ICTs in Pacific Islands’ Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy and Programs

Abstract

Pacific Island countries are among the countries most vulnerable to climate change and to disaster risks and variability. This chapter discusses lessons learned from selected PICs on the role of e-government in implementing climate adaptation and disaster risk management, with a focus on two separate regional policy drivers for climate change: the 2005–2015 Pacific Islands Framework for Climate Change Adaptation and the 2005–2015 Pacific Disaster Risk Management Framework for Action . The chapter also highlights the transition to a new regional ‘ Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific : An Integrated Approach to Address Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management 2017–2030. These regional policies are relevant to PIC commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework and the Sustainable Development Goals and PICs use information and communication technologies in early warning systems, adaptation, mitigation and disaster response and recovery initiatives. The challenge for individual PICs has been to establish national policies and programs that made beneficial use of the ICT capabilities available to them to drive the achievements of these policy/framework targets as relevant to their national priorities.