The Pacific is particularly vulnerable to climate change, with many of the small countries and territories in this area still facing basic development challenges. A number of local, national and donor-supported initiatives focusing on climate change are already underway in the Pacific, however, Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) still face considerable difficulty in discovering, sharing, accessing and utilising climate change information.

As a key regional body addressing the issue of climate change in the Pacific, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is currently in the process of implementing a regional approach to climate change data and information management. While good progress on this issue has been made, particularly via the establishment of the Pacific Climate Change Portal (PCCP), there are still significant awareness, capacity and technical gaps that need to overcome to ensure more effective climate change data and information management in the Pacific.

This presentation will: (i) provide an overview of SPREP's regional approach to climate change data and information management in the Pacific; (ii) Outline the benefits that SPREP member countries stand to gain from this regional approach; and (iii) Provide some examples of where this regional approach is already having success.