by Ednal Palmer
In Apia, Samoa
The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) has brought together selected media professionals from across the Pacific for a groundbreaking training focused on Loss and Damage caused by climate change.
Held in Apia, Samoa, the three-day workshop marks the first-ever tailored training on this critical issue, aiming to strengthen the role of the media in informing vulnerable communities throughout the Pacific.
SPREP Director General Sefanaia Nawadra, in his opening address, highlighted the importance of journalists in delivering accurate and timely information on climate change.
“We recognised that we are the most vulnerable, even though we contribute the least to the issue of climate change,” Nawadra said.
Loss and Damage refer to climate change impacts that go beyond the capacity of communities to adapt—such as rising sea levels, extreme weather events like cyclones, and chronic flooding. It represents one of the most pressing and complex aspects of the climate crisis in the region.
SPREP’s Climate Adaptation Adviser, Filomena Nelson, acknowledged the media’s essential democratic role as the “fourth estate” and its power to support a more resilient Pacific.
“Our Pacific leaders have continuously identified climate change as the single greatest threat to the Pacific,” Nelson said.
“We aim to help journalists access information and understand its implications for decision making.”
The training also seeks to build a Pacific Media Network dedicated to sustained coverage and collaboration on Loss and Damage and broader climate change issues. This initiative is intended to enhance public understanding, support advocacy, and amplify Pacific voices locally and on the global stage.
Scientific evidence indicates that Loss and Damage is already occurring and will continue to intensify, with compounding effects across communities, economies, and ecosystems throughout the Pacific.
In-depth Solomons is representing the Solomon Islands in the workshop, joining media professionals from the Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Tokelau, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.