---

FSM States Participants in Climate Workshop

PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Information Service): February 16, 1998 - President Jacob Nena, on February 5, requested the four FSM State Governors to nominate two candidates from each state to attend a workshop on the consequences of the climate variability, and change for the Hawaii-Pacific region.

The Workshop on Consequences of Climate Change for the Hawaii-Pacific Region: Challenges and Opportunities is scheduled to take place from March 3 to 6, at the East-West Center's Hawaii Imin International Conference Center facilities located on the campus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

The purpose is to examine the vulnerabilities of various regions of the United States to climate variabilities and climate change and to provide information to support development of a national assessment of the consequences of climate and global change.

Critical issues to be examined include: the nature and consequences of climate variability and change in the context of multiple environmental stresses facing ecosystems and communities in the region; enhance disaster preparedness associated with weather and climate-related natural hazards such as tropical storms, prolonged droughts, and flods; water resource management; economic development and community planning, including coastal resource management and planning; critical habitat and resource management issues, including fisheries; and the special challenges faced by island communities (including indigenous peoples) in adopting to and/or mitigating the impacts of the climate variability and change.

Workshop organizers are participating 100 to 120 participants from industry, scientific community, public interest groups, and government officials from the state of Hawaii, the American Flag Pacific Islands and Freely Associated States as well as associated agencies and organizations.

The Conference wil pay for air fare and six days per diem for two participants from each state, the letter stated, and participants could either be government employee, private sector or interested groups representatives.

The National Government is sending two representatives to the workshop, according to President Nena's February 9 memorandum to Dr. Catalino Cantero in which he instructed Cantero to arrange for Education Office staff Jimmy Hicks to join other two national government representatives. Hicks role is to seek financial resources that could be available through grant proposals and to write pertinent proposals.

The Workshop will be held at the East-West Center's International Conference Center under the auspices of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP).

Details of the workshop are available at the offices of the State Governors or at the President's Climate Change Office in the National Government.