Pacific Small Island Developing States Research Articles

FAO’s approach to addressing non-communicable diseases

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) constitute the most notable single killer of the population of Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS). It is therefore not surprising that the leaders of Pacific SIDS recognize NCDs as a crisis(1). But just as it is in many parts of the world, addressing NCDs in the Pacific is a complex challenge for many reasons. For example, and in the midst of recurrent climate change disasters, it would be fair to wonder if Pacific SIDs and development stakeholders – and academia included - have not become overwhelmed in obtaining more clarity about the main causes of NCDs, and tackling them with the relevant prioritization, policy environments that address economic and market forces, coordinated interventions, good examples from leaders, actions driven leadership, not blaming the victims, and a lot more. Maybe it is too uncritical and simplistic to continue to make the historical argument that the population of Pacific SIDS are obese, overweight, suffer from micronutrient deficiencies, stunting, and so forth because they choose poor diets and physical inactivity, or simply because all of this is cultural.The foregoing context demands more criticality and contributes to the rise of several philosopher kings who so easily describe NCDs as a disease that requires a health approach in absolutism. But if we were to invest more into obtaining deeper insights about the causes of NCDs in the Pacific, there could be a possibility for stakeholders to increasingly advocate for a systems approach to addressing NCDs in the Pacific. A systems approach would for example, recognize that as economic development receives more investments, people will conversely reduce walking in favor of vehicle transportation, children will spend less time playing outside in favor of watching television, more highly processed food of high salt, sugar and fat contents will be marketed and affordable than locally grown food, people will work in the service sector to the detriment of traditional gardening. A systems approach would account for a combination of biomedical, food systems, educational, religious, socio-cultural, recreational, etc… approaches.As one of the development stakeholders, the Food And Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) joins efforts with others to address NCDs in the Pacific(2). The entry point for FAO is through promoting the production and consumption fresh, safe, nutritious and healthy foods. My intervention at the 2023 Joint Conference of the Nutrition Societies of New Zealand will provide insights into FAO’s work from this vantage point.

Understanding the links between human health, ecosystem health, and food systems in Small Island Developing States using stakeholder-informed causal loop diagrams.

Globalized food systems are a major driver of climate change, biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, and the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in society. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are particularly sensitive to the negative effects of rapid environmental change, with many also exhibiting a heavy reliance on food imports and high burdens of nutrition-related disease, resulting in calls to (re)localize their food systems. Such a transition represents a complex challenge, with adaptation interventions in one part of the food system contingent on the success of interventions in other parts. To help address this challenge, we used group model-building techniques from the science of system dynamics to engage food system stakeholders in Caribbean and Pacific SIDS. Our aim was to understand the drivers of unhealthy and unsustainable food systems in SIDS, and the potential role that increased local food production could play in transformative adaptation. We present two causal loop diagrams (CLDs) considered helpful in designing resilience-enhancing interventions in local food systems. These CLDs represent 'dynamic hypotheses' and provide starting points that can be adapted to local contexts for identifying food system factors, understanding the interactions between them, and co-creating and implementing adaptation interventions, particularly in SIDS. The results can help guide understanding of complexity, assist in the co-creation of interventions, and reduce the risk of maladaptive consequences.

A review of international trade and investment agreements and nutrition policy space in the Pacific.

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Pacific are heavily reliant on imported foods which are often nutritionally deficient, and typically high in salt, fat, and sugar. To curb nutrition-related non-communicable diseases, nutrition policies are needed to create food environments that promote healthy diets. However, international trade and investment agreements (TIAs) may interfere with the policy space for SIDS to regulate their food environments by requiring member states to meet trade obligations that could conflict with their nutrition policy goals. In this review, we identify real examples of where TIAs have been responsible for changes in Pacific SIDS' nutrition policies alongside the potential for further constraints on healthy nutrition policies from Pacific Island participation in TIAs. In addition, we note the effects of regulatory chill from TIA obligations in Pacific SIDS, whereby healthy nutrition policies are not considered, developed, or implemented due to the threat of trade disputes or the complexity of TIA procedural requirements. Existing literature indicates that TIAs have shaped nutrition policies to fit within the global trade paradigm despite SIDS' nutrition policy imperatives. More can be done locally, regionally, and internationally to increase the importance of nutrition in the trade agenda, leverage regional institutions to champion nutrition regulation and support SIDS in navigating the trade and nutrition policy environment.

Challenges and opportunities for inclusive value chains of niche forest products in small island developing states: Canarium nuts, sandalwood, and whitewood in Vanuatu

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are a distinct group of nations with unique development challenges, such as skill shortages, lack of economies of scale, high transport and energy costs, poor infrastructure, small domestic markets with a heavy reliance on a few distant external markets, and limited opportunities for private sector growth. A development strategy based on natural resources where local and regional producers can secure some level of intellectual property value has been recommended for Pacific SIDS to break out of commodity and low value-added trade. This paper explores the potential for developing niche forest product value chains that are inclusive of small-scale producers in the island nation of Vanuatu. Using existing academic and grey literature and on- site research for three forest products, the paper describes the current situation with the industry and then proposes inclusive value chains (IVC) that improve on the business-as-usual scenario. Our results indicate that although market analyses confirm the potential for smallholders to benefit from participating in niche product value chains, difficulties inherent in sourcing from smallholders, which are aggravated in SIDS, must first be overcome. Problems such as small production volumes in numerous dispersed plots with difficult access, high transport costs, low technical know-how, difficulties in accessing inputs and finance, unreliability of supply in terms of quality and quantity, and lack of reliable information about the resource base hinder IVC development. Increased vertical and horizontal coordination within the value chains address many of these issues, but in the Pacific context, some forms of coordination may be more feasible than others. The Pacific region does not have a strong cooperative tradition, so temporary horizontal coordination, long-term agreements, and contracts between producers, processors, and buyers may be necessary to make IVCs for niche island products achievable.

Validating a tailored drought risk assessment methodology: drought risk assessment in local Papua New Guinea regions

Abstract. Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of natural hazards, causing disastrous impacts on vulnerable communities. Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are of particular concern, requiring resilient disaster risk management consisting of two key elements: proactivity and suitability. Drought risk knowledge can inform resilient risk management, but it is currently underexplored in Pacific SIDS, particularly in the highly vulnerable nation of Papua New Guinea (PNG). A tailored, meaning highly specific to the area under investigation, drought risk assessment methodology is key for expanding risk knowledge in vulnerable communities. A semi-dynamic and tailored drought risk assessment methodology to be utilised in PNG was developed in this research. Representative hazard, vulnerability, and exposure indicators were selected, and integrated geographic information system (GIS) processes were used to produce hazard, vulnerability, exposure, and risk indices and maps. The validity of the risk assessment was investigated with a retrospective risk assessment of drought in PNG (from 2014–2020) paired with a literature assessment (as a ground-truth source), and a sensitivity analysis. The preliminary drought risk assessment methodology demonstrated in this study was overall deemed valid and robust, with supplementary improvements proposed for consideration in future investigation. The developed methodology makes strides in addressing methodological knowledge gaps in drought risk assessment, for global assessments and those specific for PNG, and demonstrates the potential for risk assessment to inform resilient drought management practices in at-risk areas. Overall, the results of this study directly contribute to enhancing provincial drought risk knowledge in PNG.

Plan(et) A: Addressing the Climate Crisis

Plan(et) A:Addressing the Climate Crisis The SAIS Review Editorial Board Human-driven climate change poses a continual and existential threat to our planet. This crisis disproportionately impacts developing nations and indigenous populations and inhibits human and economic development around the world. Annually, climate change-induced extreme weather events take thousands of lives, displace millions, and destabilize governments. These challenges have reached new heights in recent years as historic flooding in Nigeria and Pakistan uprooted tens of millions; devastating wildfires engulfed Greece, Italy, and Spain; and melting glaciers precipitously elevated global sea levels, threatening to erase coastal populations and small island nations. Less than two years ago marked the end of the world's warmest decade on record. From widespread economic insecurity to exacerbated military conflicts, the climate crisis poses intersectional, unabating threats to world peace and stability. Despite these momentous challenges set before our generation, the editors of the SAIS Review of International Affairs remain optimistic. Our optimism is abundant as Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) enters its 80th year and a new building at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, DC during the Summer of 2023. Writing for the SAIS Review in Autumn 1963, SAIS Professor Paul Linebarger characterized the creation of our school twenty years prior as persisting on "the basis of nothing but a little money, a lot of hope, and enormous talent." In the six decades since his writing, SAIS has cultivated countless students prepared to meet the United States' and the world's most pressing challenges, outlined each year in the pages of the SAIS Review. This edition of the SAIS Review of International Affairs has the bittersweet distinction of being the last edition published from our office in 1619 Massachusetts Avenue, and the first dedicated entirely to assessing the impacts of climate change and practical policy solutions to address its root causes. Plan(et) A: Addressing the Climate Crisis explores the intersectionality of climate change with major global trends and challenges including energy, financial systems, governance, injustice, and state sovereignty. The issue begins with Anne Andreassen and Connemara Doran, who analyze the negative impact of climate change on electrical grid resilience using the 2021 Texas polar vortex as a case study, weather data, and data on [End Page 1] mixed sources of electricity generation. The authors determine that resilience is a global challenge because it is local: each climate-induced crisis provides lessons for averting disaster elsewhere. They explain that officials must address local resilience gaps to avoid using natural gas as a "bridge fuel" in the transition to renewable forms of electricity generation. While the transition to nonfossil fuels is ongoing and necessary to address the impacts of climate change, interdependence on different energy sources may exacerbate resilience gaps in electrical grids. The Texas polar vortex and other intense weather events linked to global warming highlight the need to address local resilience gaps to manage the impact of climate-induced energy crises. The next two works address country- and region-specific concerns and opportunities related to combating climate change. Wilder Alejandro Sánchez writes about the need for Kazakhstan to implement a comprehensive domestic green strategy and a green multivector foreign policy. The Central Asian state has faced environmental challenges with greater frequency in recent years. A severe drought in the summer of 2021 gravely impaired agricultural industries throughout the country. Kazakhstan, known for its steppe, will struggle to keep its terrain green in the long term. Sánchez argues that Kazakhstan can and will be able to protect its land and waters through sound "green" policies, which will require leadership, foresight, and collaboration with allies. Nitya Labh highlights the existential and legal threats of climate change for Pacific Island states and peoples. She outlines how climate change disproportionately affects small island developing states (SIDS), including Vanuatu and its Pacific Island neighbors. The author explains that Pacific SIDS confront sea-level rise, ocean acidification, and extreme weather events, which threaten their existence; sovereignty; and legal, economic, and cultural survival. Labh assesses that international maritime law insufficiently safeguards small island states from the harsh impacts of climate change, despite strides taken through the...

The role of causal ideas in the governance of commercial determinants of health. A qualitative study of tobacco control in the pacific

The consumption of tobacco, alcohol and ultra-processed foods and beverages drives the global noncommunicable disease (NCD) crisis in Pacific small island developing states (PSIDS). Addressing the commercial determinants of health (CDoH) requires policy coherence across government sectors; however, entrenched neoliberal ideologies that exhort self-regulation of markets and market actors impede such efforts. This paper aims to explore the roles ideas play in governing CDoH, through the analysis of causal ideas in multisectoral tobacco governance in Fiji and Vanuatu. An explorative, qualitative case study design was applied. Data collection relied primarily on in-depth interviews, of which 70 were conducted between 2018 and 2019. Data analysis was guided by a theory-informed analytical framework. Two causal ideas influence multisectoral tobacco governance in Fiji and Vanuatu. According to the idea of individual responsibility, high smoking prevalence is the consequence of individuals’ unhealthy lifestyle choices; it nominates the Ministry of Health as the responsible actor to solve this issue by providing health education. In contrast, the idea of CDoH argues that harmful commodity industries drive the NCD epidemic, and the sectors that regulate these private actors should be kept in closer check to ensure that their policies are aligned with the objectives of public health. In Fiji and Vanuatu, the non-health government agencies are effectively excused from implementing multisectoral tobacco policies because the dominant idea of individual responsibility relieves them of any responsibility. The wider adoption of the idea of CDoH is needed in PSIDS to tackle the NCD crisis.

Using standards for coastal nature-based solutions in climate commitments: Applying the IUCN Global Standard to the case of Pacific Small Island Developing States

Coastal nature-based solutions (NbS) are increasingly recognized for their multiple benefits to socio-ecological systems, including climate mitigation and adaptation (e.g. conservation, restoration and sustainable management of coastal ecosystems for climate). National climate plans, such as the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) developed under the Paris Agreement, include coastal NbS as a practical and effective action to help countries achieve their climate and biodiversity targets. However, the absence of a standardized NDC structure and the lack of guidance about how NbS should be included in NDCs can hinder access to external funding for developing countries and prevent transparent reporting on progress at the international level. In this context, our aim is to understand how coastal NbS are currently included in NDCs by evaluating their alignment with the IUCN Global Standard for NbS. Our analysis focuses on the description of coastal NbS in the NDCs of Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS), as they are among the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change. Overall, we find that, for the 22 coastal NbS examined in the NDCs of PSIDS, the degree of alignment with the eight criteria of the IUCN Global Standard is insufficient or partial, with slightly better alignment with the standard in revised NDCs than in original NDCs. We discuss opportunities provided by the standardization of the description of coastal NbS in NDCs, in terms of access to funding and stock taking to monitor the effectiveness of implementation and progress towards long-term goals. We also discuss the relevance of using the IUCN Global Standard for reporting on NbS in NDCs for PSIDS.

Evaluating Satellite Soil Moisture Datasets for Drought Monitoring in Australia and the South-West Pacific

Soil moisture (SM) is critical in monitoring the time-lagged impacts of agrometeorological drought. In Australia and several south-west Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS), there are a limited number of in situ SM stations that can adequately assess soil-water availability in a near-real-time context. Satellite SM datasets provide a viable alternative for SM monitoring and agrometeorological drought provision in these regions. In this study, we investigated the performance of Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP), Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS), Soil Moisture Operational Products System (SMOPS), SM from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR-2) and SM from the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) over Australia and south-west Pacific SIDS. Products were first evaluated in Australia, given the presence of several in-situ SM monitoring stations and a state-of-the-art hydrological model—the Australian Water Resources Assessment Landscape modelling system (AWRA-L). We further investigated the accuracy of SM satellite datasets in Australia and the south-west Pacific through Triple Collocation analysis with two other SM reference datasets—ERA5 reanalysis SM data and model data from the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) dataset. All datasets have differing observation periods ranging from 1911-now, with a common period of observations between 2015–2021. Results demonstrated that ASCAT and SMOS were consistently superior in their performance. Analysis in the six south-west Pacific SIDS indicated reduced performance for all products, with ASCAT and SMOS still performing better than others for most SIDS with median R values ranging between 0.3–0.9. We conducted a case study of the 2015 El Niño and Positive Indian Ocean Dipole-induced drought in Papua New Guinea. It was shown that ASCAT is a valuable dataset indicative of agrometeorological drought for the nation, highlighting the value of using satellite SM products to provide early warning of drought in data-sparse regions in the south-west Pacific.

Applying energy justice principles: a case study of solar energy in Vanuatu

Abstract Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change created in part, by worldwide carbon emissions, while also being highly dependent on carbon-intensive imported fossil fuels. Pacific SIDS are also hostage to acute energy price volatility and fossil fuel import dependencies creating the urgent impetus for resilient and accessible renewable energy systems. This article provides a socio-legal case study analysis of current efforts to increase off-grid solar energy in Vanuatu. It focuses on how a just transition can be achieved in rural Vanuatu by applying and implementing three forms of energy justice: distributive, procedural, and recognition justice. Energy justice is a crucial framework for energy regulation and policy reform and action. While all five forms of energy justice are complementary and intrinsically linked, this article specifically examines the ‘triumvirate of tenets’ applied to the Vanuatu Rural Electrification Project (VREP) II deploying solar energy in rural Vanuatu. This article also posits that the current international project funding framework which includes a series of social and environmental safeguards could be revisited, revised, and reformulated to reflect an energy justice framework. Finally, the article also isolates key opportunities to encourage solar energy cooperatives as an alternative legal vehicle harnessing energy justice principles.

Climate risk insurance in Pacific Small Island Developing States: possibilities, challenges and vulnerabilities-a comprehensive review.

For the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS), climate change will greatly exacerbate their vulnerability. The PSIDS have a high ranking in the Climate Risk Index and the World Risk Index. Financial losses due to climate-induced disasters, in terms of gross domestic product (GDP), are also high in the Pacific region. While climate risk insurance solutions could play a key role in the efficient distribution of recovery resources, there are many challenges to their successful implementation. Effective climate risk insurance products for the vulnerable sections of these societies are almost non-existent in this part of the world. Among the worst climate-induced disasters to affect the PSIDS are those related to cyclones and floods. These not only adversely impact the welfare of the households affected by these disasters, but they lower the long-term development potential of the countries involved. There is also evidence to suggest that climate-induced disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity over time due to climate change. It is against this background that an inquiry into the necessity for climate risk insurance products in the context of PSIDS should take place. This paper gives a comprehensive review of the literature addressing climate risk insurance as a risk mitigation or climate adaptation tool for managing the climate-induced financial vulnerabilities in the PSIDS. The paper explores the affordability of climate risk insurance, particularly among the vulnerable sections of society, and discusses the challenges of implementing an appropriate climate risk insurance model in the region. Finally, it examines recent climate risk insurance initiatives that have been attempted by multilateral agencies, such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations’ Pacific Financial Inclusion Practice (UNCDF), Pacific Insurance and Climate Adaptation Programme (PICAP), and respective local governments.

How do interests, ideas, and institutions affect multisectoral governance? The case of tobacco governance in two Pacific small island developing states

AbstractMultisectoral governance has been recognized to be vital to regulate harmful commodity industries, yet countries struggle with reaching policy coherence due to government agencies' conflicting mandates and industry interference. Limited empirical evidence is available on how interests, ideas, and institutions intersect and influence multisectoral governance in low‐ and middle‐income countries, particularly in Pacific small island developing states (PSIDS), often exploited by vested industry interests and whose non‐communicable disease crisis commands urgent action to regulate harmful commodities. This study assessed the ways interests, ideas, and institutions intersect and shape multisectoral tobacco governance in PSIDS. Interviewee data collected in Fiji and Vanuatu show that the idea of individual responsibility, the limited recognition of commercial determinants of health, the centralization of authority, and the vulnerabilities of small island developing states, (including small population, land, economy, geographic isolation, and status as a developing economy), prevent these states from achieving policy coherence in multisectoral tobacco governance.

Assessing how ecosystem-based adaptations to climate change influence community wellbeing: a Vanuatu case study

Climate change poses significant threats to wellbeing and livelihoods of people and the ecosystems in many Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Adaptation solutions must counteract these threats while also supporting development in vulnerable SIDS. Suitable options need to ensure that connections between the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of socio-economic systems are defined in a way that can support how decisions are made (and by whom) and how these can impact on other parts of these systems. This is particularly important in many Pacific SIDS, where communities practise customary natural resource management and continue to rely on local natural resources. In this study, we model the anticipated impacts of climate change and the benefits of the ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) approaches on community wellbeing in Vanuatu. To do this, we applied participatory and expert elicitation methods to develop a Bayesian network model, which was designed to evaluate community wellbeing responses at four explicit spatial scales. The model includes both acute and chronic impacts of climate change, the impact of coral bleaching, and the potential loss of Vanuatu’s fringing coral reefs. The model predicts that all proposed EbA interventions will have a positive impact on wellbeing in all four locations to some degree, by either directly improving the integrity of Vanuatu’s ecosystems or by protecting these ecosystems as a positive spill-over of related actions. Significantly, it also predicts that if climate change exceeds 1.5 °C of warming, the costs of achieving the same level of wellbeing are increased.

Finteching remittances in paradise: A path to sustainable development

AbstractThe costs of sending remittances to Pacific small island developing states (SIDS) are among the highest in the world. Tackling this issue is crucial not only for economic and social development, but also for improving financial inclusion. This article analyses fintech adoption in remittance services, namely the adoption of alternative payment methods in transferring money by using the internet or mobile phones, in the Pacific. It introduces an original framework to assess the current landscape of fintech in the remittance sector and draws tailored policy recommendations. The framework is conceptualised through a ladder with five rungs: availability, accessibility, awareness, literacy and trust. Based on the ladder analysis, the authors observe the lack of basic digital infrastructure and digital platforms in many Pacific SIDS. Where the technological landscape is better developed, fintech services have established strong footholds, but there is a need for greater awareness to broaden its appeal and customer base. The benefits of fintech platforms are high, especially in the context of lower remittance costs which constitute an unduly large share of GDP in Pacific SIDS. The basic infrastructure needed to develop fintech services are equally important for the overall sustainable development of Pacific SIDS. The article observes fintech services in the Pacific are a means for financial inclusion of the unbanked, that can accelerate the economic and social development of the SIDS, and countries in the Pacific region are at different stages in their readiness for fintech adoption.

Pathways to sustaining tuna-dependent Pacific Island economies during climate change

Climate-driven redistribution of tuna threatens to disrupt the economies of Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and sustainable management of the world’s largest tuna fishery. Here we show that by 2050, under a high greenhouse gas emissions scenario (RCP 8.5), the total biomass of three tuna species in the waters of ten Pacific SIDS could decline by an average of 13% (range = −5% to −20%) due to a greater proportion of fish occurring in the high seas. The potential implications for Pacific Island economies in 2050 include an average decline in purse-seine catch of 20% (range = −10% to −30%), an average annual loss in regional tuna-fishing access fees of US$90 million (range = −US$40 million to –US$140 million) and reductions in government revenue of up to 13% (range = −8% to −17%) for individual Pacific SIDS. Redistribution of tuna under a lower-emissions scenario (RCP 4.5) is projected to reduce the purse-seine catch from the waters of Pacific SIDS by an average of only 3% (range = −12% to +9%), indicating that even greater reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, in line with the Paris Agreement, would provide a pathway to sustainability for tuna-dependent Pacific Island economies. An additional pathway involves Pacific SIDS negotiating within the regional fisheries management organization to maintain the present-day benefits they receive from tuna, regardless of the effects of climate change on the distribution of the fish.

Living Climate Change Impacts in Pacific SIDS: Articulating the Pacific Way in an Unresponsive World

Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are among the world’s smallest nations living the severe impacts of climate change and development that are consuming them while the world remains largely divided about how to adapt to and mitigate against these changes. This is an onerous concern because while the life-threatening impacts of climate change are becoming better understood across the world, humanity has not agreed on concrete plans and appropriate activities to effectively address the single most callous threat of our time.1 In spite of decades of the Conference of the Parties and associated meetings, assortments of agreements, treaties and conventions formulated at global, regional seas and continental levels and through various organizations, and innumerable partnerships that produced policy frameworks, guidelines, strategies, plans, action plans and pathways to direct countries, there has been little unified effective action taken by the global community. The deeply entrenched and polarized positions between the different countries and the variations in their activities have frustrated Pacific SIDS, which are fighting a losing battle against climate change unless all the major countries of the world commit to these initiatives.

Profiling trusted information sources for Chinese tourists traveling to Pacific SIDS

ABSTRACT This study investigates the information sources of the Chinese outbound tourists traveling to Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS). SIDS have the least experience with Chinese tourism in the region, but they are experiencing some of the highest growth rates of this important and lucrative market. A two-stage qualitative approach involving face-to-face elements and online technologies was adopted to study the case of the Cook Islands. Through five focus group interviews and a 3-month Web content analysis, this study determined the information channels trusted by the Chinese tourists and the differences in review contents generated by users or the management of destination marketing organization. Results show that the Internet is the most popular travel information source for Chinese tourists with preferred and trusted platforms, namely, Sina Weibo, Qyer, Mafengwo, and TripAdvisor, for practical and helpful information for travel decision making. The dendrogram mapping of the marketer- and user-generated contents of web content analysis reveals a travel information gap involving subjective opinions and mismatched positioning. Tourism planners, operators, and marketers are recommended to consider the negative comments to help improve the products and packages.

Assessing Diet Quality of Indigenous Food Systems in Three Geographically Distinct Solomon Islands Sites (Melanesia, Pacific Islands).

Indigenous Solomon Islanders, like many living in Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS), are currently experiencing the global syndemic—the combined threat of obesity, undernutrition, and climate change. This mixed-method study aimed to assess nutrition transitions and diet quality by comparing three geographically unique rural and urban indigenous Solomon Islands populations. Participants in rural areas sourced more energy from wild and cultivated foods; consumed a wider diversity of foods; were more likely to meet WHO recommendations of >400 g of non-starchy fruits and vegetables daily; were more physically active; and had significantly lower body fat, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI) when compared to urban populations. Urban populations were found to have a reduced ability to self-cultivate agri-food products or collect wild foods, and therefore consumed more ultra-processed foods (classified as NOVA 4) and takeout foods, and overall had less diverse diets compared to rural populations. Clear opportunities to leverage traditional knowledge and improve the cultivation and consumption of underutilized species can assist in building more sustainable and resilient food systems while ensuring that indigenous knowledge and cultural preferences are respected.

COVID‐19 and Food Security in Fiji: The Reinforcement of Subsistence Farming Practices in Rural and Urban Areas

<scp>COVID</scp>‐19 and Food Security in Fiji: The Reinforcement of Subsistence Farming Practices in Rural and Urban Areas

A richness index for baselining climate change adaptations in small island developing states

Small island developing states (SIDS) are a uniquely vulnerable suite of countries. Climate change is already having disproportionate impacts on their biophysical and socio-economic processes. The status of national-level climate change adaptation across multiple SIDS is, however, under-explored in the academic literature. A pivotal study by Lesnikowski et al. (2015) ( https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-013-9491-x ), which assessed adaptation outcomes in 117 Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), only included 13 SIDS, a number insufficient to establish a baseline of action in these countries. This paper builds on Lesnikowski et al. (2015) and more recent SIDS-specific work by Robinson (2017) ( https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-015-9693-5 ) by coding 441 national adaptation actions reported in the National Communications of 35 SIDS between 1997 and 2014. It develops a richness index that baselines adaptations in these countries, which are located across three main geographic regions – the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, Caribbean, and Pacific. It further identifies more advanced adaptors and less advanced adaptors among the group, and finds that, while progress was made in the observation and assessment of climate variables (29.7% of reported actions) and planning (25.2%), less tangible actions were implemented (19.0%) with even less monitoring and evaluation (8.2%) and stakeholder engagement and knowledge management (17.9%). This paper concludes that greater investments in ongoing capacity-building in SIDS are required for countries to better plan, implement and evaluate adaptation actions, and to better advocate for more optimal levels of international financing for helping to underwrite the cost of adaptation. • Atlantic and Indian Ocean SIDS are strongest in stakeholder engagement and knowledge management. • Caribbean SIDS lead on observation and assessment of climate variables. • Pacific SIDS are strongest in planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. • Cook Islands and Kiribati are among the most advanced adaptors. • Guinea-Bissau and Marshall Islands are among the least advanced adaptors.