BY EDNAL PALMER, IN-DEPTH SOLOMONS
Delegates and leaders from across the Pacific have been told that data and information are the backbone of good decision-making on climate-induced Loss and Damage (L&D). Without them, policymakers are essentially flying blind.
Speaking during a presentation on the importance of data and information for improving L&D decision-making, Linda Siegele, Technical Advisor at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), said reliable data is critical for informing policies and strategies to address L&D.
Discussions during the dialogue revealed significant gaps at the national level — from inadequate data documentation to financial and technical capacity constraints.
Participants acknowledged that many small island governments lack sustained resources to collect, catalogue, and share standardized L&D data.
Delegates heard that data and information on climate-induced L&D in the Pacific exist across multiple regional platforms, national reports, academic studies, and UN mechanisms. However, these datasets are often fragmented, inconsistent in coverage, and lack standardized methods — especially for measuring non-economic losses and community-level impacts.
Siegele said data sharing and coordination are key to bridging these gaps, noting that fragmented systems undermine effective response efforts.
The absence of quality data, particularly in vulnerable regions, she added, hampers the ability to assess and address loss and damage.
Robust datasets are also vital for supporting funding proposals and applications.
Lionel Dau, an NGO representative from the Solomon Islands, agreed that reliable evidence is not only essential for policy formulation but also for designing appropriate, methodical interventions at the community level.
Some of the major gaps identified include, lack of standardised methods for valuing losses, especially non-economic ones, sparse community-level and time-series data, making it difficult to track trends over time and capacity constraints in small island governments, leading to ad hoc and unsustained data collection efforts.
The Pacific Regional Loss and Damage Dialogue 2025 is held from 11-12 August at Taumeasina Island Resort. It follows the inaugural Pacific Youth Dialogue on Loss and Damage, held from 7- 8 August, at the same venue in Samoa.
The Pacific Regional Loss and Damage Dialogue 2025 and the inaugural Pacific Youth Dialogue on Loss and Damage are made possible with funding support from the Loss and Damage Capability and Capacity (LDCC) Project with the Government of New Zealand.
Hosted by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the dialogues bring together Pacific governments, youths, civil society, academia, NGOs, and the private sector to collectively advance the region’s priorities on Loss and damage.
This story was produced by the Pacific Media Team covering the meetings. Their attendance is made possible with funding support from the Loss and Damage Capability and Capacity (LDCC) Project with the Government of New Zealand. For more information, please contact SPREP Climate Change Adaptation Adviser, Ms Filomena Nelson filomenan@sprep.org , SPREP Climate Change Loss and Damage Officer, Ms Jessica Rodham jessicar@sprep.org or Media and Public Relations Officer, Mr Keni Lesa sosikenil@sprep.org
Source: Media Release – SPREP
