Final Report: Climate Change, Variability, and Drought in the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands – Working with Managers to Mitigate the Impacts of Drought and Wildfire
Dates
Publication Date
2024-08-28
Citation
Frazier, A., Trauernicht, C., Giardina. C., Cordell, S. 2024. Final Report: Climate Change, Variability, and Drought in the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands – Working with Managers to Mitigate the Impacts of Drought and Wildfire: U.S. Geological Survey.
Summary
In the U.S-Affiliated Pacific Islands, land and resource managers are addressing co-occurring threats to their landscapes including invasive species, wildfire, drought, and a changing climate. In particular, drought events in the Pacific Islands can be extremely impactful, causing drinking water shortages with millions of dollars spent on relief efforts, and extensive crop damage. Drought also increases in the size, severity and extent of wildfires that burn incredibly large percentages of island land areas. As ecosystems become altered by invasive species and as particularly hotter, more variable climates emerge, it is critical that scientists produce locally relevant, timely, and actionable science products to help managers prepare [...]
Summary
In the U.S-Affiliated Pacific Islands, land and resource managers are addressing co-occurring threats to their landscapes including invasive species, wildfire, drought, and a changing climate. In particular, drought events in the Pacific Islands can be extremely impactful, causing drinking water shortages with millions of dollars spent on relief efforts, and extensive crop damage. Drought also increases in the size, severity and extent of wildfires that burn incredibly large percentages of island land areas. As ecosystems become altered by invasive species and as particularly hotter, more variable climates emerge, it is critical that scientists produce locally relevant, timely, and actionable science products to help managers prepare for and cope with the impacts of drought. Simultaneously, it is important that managers are able to both access this information, and shape the types of data products required for effective management.
Focusing on Guam, Palau, and Yap, this project had four specific objectives: (1) characterize past drought events using available data, (2) analyze the drivers of wildfire to help with fire prediction and management, (3) survey managers to better understand fire management challenges, and (4) work with managers to collaboratively develop products to aid in decision-making, planning, and outreach. A scientific article was published providing the first regional analysis of wildfire drivers in the Pacific Islands, which found that 2%–10% island land areas burn each year.
Additional results include new analyses of drought and climate trends, a survey to understand public perceptions of wildfire in Guam, new educational factsheets on wildfire and climate change, and numerous other drought and wildfire planning workshops and outreach. Through this project, the research team strengthened their relationships and established new collaborations across the Pacific. By using a co-production approach, the research and outreach products can be seamlessly incorporated into fire management and mitigation efforts.