R ESEARCH COVERAGE

The climate change research focused on the Roviana/Vonavona region of the Western Solomon with an approximate 17,000 residents (Solomon Islands Government 2009).

The research was conducted with representations from 8 communities (Baraulu, Bulelavata, Nusa Hope, Patmos, Ludumaho & Bibolo, Kindu, Dunde and Buni) across the Roviana/Vonavona lagoon. Participants in the research were selected by each community leaders of each community based on their daily experiences and leadership roles in the communities. Participation is inclusive of men, women and young people from communities within the Roviana Vonavona lagoon.

A participatory research process was conducted at Baraulu, (Kalikile resource management region), Dunde ( Buki resources management region), Buni (Kiko resource management region), Figure 125.

Figure 125 Roviana lagoon participation areas. Highlighted were the Kiko Resource management area, Buki

Chapter 7 Horticulture & agroforestry vulnerability assessment

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Rural Participatory Approach (PRA) tools were used by the team to collect information and stories from farmers, community leaders, men, women and youths from the villages visited.

Figure 126 Dunde Community participants during a seasonal planting calender exercise (right); Sirikolo and Brian Beti surveying coastal forests (left)

Tools to gather information includes, resource mapping exercises, source of food diagrams, crop diversity matrix and seasonal calendar, priority climate change risk matrix, focus group interviews and general observation. The process involved is participatory in nature whereby women and men discuss, agreed and detail information in mapping or matrix formats.

Gardens were also visited after consultation with community representatives and garden observations done. Observation process includes detail verification of crop variety and abundance, soil status, pest and diseases assessments in gardens etc.

Coastal terrestrial forest assessment method is through observation and site visits. The team draw transects to observe the composition of forestry, flora checklists and recording of coastal terrestrial, food species and possible impacts of climate change. The process includes a day of consultation with participants and a day of field observation in different areas of coastal terrestrial forest. Simple equipment as telescope, GPS, camera and note books were important instruments

The team spent two days in Roviana Lagoon, another two days in Munda and a day in Buni village. It is significant to note that the team was only able to visit ‘evening’ gardens which are nearby and not the gardens that are further inland due to the time constraints.

B ^ACKGROUND

Climate change poses a broad and complex array of consequences for agro forestry ² in the Pacific region.

Having serious implications for all nations with many developing nations like the Pacific Island Countries

2 Agro forestry definition in this report is adapted from Pacific Food Security tool kit (2010) as an extensive low

input non – permanent agro forestry (shifting cultivation) intercropping deliberately combining selected crops and agriculture crop (predominately root crops) for short term productivity.

Chapter 7

Building social and ecological resilience to climate change in Roviana, Solomon Islands

Territories (PICTs) are especially vulnerable because they are highly dependent on natural ecosystems for their livelihoods and as sources of food, income generation, water and shelter, (Pacific food security toolkit, 2010). Climate-induced changes in rainfall, temperature, soil and air moisture regimes will impact agricultural yields and the type of crops that can be grown in PICTs, (FAO 2010a).

At the global level, the International Panel Climate Change has predicted that in the future no country will be immune from the effects of climate change, further reinforcing the daily experiences of rural Solomon Islanders (IPCC 2007b). Climate variability, as well as extreme weather events, such as prolonged drought, heavy rains and heat waves, and the increased frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones, (Lal et al.

2009a) are some of the predicted happenings in the future and to some serious extent, sea level rise, eroding low laying atolls and fresh water Inundation (SPREP 2010) are threats currently and will be experienced by rural people of Solomon Islands.

The Solomon Islands government through the Ministry of Agriculture (MAL) and the National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA) prioritized food security and agriculture as national issues (MECDM 2008, Wickham et al. 2009). With more than 80% of Solomon Islanders relying on subsistence agro forestry and natural food sources for food and income generation; climate change is becoming a major issue nationally.

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Solomon Islands forms an archipelago of approximately 990 islands with a total land area of 28,000 square km located in the Southwest Pacific about 1,900 km north east of Australia (Ministry of Environment Conservation and Meteorology 2008). Solomon Islands is demarcated into nine provincial governments and were represented by the large main Islands of Choiseul, Isabel, Malaita, Central Islands, Guadalcanal, Makira, Temotu and the group of Islands which consist the Western Province.

These mountainous islands are mainly of volcanic origin and are covered with dense rainforest. Extensive lagoon systems sheltering fish, shells, corals, and other marine life and terrestrial flora and fauna surround many of the islands, particularly in the Western Solomon (Aswani S 2004). Aswani (2006) describes the Roviana Vonavona lagoon consist of many offshore raised coral islands with accretion of limestone, volcanic detritus and organic debris. The Roviana and Vonavona lagoon though separated geographically has similar topography.

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Nationally climatic conditions of the country are high humidity with yearly average temperatures of 27 ^oC (80 ^oF) with significant extreme temperatures increases experienced more frequently (MECDM 2008); an average annual rainfall of 205 cm /120 inches (Ministry of Environment Conservation and Meteorology 2008).

In the Western Solomon region, average annual rainfall in the area ranges from 3,500 millimeters (mm) in low areas to more than 6,000 mm on the mountain peaks with most areas receiving 4,000 mm (Wall and Hansell 1974). In the South East of New Georgia (Gatokae, Vangunu and southeast part of New Georgia) rainfall is highest during the southeast trade wind (Gevasa) season, between May and October.

In recent years, weather patterns varied from experience expressed by rural community people. Climate projection for the Solomon Islands are in Table 41.

Chapter 7 Horticulture & agroforestry vulnerability assessment

Table 41 Climate change projections for Solomon Islands

• Increase in air temp 0.5-1.5 degrees by 2030

• Increase in sea surface temperature of 1 degree by 2050

• Ocean acidification below threshold for healthy coral by 2060

• Sea level rise since 1996 has increased 8mm per year. There are global predictions of 0.5-1.4m by 2100

• Rainfall – small increase with more intense floods

• Fewer cyclones, but stronger ones

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Solomon Island population count in 2009 was 540,000 with 80.3% rural population an average annual growth rate of 2.3%, and an average 5.5 people per household (Solomon Islands Government 2009).

Generally speaking, the population of the Solomon Island is predominantly Melanesians (95%) with Polynesians, Micronesians and others were minorities. The population structure is predominately youths with 41% of the total population under 15 years of age. The current people to land occupation ratio is 17/km², (Solomon Islands Government 2009).

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The majority of the Roviana/Vonavona people are currently living a subsistence lifestyle. The 2009 people's survey and census report is 17,043 people with about 15% of the total living around the urban centres of Munda and Noro. Most of the people lived on customary land and are resource owners. With the increase of population, there is pressure on harvesting and exploitation of terrestrial and inshore resources.