Association Affairs: Pacific Science Association

Report on the 12th Pacific Science Congress

The 12th Pacific Science Inter-Congress (PSIC-12) was held from 8–12 July 2013 at the Laucala campus of the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji. The PSIC-12 was a highly successful meeting with excellent science, and was the third most well-attended Inter-Congress in PSA’s history, attracting 632 registered participants from 51 countries; 251 participants (45.1% of total attendees) were from countries other than Fiji. We again congratulate our hosts at the University of the South Pacific for carrying out this very successful meeting, and thank them for their hard work, generosity, and hospitality.

The theme of the 12th Pacific Science Inter-Congress was: “Science for Human Security & Sustainable Development in the Pacific Islands and Rim”. The PSIC-12 included physical, biological, and social sciences and encompassed terrestrial, marine, atmospheric, and social/cultural subjects and approaches in the Pacific Islands and Rim region. Inter-Congress sessions were organized on the PSIC-12’s sub-themes:

• • Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services & Resilient Societies

• • Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for Sustainable Development• Food, Water, Energy & Health

• • Society, Culture & Gender

• • Gov er nance, Economic Development & Public Policy

• • Climate Change & Impacts

• • Oceans

Official Statement of the 12th Pacific Science Congress

The following text is the official statement arising from the 12th Pacific Science Inter-Congress held in Suva, Fiji in July 2013.

The Organizers of the 12th Pacific Science Inter-Congress

Recalling the theme of the Inter-Congress, “Science for Human Security and Sustainable Development in the Pacific Islands and Rim”, and recognizing the critical role of science, technology, and innovation in developing solutions to the challenges of global change and for the development of the nations in and around the Pacific Ocean,

Recognizing that the countries and territories of the Pacific Rim and Basin are expected to be major contributors to scientific research and sustainable solutions in coming decades,

Acknowledging that science is inherently global, and that international collaboration and cooperation are essential to successful outcomes that meet both planetary health and human needs,

Call upon the scientific community, governments, the business community, nongovernmental organizations and local communities in the region and elsewhere to

• • Acknowledge that the Earth is in the midst of change unprecedented in human history, the effects of which are already highly prominent in the countries and territories of the Pacific Rim and Basin and are projected to increase greatly. The planet’s natural systems, biota and human inhabitants have reached a point of such major transition that it may be said that we have entered a new geological Epoch, the Anthropocene. Because the transformations affecting the planet and human societies are interconnected and interactive, they are collectively referred to as global change. The term global change thus includes climate change, ocean acidification, biodiversity loss, invasive alien species, demographic change, social and cultural change, resource scarcity, changes in agricultural needs and patterns, economic transformations, and changes in the modalities and scales of governance.

• • Recognize that science, technology, and engineering play critical roles in developing solutions to address global change. The highly complex inter-connectedness as well as the very large scales under which global change operates require more integrative and holistic mindsets and approaches that appreciate how phenomena are linked together as systems, and how they may be interpreted within multiple contexts. Inter-disciplinary, multi-disciplinary, and trans-disciplinary approaches to science and technology are imperative because they offer greater potential to facilitate the outside-the-box thinking and cross-fertilization that generate knowledge and innovation.

• • Place greater emphasis on human security, which focuses on the full spectrum of individual and community livelihood and well-being and encompasses food, water, energy, health, cultural vitality, and personal security. We call upon all stakeholders to recognize that human security is equally important as (and linked to) national security concerns.

• • Recognize that climate change is both a moral and a technological challenge. Climate change is primarily caused by human activities, and driven mainly by greenhouse gas emissions from the world’s large economies, but with a significant contribution from agriculture- and timber-related...