The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of Korea, in collaboration with the Pacific Community (SPC), the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), has entered into a four-year agreement to enhance earth observation data-driven decision-making capabilities to support coastal and marine spatial planning (CMSP).
This initiative, valued at USD 3.04 million, funded through the Republic of Korea (ROK) – Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Cooperation Fund, is allocated to SPC, KIOST, and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) for the implementation of the Development of Decision Ready Tools to Support Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (II) project.
It builds on an earlier phase of the project (CMSP I), which focused on provisioning decision support tools to inform marine spatial planning in Tuvalu.
From shifting coastlines to monitoring coastal ecosystems, this collaboration invests in solutions that assist islands in navigating climate uncertainty. The project will leverage earth observation data and advanced analytics, powered by artificial intelligence technologies, to empower Tuvalu, Tonga, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands to make informed and resilient decisions regarding their ocean and marine resources.
Building upon the previous success of Phase 1, which focused on Tuvalu, the second phase will refine algorithms for detecting coastline changes and coastal land-use classification, derive wave properties, generate high-resolution marine ecosystem and habitat maps, identify human impacts, and provide user-friendly decision support tools for the other project countries. The project will also provide custom-designed training and capacity building to enable relevant agencies to integrate the tools into their national planning processes.
SPC’s Earth and Oceans Observations services will implement the project by utilising Digital Earth Pacific (DE Pacific), a regional, public-good earth observation platform that provides decision-makers in Pacific Island countries and territories with satellite data and analysis tools to monitor environmental changes across decades.
Ms. Rhonda Robinson, Director of SPC's Geoscience, Energy and Maritime (GEM) Division, stated that “the project will support national agencies to interpret and apply the data and related information to coastal and marine spatial planning, facilitating knowledge sharing among Pacific Island countries and strengthening regional cooperation on ocean governance.”
“SPC provides vital applied ocean, island, and coastal geoscience services to assist island members in better governing and developing their natural resources, increasing their resilience to natural hazards, and accessing data-based approaches to adaptation.”
The Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) is a world-class oceanography research organisation based in Busan, Korea, with a branch in the Federated States of Micronesia. KIOST strives to develop cutting-edge scientific technology and acquire new knowledge to discover advanced life, minerals, and energy resources in the ocean and establish future-oriented port city infrastructure, including port and coastal landscapes.
Dr. Chan-Su Yang, Principal Researcher of KIOST and the project’s Principal Investigator, stated that “the project will aid in understanding the historical and current circumstances in the coastal areas of Pacific Island countries through the application of satellite remote sensing, with focus areas including coastline, land-use change, wave properties, etc. Following the direction of Phase 1, priority will be given to refining the developed algorithm and delivering near-real-time information so that the Pacific Island countries can utilise it to their specific need.”
By combining the collective technical expertise of both KIOST and SPC, with SPC’s regional knowledge and PIFS’s coordination role, the partnership strives to guarantee that the data and information are transformed into actionable guidance for policymakers, communities, and industry stakeholders in informing marine spatial planning.
The signing of this agreement underscores a shared vision: fit-for-purpose data-driven tools that assist Pacific nations in steering the Blue Pacific toward a secure and sustainable future.
