Topic A: Tackling Climate Change Threats of Regional Water and Food Security
Throughout the world, we have witnessed climate change causing great impacts on the future of several economies and countries. The Pacific Island countries are highly dependent on fishery and agriculture as a main food source, causing them to be extremely vulnerable to climate change. The inhabitants of these islands have already suffered the consequences of extreme weather such as hurricanes and droughts especially on the atoll which is a ring-shaped coral reef, island, or series of islets, protecting the central island. These disasters are expected to increase in the future decade due to factors such as rising sea levels and increasing temperatures (alters the optimum environment of aquatic life). Moreover, due to ocean acidification, an effect of global warming, coral reefs will begin to degrade due to a lack of minerals available for them, thereby causing the deterioration of these atolls. The effects of ocean acidification is not limited to atolls, but also affects the fishery market which acts as a main source of income for the economy. Additionally, the agricultural sector has been stirred. Due to the increase in rainfall, the occurrence of water logging of soil has increased, preventing the growth of various water sensitive plants which are crucial for (eating and selling). Unfortunately, the region is not equipped or prepared to cope with these effects due to the lack of knowledge, reliable data and adaptation strategies. Such efforts are necessary, hence the need for delegates to discuss and acknowledge the urgency in finding adequate and low-cost solutions to ease such threats.
Topic B: Creating a Cost Reduction Strategy for Power Generation in the Region
Power generation is the process of generating electric power from a source of primary energy to power industries or even lights in households. Power generation can either be renewable or non-renewable, and both operate in the region. However, non-renewable energy sources dominate due to multiple factors including the lack of financial assets to install such technologies in the region, the lack of a reliable grid system on which to expand (small sized islands make it difficult to build, operate and maintain renewable energy systems), expensive inter-island transportation for repairs and materials, uncertainty with environmental factors (storms, floods, etc.), and a lack of human resources and trained personnel to manage such systems. Unfortunately, the region does not have a natural abundance of fossil fuels either, therefore is solely dependent on oil imports, which negatively impacts both the economy and environment. An increase in imports lags economic growth, considering the components of GDP, though more importantly, damages tourist attractions (nature sites), an adequate source of income for the region. Thus, delegates can easily recognize the urgency of the matter, where they will need to set up a sufficient cost reduction strategy that considers alternative methods of power generation to detach countries’ from oil import dependence, while considering the short-run and long-run effects of each implementation.