Small Pacific Island Countries Research Articles

Prevalence and correlates of psychological distress among national community-based adult populations in Nauru, Tukelau and Tuvalu.

The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence and correlates of psychological distress (PD) in three small Pacific Island countries. National cross-sectional data (pooled sample N = 3,088, 18-69 years) of participants from the STEPS surveys in Nauru (2015/16; N = 1382), Tukelau (2014; N = 554) and Tuvalu (2015; N = 1152) were analysed. In the pooled sample 30.4% participants had PD (⩾20 scores), 18.1% mild (20-24 scores), 7.8% moderate (25-29 scores) and 4.4% severe (30-50 scores) PD. The prevalence of PD in Nauru was 41.5%, in Tukelau 5.0% and in Tuvalu 22.7%. In the adjusted logistic regression analysis with the pooled sample, younger age (18-39 years), alcohol family problems, heart attack/stroke, current smoking, high salt intake and high sedentary behaviour were positively associated with PD, while male sex and being from Tukelau and Tuvalu were negatively associated with PD. Almost one in three participants reported PD and several associated factors were found that can be targeted in population interventions.

Evaluating the impacts of climate change and water over-abstraction on groundwater resources in Pacific island country of Tonga

Small low-lying Pacific Island countries are prone to climate change and water resources-related issues. The demand for water in Pacific Island countries has increased significantly due to population growth, industrialisation, tourism, and agricultural needs. Groundwater is utilised by most of the Pacific Island countries, and due to increasing demand, the majority of the Pacific Island countries practise over-abstraction. Climate change caused by natural means and over-abstraction of groundwater has led to saltwater intrusion into the coastal aquifers and other groundwater-related problems in several low-lying Pacific Island countries. In this study, groundwater salinity data collected over a 42-year duration from several abstraction wells in Tonga is linearly analysed to ascertain the impact of over-abstraction on groundwater resources. Climate change also affects rainfall and net recharge patterns. Hence, Tonga's long-term rainfall and net recharge patterns were linearly analysed. Also, to ascertain the climate change effect in Tonga, the sea level height and carbon dioxide emissions were linearly analysed using the data from 1993 to 2020 and 1960–2018, respectively. Quantitative data, linear regression and graphical linear fit techniques were used in this study for data analysis. The results from this study indicated that over-abstraction has caused saltwater intrusion more frequently and affected groundwater quality. An increasing salinity trend of 58% was observed from 1965 till 2007. It is also evident that the higher the abstraction rates, the higher the saltwater flux sipping into the coastal aquifers. Moreover, decreasing trends were also observed in rainfall (19%) and net recharge (37%) in Tonga between 1950 and 2006. This study also revealed that the sea level and carbon dioxide emissions have increased by 5.2% and 800%, respectively. This study provides insights into why controlling abstraction rates and acting against climate change is essential concerning groundwater. These insights will be helpful for groundwater resource managers, stakeholders, and policymakers in Tonga and the broad scientific community, in managing saltwater intrusions and preserving the water resource.

Energy security assessment of small Pacific Island Countries – Sustaining the call for renewable energy proliferation

Using a contemporary assessment framework, we assess the energy security status of small Pacific Island Countries (PICs) in line with its three broad perspectives. These perspectives – sovereignty, robustness, and resilience encapsulate vulnerabilities and threats to vital energy systems, including their respective political and economic strata. Based on a recently adopted regional energy security framework, we unpack these perspectives and generate a collective evaluative judgment of its impact across small PICs. The results resonate with the commonly held notion that energy security concerns are significant and likely to become more severe if expanding energy needs are not addressed through the proliferation of renewable and sustainable energy applications. Another emerging yet familiar concern is that the energy import bill will become more unsustainable for these cash-strapped islands. The findings demonstrate that PICs have severe constraints to overcome, especially with acquiring appropriate technologies and building institutional capacities to implement their respective energy policies and realise their critical energy targets.

Ocean Futures for the World’s Largest Yellowfin Tuna Population Under the Combined Effects of Ocean Warming and Acidification

The impacts of climate change are expected to have profound effects on the fisheries of the Pacific Ocean, including its tuna fisheries, the largest globally. This study examined the combined effects of climate change on the yellowfin tuna population using the ecosystem model SEAPODYM. Yellowfin tuna fisheries in the Pacific contribute significantly to the economies and food security of Pacific Island Countries and Territories and Oceania. We use an ensemble of earth climate models to project yellowfin populations under a high greenhouse gas emissions (IPCC RCP8.5) scenario, which includes, the combined effects of a warming ocean, increasing acidification and changing ocean chemistry. Our results suggest that the acidification impact will be smaller in comparison to the ocean warming impact, even in the most extreme ensemble member scenario explored, but will have additional influences on yellowfin tuna population dynamics. An eastward shift in the distribution of yellowfin tuna was observed in the projections in the model ensemble in the absence of explicitly accounting for changes in acidification. The extent of this shift did not substantially differ when the three-acidification induced larval mortality scenarios were included in the ensemble; however, acidification was projected to weaken the magnitude of the increase in abundance in the eastern Pacific. Together with intensive fishing, these potential changes are likely to challenge the global fishing industry as well as the economies and food systems of many small Pacific Island Countries and Territories. The modelling framework applied in this study provides a tool for evaluating such effects and informing policy development.

Modelling tourism competitiveness in small Pacific island countries

This study models overall and bilateral tourism competitiveness in small Pacific island countries (PICs), namely, Cook Islands, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu. The pooled mean group approach, which corrects for cross-sectional dependence and non-stationarity, is used for estimation with quarterly data from 2002 to 2019. The findings indicate that for Fiji and Vanuatu, other PICs are competing destinations and that Fiji and Vanuatu face the strongest bilateral competition amongst the selected PICs. Cross-price elasticities are insignificant for Tonga and are generally negative for the Cook Islands and Samoa. Thus, while for Fiji and Vanuatu, the Cook Islands is a competing destination, Fiji and Vanuatu are complementary destinations for the Cook Islands. Therefore, destinations that more closely resemble each other face stronger competition, and the nature and strength of competitive behaviour between two destinations are different for each concerned destination.

Practice, benefits, and impact of personal protective equipment (PPE) during COVID-19 pandemic: Envisioning the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) through the lens of clean water sanitation, life below water, and life on land in Fiji

BackgroundThe outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) highlights the global health emergency. To limit the rate of COVID-19 transmission to health care workers, adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) are required. Emerging reports indicate that the widespread usage of PPE during the COVID-19 outbreak has exacerbated plastic contamination in the ocean. PurposeThis paper attempts to understand the influence of practice, benefits, and impact of PPE during the COVID-19 crisis on clean water sanitation, life below water, and life on land (SDGs 6, 14, and 15 respectively) in Fiji and assess the effectiveness of measurements taken to deal with this crisis. Fiji is a small Pacific Island Country (PIC) and the global crisis of COVID-19 entered the Fijian border on 19th, March 2020. The second wave of COVID-19 was reported on 18th, April 2021, which began at a managed quarantine facility after contact between a couple returning from India to Fiji and a soldier. Since then the number of cases has been increasing daily and posing a risk to the public. Materials and methodA personal observation was made to collect the PPE pollution on the streets, near roads, car parks, markets, and towns. ResultsWidespread PPE pollution was noticed, and the common PPE found on the Vesivesi road in Suva, Fiji were facemasks (61.36%) and hand gloves (38.64%), as it is mostly used by the public, police officers, municipal waste management, shopping malls workers, and medical care workers. Face shield littering was limited due to fewer users. ConclusionsIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this study stresses a great concern on enabling SDGs 6, 14, and 15 and how the use of PPE during this period has impacted the natural environment. It is critical to remember that managing PPE waste during a contagious pandemic should be treated as an emergency and handled quickly.

Modelling the impact of COVID-19 in small pacific island countries

ABSTRACT This paper studies the economic impact of COVID-19 in Fiji, Tonga, and Vanuatu. The UNWTO’s International Tourism 2020 Scenarios and the World Bank’s projected decline in remittance flows are treated as negative COVID-19 led shocks in the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) model. Negative tourism shocks are significant for all three countries, whereas negative remittance shocks are significant for Tonga only. Thus, the economic effects of COVID-19 are propagated by tourism for all three countries, whilst remittance is a COVID-19 transmission channel for Tonga only. Simulations with the projected declines in tourism and remittances suggest that Vanuatu would experience the greatest decline in growth and highest uncertainty, whilst Tonga would face the lowest decline and uncertainty.

Tourism and economic growth in the Pacific region: evidence from five small island economies

We present a country-specific analysis on the effect of tourism on the economic growth of five small Pacific Island Countries (PICs) – Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. The results show tourism development is growth-enhancing for all five countries. Foreign direct investment (FDI) is growth-enhancing for Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, and in the short run, a delayed negative association for Fiji and Vanuatu is found. Remittances are growth-retarding for Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, with a short-run delayed positive association for Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. Financial development is growth-retarding for Solomon Islands and Tonga, with a short-run positive association for Fiji and Samoa. While the results underscore the huge importance of tourism in generating growth and FDI in the Pacific, given the ongoing adverse effects of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, PICs will have to focus on alternative sectors to progress economic activities. Policy suggestions are discussed along these lines.

Modelling inbound international tourism demand in small Pacific Island countries

ABSTRACTIn this study, we estimate inbound international tourism demand models at the individual source market-destination and overall destination levels for Fiji, Cook Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu from 2002Q1 to 2016Q2 and Samoa from 2002Q4 to 2015Q3. Tourism demand is measured by visitor arrivals, tourism prices, the source country’s real GDP, tourism prices in substitute destinations, seasonality and structural breaks, all of which are considered plausible determinants. The models are estimated using the ARDL-bounds approach, structural breaks are identified using the Bai and Perron break test, and seasonality is tested using the US Census Bureau’s X-13 ARIMA-SEATS methodology. The study is important because it presents new evidence on price, income, and substitute price sensitivity, word of mouth, seasonality, and structural-breaks effects in Pacific island destinations.

Artefactual inflation of type 2 diabetes prevalence in WHO STEP surveys.

In view of erroneous type 2 diabetes prevalence reported in 3 small Pacific Island countries, a study was conducted to investigate whether this error occurred in other countries which have conducted WHO STEPS surveys associated with glucose thresholds for point-of-care (POC) measuring devices calibrated to plasma. Published STEPS surveys conducted over 2001-2017 were obtained. For each survey, information was obtained on diabetes prevalence, POC glucose measuring device, blood sample tested and the fasting glucose threshold used for prevalence calculations. POC device user manuals were obtained to determine calibration. The current WHO glucose threshold for type 2 diabetes was used: ≥7.0mmol/l for plasma glucose; ≥6.1mmol/l for whole blood glucose. POC devices were used in 75 of the STEPS surveys identified to measure blood glucose. An incorrect glucose threshold was employed in 17 surveys (23%) to define diabetes. The correct threshold was applied in 20 surveys (27%). Estimates from meta-analysis and meta-regression show that diabetes prevalence in surveys using the incorrect glucose thresholds have prevalences 50% higher than surveys which use the correct glucose threshold. A definite conclusion could not be made for 38 surveys (51%) because of the absence or unclear information on the glucose metre and/or the threshold employed. WHO STEPS surveys with likely incorrect published diabetes prevalences have been conducted across the globe, resulting in a 50% artefactual inflation. Inaccurate reporting of diabetes prevalence from widely cited STEPS surveys would have significant impacts on disease burden monitoring, policy development and resource allocation.

Multi-objective groundwater management strategy under uncertainties for sustainable control of saltwater intrusion: Solution for an island country in the South Pacific

To date, simulation-optimization (S/O) based groundwater management models have delivered optimal saltwater intrusion management strategies for coastal aquifer systems. At times, however, uncertainties in the numerical simulation model due to uncertain aquifer parameters are not incorporated into the management model. The present study explicitly incorporated aquifer parameter uncertainty into a multi-objective management model for the optimal design of groundwater pumping strategies from the unconfined Bonriki aquifer situated in a small Pacific island country. The objective of the multi-objective management model was to maximise pumping from production wells and minimize pumping from the barrier wells (hydraulic barriers) to ensure that the water quality at different monitoring locations (MLs) were within pre-specified sustainable limits. To achieve the targeted management goal, a coupled flow and transport numerical simulation model of the Bonriki aquifer was developed using the FEMWATER numerical code. The developed three-dimensional numerical model was calibrated and validated using limited available hydrological data. To achieve computational efficiency and feasibility of the management model, the numerical simulation model in the S/O model was replaced with ensembles of Support Vector Machine Regression (SVMR) surrogate models. Each SVMR standalone surrogate model in the ensemble was constructed using datasets from different numerical simulation models with different hydraulic conductivity and porosity values. These ensemble SVMR models were coupled to the multi-objective genetic algorithm optimization model to solve the Bonriki aquifer management problem. The executed optimization model presented a Pareto-front with 600 non-dominated optimal trade-off pumping solutions. The reliability of the management model established after validation of the optimal solution results suggests that the implemented constraints of the optimization problem were satisfied, i.e., the salinity concentrations at respective MLs were within the pre-specified limits. Overall, the results from this study indicated that the developed management model has the potential to address groundwater salinity problems in small island countries.

Population, Health and Growth

Among the seventeen sustainable sustainable development goals recently approved by the United Nation's includes the goal of 'ensuring healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages' with a specific target on ending the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria among others by 2030. Health burden as one of the many challenges (among others) faced by the small Pacific Island countries where communicable diseases (tuberculosis and malaria) as well as non-communicable diseases (cancer, disease of the heart, stroke and obesity) are on the rise. The presence of non-communicable diseases is the strongest visible evidence in the Pacific Island countries. This is likely to have a strong deterimental effect on the long-term development of several of these countries. In light of this and the United Nations sustainable development goal of ensuring healthy lives, this article examines the effect of population health on economic growth in a sample of small Pacific Island countries. The analytical framework adopts the neoclassical growth model where it attempts to empirically assess the impact of tuberculosis, obesity and cholesterol levels on population aged twenty-five and above by utilising cross-country data pooled across the years 1992 to 2009. The estimation phase controls for several potential effects on growth. The empirical findings obtained through regression analysis reveal a negative and statistically significant correlation of obesity and cholesterol levels on economic growth of Pacific Island countries. We find negative but statistically insignificant effect of tuberculosis on growth. Gross fixed capital formation and human capital are found to be other significant contributors to growth. Our major conclusion is that population health does matter for long-term sustained economic growth. In terms of policy implications, Government interventions through providing more funding to curtail the spread of lifestyle diseases as shown in this study can lead to better health outcomes and aid the process of economic growth.

Lest We Forget: Medical Care and Anesthesia during the Second World War in the Pacific. The Interaction and Cooperation Between New Zealand, Australian and American Armed Forces

Soldiers from New Zealand, Australia and the United States fought alongside the people living in the South Pacific under desperate conditions to save and protect their countries. Fighting in the Pacific Islands was a new experience. There were mountains, jungles, tropical heat and diseases to combat as well as the enemy. Traditional medical treatment and anesthesia had to be modified for the conditions. Ether evaporated in the heat, and patients were often dehydrated and weakened by poor diet and tropical disease. Thiopental, a new intravenous anesthetic, was widely used. The technique of freeze-drying plasma and the invention of penicillin helped save lives, but the casualty rate was horrendous. Hospitals built by the US army are still functioning in many small Pacific Island countries, and the experience of working alongside military doctors gave the local medical officers the knowledge to develop efficient surgical and anesthetic services after the fighting was over.

Addressing WaSH challenges in Pacific Island Countries: A participatory marketing systems mapping approach to empower informal settlement community action

Addressing complex and challenging issues entails access to credible systems information in the form of systems maps or diagrams. The purpose of our paper is to describe a participatory action research (PAR) systems mapping activity that was undertaken by an urban informal settlement community in a small Pacific Island Country. A total of 19 households participated in a systems mapping activity to map a household-level water or sanitation system. The individual household systems maps and related data were then used to construct a de-identified aggregated water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) marketing systems map (and accompanying narratives) for the informal settlement. We present the marketing systems map, which delineated a series of marketing exchanges, and report on how the map assisted the community to address a number of expressed needs. We conclude by suggesting that systems mapping is a valuable activity that communities could undertake to generate credible systems information to inform and empower collective planning and actions.

A 'Healthy Islands' framework for climate change in the Pacific.

Small Pacific Island countries (PICs) are among the most vulnerable countries in the world to the anticipated detrimental health effects of climate change. The assessment of health vulnerabilities and planning adaptation strategies to minimize the impacts of climate change on health tests traditional health governance structures and depends on strong linkages and partnerships between actors involved in these vital processes. This article reviews the actors, processes and contexts of the climate change and health vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning project carried out by the World Health Organization and health sector partners in three island countries in the Micronesian region of the Pacific throughout 2010 and 2011: Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands and Palau. Despite their shared history and cultural characteristics, the findings and implications of this article are considered to have substantial relevance and potential application to other PICs. The modified 'Healthy Islands' framework for climate change and health adaptation presented in this article draws upon real-world experience and governance theory from both the health and climate change literature and, for the first time, places health systems adaptation within the vision for 'Healthy Islands' in the Pacific region.

Mobile Value Added Services and Micro Enterprises: Industry Challenges and Policy Barriers in a Small Pacific Island Country

Worldwide, mobile phones are rapidly changing the approach and strategies for micro, small and large businesses alike. Yet, little remains known about policy and infrastructure constraints that might impede their use for growth of businesses, especially in the case of microenterprises in developing economies. We address this gap in the literature. Focusing on a small Pacific island economy, we survey 74 women enterprises via semi-structured interviews and a number of key stakeholders spanning the government, mobile network and financial institution sectors to understand both demand and supply perspectives. Appropriate policy framework, supporting infrastructure and adequate ecosystems are required for rapid uptake of mobile value added services by women owned micro enterprises in Fiji. A significant number of women micro entrepreneurs are willing to embrace mobile value added services if these were made available with adequate security and at reasonable cost.

Sustainably managing natural resources and the need for construction materials in Pacific island countries: The example of South Tarawa, Kiribati

AbstractThe growing demand for construction materials in South Tarawa, a remote atoll in the South Pacific, provides an example of the environmental and social challenges associated with the use of non‐renewable resources in the context of small island countries threatened by coastal erosion and climate change. In many small Pacific island countries, the availability of construction materials is limited, with the majority mined from beaches and coastal reefs in an unsustainable manner. Growing demand for construction aggregates is resulting in more widespread sand mining by communities along vulnerable sections of exposed beach and reefs. This has serious consequences for coastal erosion and impacts on reef ecosystem processes, consequences that cannot be easily managed. Construction materials are also in high demand for infrastructure projects which are financed in part with support from international development agencies and donors. This paper reviews the various challenges and risks that aggregate mining poses to reefs, fish, and the coastal health of South Tarawa and argues that the long term consequences from ad hoc beach/reef mining over large areas are likely to be far greater than the impacts associated with environmentally sustainable, organized extraction. The paper concludes with policy recommendations that are also relevant for neighbouring island countries facing similar challenges.

Financial Sector Development and Remittances in Pacific Island Economies: How Do They Help the World’s Two Most Recipient-Dependent Countries?

Abstract In the context of the current recession in industrialized countries and the resultant dim prospects for exports from small Pacific island countries, mobilization of foreign exchange earnings assumes considerable importance. The dependency of Samoa and Tonga on inward remittances is well known, as the two Polynesian island countries in recent years have been among the first top ten remittance recipient countries of the world. This paper examines the long-run nexus between economic growth and inward remittances during a three-decade period (1981-2008). The paper also discusses some important policy implications arising out of the study’s findings.

Oil Price and Economic Growth in Small Pacific Island Countries

Among the 14 Pacific Island countries (PICs), only Papua New Guinea has fossil fuel resources. None of the remaining 13 PICs has any energy sources. Consequently, all the 13 PICs are totally dependent on oil imports for their economic activities. Recent surges and volatility in oil prices have had serious economic re-percussions on economic growth. Since PICs have limited foreign exchange earning capacities, as they have very narrow range of exports and are highly dependent on foreign aid, high oil prices in recent months have seriously tested their economic resilience. This paper applies the recently developed panel analysis procedures to five major PICs, namely Fiji, Samoa, Solomon islands, Tonga and Vanuatu with a view to assess the impact of oil price on economic growth. The findings are that oil price, economic growth and international reserve are cointegrated. The study findings are that although in the long run there is no long run causality relationship between these variables, in the short run the causality linkage runs from oil prices and interna-tional reserve to economic growth. The paper concludes with a brief discussion on policy options.

Growth and oil price: A study of causal relationships in small Pacific Island countries

This paper investigates the nexus between economic growth and oil price in small Pacific Island countries (PICs). Except Papua New Guinea, none of the 14 PICs has fossil any fuel resources. Consequently, the other 13 PICs are totally dependent on oil imports for their economic activities. Since PICs have limited foreign exchange earning capacities, as they have a very narrow range of exports and are highly dependent on foreign aid, high oil prices in recent months have seriously tested their economic resilience. This paper applies the ARDL bounds testing methodology to four selected PICs, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu, which have consistent and reliable time series of data, with a view to assess the impact of oil price on economic growth. The findings are that oil price, gross domestic product and international reserve are cointegrated in all the four PICs. Further, both in the long and short runs, we observe that there is a uni-directional relationship as causality linkage runs only from oil price and international reserves to economic growth. The paper makes some policy recommendations.