Climate Change in Fiji

1
Climate Change in Fiji
Researched and compiled by Celeste Maynard, GEO
109, Winter 2008
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Fiji
3
Global Warming Impact on Industry Tourism and
Sugar

• Threatens to erode beaches and saltwater coral
  reefs
• Condition of roads
• Visitors may not come back
• Major flooding and drought affect sugar-growing
  region
• Warmer temperatures at night hurts sugar growth
• Majority of population work in either industry
• Collapse of economy

4
Sea Level Rise

• Inundation and flooding
• Beach erosion
• Erosion and intrusion of sea water
• Threatens existence of regions- population growth
  and migration has increased to coastal areas
• Hurts economic activity-based around coast
• Sea walls put in place not always stable
• Hurt infrastructure of island

5
Coral Reefs

• Coral bleaching
• Decline in coral cover over last 40 years
• Cant survive in increased water temperature
• Starve to death
• El Niño devastation
• Depleting complex ecosystem-endangering other
  species

6
Solutions

• Going carbon negative
• Adaptation
• Raise awareness of climate change
• Monitor research developments
• Develop methods for assessing vulnerability
• Monitor sea level
• Creation of NOAA Coral Reef Watch Program
• National Coral Reef Action Strategy

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Conclusion

• Tourism and sugar are key components of Fijian
  economy
• Global warming hurts both industries and economy
  collapses
• Sea level keeps rising beaches and roads will be
  gone and people forced to leave
• Coral reefs dying quicker and endangers other
  species
• Ecosystems vanish
• Solutions include raising awareness, adaptation,
  and going carbon negative
• Basically, if global warming and climate change
  keep happening, Fiji is in BIG trouble!

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References

• Maddison, David. 2001. In Search of Warmer
  Climate? The Impact of Climate Change on Flows of
  British Tourists. Climatic Change. 49 193-208.
• Motavalli, Jim ed. 2004. Feeling the Heat
  Dispatches From the Frontlines of Climate Change.
  New York Routledge.
• Rosenthal, Elisabeth. 2007. How Do You Ski if
  There is No Snow? New York Times. 157, 54115
  C3.
• Unknown author (2000, September 5). Ministerial
  Conference on Environment and Development in Asia
  and Pacific, 2000. Retrieved March 6, 2008, from
  Climate Change and the Pacific Islands.
  http//www.unescap.org/mced2000/pacific/background
  /climate.htmslr
• Mimura, Nobuo. 1999. Vulnerability of Island
  Countries in the South Pacific to Sea Level Rise
  and Climate Change. Climate Research. 12
  137-143.
• Bellwood, D.R., T.P. Hughes, C. Folke, and M.
  Nyström. 2004. Confronting the Coral Reef
  Crisis. Nature. 429 827-833.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
  (2007, January 23). Hazards to Coral Reefs.
  http//www.coris.noaa.gov/about/hazards/
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
  (2007, January 23). NOAAs Efforts to Reduce the
  Impacts of Climate Change on Coral Reefs.
  http//www.coris.noaa.gov/activities/climate.html
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
  (2007, January 23). NOAAs Efforts to Reduce the
  Impacts of Climate Change on Coral Reefs.
  http//www.coris.noaa.gov/activities/actionstrateg
  y/
• Deutsch, Claudia H. 2007. For Fiji Water, a Big
  List of Green Goals. New York Times. 157, 54121
  C3.