event will not only look at the question of oceans and climate change but also will present the most recent findings of the IPCC from the Fifth Assessment Report relevant to Fiji and the future activities of the Panel from the 2017 to 2022. Topics will include progress on the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 Degree Celsius and the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate and the approved outlines for the Sixth Assessment Report. The event will also contribute to The University of Fiji’s monthly COP23 awareness seminar sessions.
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