On 31 March 2025, the Pacific Community (SPC) hosted the first Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting for the Danish-funded Loss and Damage Project at its headquarters in Nouméa, New Caledonia, bringing together regional experts to guide project implementation and support climate resilience across Pacific Island countries. The three-day event focused on reviewing project submissions, sharing knowledge, and strengthening collaboration. Highlights included a student-led case study on biodiversity loss in Tuvalu, a site visit to the IRD Herbarium, discussions on SPC’s energy audit, and the use of satellite data through Digital Earth Pacific. Participants engaged in breakout sessions to assess proposals and align them with regional needs. The meeting concluded with a unified effort to advance the most impactful projects, reinforcing the Pacific’s leadership in addressing loss and damage through inclusive, community-driven solutions.
The primary objective of the TWG is to provide expert guidance on the implementation of the project, review ongoing activities, and support decision-making processes. This diverse group of participants contributes knowledge from their respective sectors to ensure the project is impactful, inclusive, and regionally driven.
Day one focused on establishing a shared understanding of the Technical Working Group's role and responsibilities. Participants reviewed the criteria for project selection and received an overview of the submissions received under the call for projects. The day also featured a powerful case study presentation by ARP students, who explored the question: “How does loss and damage to biodiversity impact communities in Tuvalu?” This student-led presentation highlighted the real-world impacts of environmental degradation and served as a meaningful starting point for broader discussions.
On the second day, participants engaged in a hands-on learning experience through a site visit to the Institute of Research and Development herbarium (IRD), the largest herbarium in the Pacific. The facility holds over 82% endemic species, offering a unique insight into the region’s biodiversity and the threat climate change poses to it. Dr David Bruy, curator of the herbarium, guided the group through a presentation on endemic plants and their vulnerability to environmental stressors. The visit helped contextualise the biological consequences of climate change and sparked valuable discussions among the participants.
The group also toured the SPC archives with Library Assistant Mark Perkins, gaining insight into the organisation's historical records and regional contributions. A key presentation followed, led by Julie Danois, Climate and Environmental Risk Mitigation Officer, who presented the findings of SPC’s internal energy audit along with key recommendations that reinforced SPC’s ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability.
Later in the day, participants were divided into breakout groups based on submission types,case studies, household surveys, and technical assistance, to conduct a brainstorming session on the most relevant and promising project proposals. This collaborative approach allowed participants to review the project submissions through thematic lenses and align their assessments with regional needs.
The final day included a presentation by Andiswa Mlisa on Digital Earth Pacific, which focused on the use of Very High Resolution (VHR) data for Tonga, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and Kiribati. The discussion helped underline the importance of satellite data and digital mapping tools in understanding and addressing climate vulnerability across the region.
Johanna Gusman, Senior Attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), who participated in the TWG, shared her reflections:
“It was an honour to be a part of this TWG. Once again, the Pacific is leading on innovative and exemplary ways to address loss and damage, not just out of necessity, but from a genuine place of collectively caring about people, culture and environment. The world has much to learn from the case studies proposed and I hope they can all be funded in full as the countries and partners working on this critical issue find answers to the complex challenges it presents.”
The meeting concluded with the TWG coming together to consolidate feedback and ideas, with a focus on identifying the strongest project proposals to advance through the next stages of implementation.
The first TWG meeting demonstrated the power of collaboration, shared learning, and Pacific leadership in climate resilience. As the project moves forward, the guidance provided by this diverse group will be instrumental in supporting effective, community-driven responses to loss and damage across the region.
