The Pacific Innovation Forum for Climate and Environment (PIFCE) 1st - 3rd July, 2026

Zoom Links

Please use these links to join each room. Each link is valid for each full day of the event.

Farea Pacifik 1

Zoom Link

Ballroom 1

Zoom Link

Ballroom 2

Zoom Link

08:30 - 10:25

Opening

10:25 - 10:45

Morning tea

Outside space of the Farea Pacifik 1

10:45 - 11:45

Pacific Leadership in Global Climate Decision-Making

Speakers:

Hon. Maina Talia, Minister for Home Affairs, Climate Change and Environment, Tuvalu
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS)
Eliu Luen, Chair,
Vanuatu Business Resilience Council (VBRC)
Youth climate leader, Next Generation Programme (Save the Children)

Innovation Pitch Competition

Session title

Summary text

Speakers:

11:45 - 12:45

Plenary Panel Discussion: Innovating with Nature: Nature based Solutions for a Thriving Blue Pacific

Innovation Pitch Competition

Burnett Institute

12:45 - 13:40

LUNCH

13:40 - 14:40

Plenary Panel Discussion: From Commitment to Action: Delivering Loss and Damage Support for the Pacific

Innovation Pitch Competition

Innovative Capacity Building for Resilient and Low Carbon, Pacific Communities Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC)

14:40 - 15:00

COFFEE BREAK

15:00 - 16:00

Innovation in Academia: The Role of Pacific National Universities in Building Climate and Environmental Leaders Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC)

Speakers:

Tingneyuc Sekac Papua New Guinea University of Technology (Unitech)
Manu Rawali University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG)
Asonei Leauga National University of Samoa (NUS)
Ponepate Taunisila Tonga National University (TNU)
Steve Tahunipue Solomon Islands National University (SINU)

Customary Custodial Management of Blue Carbon Ecosystems and Investments Infinity Blue (PNG) Limited

Summary:

The side event will show case the project development process and catalytic funding to build towards an investment-ready proposal for the blue carbon markets, the community engagement and consultation process and consent, national and provincial stakeholders and partners in project development, community management plan, and agreed governance and benefit sharing and distribution mechanism.

Speakers:

Andrew Buckwell, Griffith University

Toward Pacific Wide Greenhouse Gas Validation and Verification, Earth Sciences New Zealand (ESNZ)

Summary:

This workshop will bring together Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs), regional organisations, and scientific partners to explore options for developing a coordinated, observation‑based greenhouse gas monitoring capability for the Pacific.

The event will provide a forum to jointly assess opportunities, challenges, and priorities for implementing affordable and sustainable emissions monitoring approaches that are fit‑for‑purpose for island and oceanic environments and meet the needs of regional stakeholders.

Speakers:

Dr Francis Mani

16:00 - 17:30

Vanuatu Data Science Driving Innovation in Climate Change and Natural Disasters, Vanuatu Bureau of Statistics

Turning Climate Data into Action: A Hands-On Demonstration of Vanuatu's Integrated Data Science System.

Speakers:

Vanuatu Bureau of Statistics Staff:
Charlington Leo, Deputy Chief Statistician
Javen Wilfred, Statistician
Susie Mento, Senior Statistician

Storian as Method: A Pacific, Community-Led Approach to Loss and Damage. From the nakamal to the national programme — co-learning Loss and Damage with communities in Vanuatu, and adapting the method across the Pacific. Pacific Advisory, on behalf of the Nabanga Loss and Damage

Summary:

This workshop will highlight a locally led Pacific approach to Loss and Damage programming, drawing on recent work by the Nabanga Consortium as part of the Santiago Network’s technical assistance to the Government of Vanuatu. At its centre is the Storian methodology: a live, evolving, community-based approach that enables Pacific communities to engage, reflect, co-create, and shape place-, culture-, and everyday reality-grounded responses to Loss and Damage (L&D). Rather than treating communities as sources of data alone, the method positions them as co-designers of programming and L&D actions, creating genuine spaces for the voices and visions of women, youth, elders, and local leaders.

A second core message is that effective L&D action must genuinely integrate local knowledge with climate prediction science, using effective communication tools. This requires starting from the vision and future risk scenarios, not just relying on the past and current problems. The Vanuatu Storian experience reinforces that communities already hold rich knowledge about changing coastlines, rainfall, livelihoods, culture, and adaptation limits, but this knowledge becomes far more powerful when connected with climate projections and risk analysis at scales ranging from the Pacific to the local. This session will explore how this integration can be achieved to support more credible, inclusive, and future-oriented programming that enables communities to learn, adapt, and act on their own priorities while remaining informed about future risks.

Speakers:

Dr Hemant Ojha, Principal Advisor - IFSD
Ms Touasi Abel Kalsaria, Storian Team Lead
Dr Tess Newton Cain, Principal Consultant - Sustineo

What Does Just Transition Mean for the Pacific? A Co-Creation Workshop Asia Development Bank (ADB)

Summary:

Just transition frameworks developed for fossil-fuel-dependent economies do not reflect Pacific realities. Pacific Small Island States are not negotiating with coal miners or oil workers. They are reducing dependence on imported fuels that consume a large share of GDP, while simultaneously confronting rising seas, intensifying cyclones, and ecosystem loss. This co-creation workshop brings together Pacific government officials, communities, civil society, youth, women, and development partners to define collectively what just transition means in a Pacific context. Three questions anchor the session: how to build energy security by moving away from imported fuels; how to protect livelihoods in tourism, fisheries, and agriculture; and how to treat resilience as a core part of the transition rather than a parallel track. The session is fully participatory with no stage presentations.

Speakers:

Katherine Anne Hughes, Principal Climate Change Specialist, Strategy and Engagement Division, Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department, Asian Development Bank
Jairus Carmela Josol, Climate Change Officer, Strategy and Engagement Division, Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department, Asian Development Bank

17:30 - 17:40

Announcement of the Finalists for the Pitch Competition Vanuatu Bureau of Statistics

Abyss Vanuatu Ocean Institute

About

Abyss Vanuatu Ocean Institute (AVOI) is a science-led, community-driven initiative advancing marine restoration, climate resilience and sustainable blue economy development in Vanuatu. Through its Havannah Harbour pilot, AVOI integrates Reef Ball deployment, artificial reef design, drone-enabled monitoring and workforce training via the Vanuatu Ocean Rangers. The model combines innovation and local stewardship to restore ecosystems, strengthen biodiversity and support climate adaptation. By linking technology, community engagement and practical delivery, AVOI is developing a scalable national framework that helps translate ocean policy into measurable outcomes, creating jobs, building local capability and supporting long-term environmental resilience across island communities.

Abyss Vanuatu Ocean Institute (AVOI) delivers integrated, science-led services focused on marine restoration, climate resilience and sustainable environmental management. Its core services include the design and deployment of Reef Ball artificial reef systems and managed vessel reefs to restore degraded marine habitats, enhance biodiversity and support fisheries recovery. AVOI also provides drone-enabled monitoring and survey services, using autonomous and manned systems to track climate impacts, support conservation planning and improve data-driven decision-making across marine and coastal environments.

A central component is the development of the Vanuatu Ocean Rangers program, which builds local workforce capability in restoration, monitoring, conservation and environmental stewardship. AVOI also supports Marine Protected Area (MPA) design, ecological baseline assessments and long-term monitoring frameworks aligned with national ocean policy objectives.

Through community engagement, eco-tourism integration and applied innovation, AVOI connects environmental protection with economic opportunity. Its Havannah Harbour pilot serves as a scalable model to deliver practical climate adaptation, strengthen ecosystem resilience and enable coordinated, whole-of-government environmental outcomes across Vanuatu.

The Innovation

One of AVOI’s key innovations is the integration of the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger program with locally delivered marine restoration systems, including Reef Ball fabrication and deployment. This model combines workforce development, community engagement and practical restoration into a single, scalable framework designed for island environments.

Through structured Vanuatu Ocean Ranger Camps, over a 3 day period AVOI identifies and trains local Ni-Vanuatu participants in marine conservation, Scientific diving, restoration techniques, monitoring and stewardship. One aspect of the Rangers responsibilities is to support the fabrication and deployment of Reef Ball artificial reef systems using locally sourced materials and regional supply chains, significantly reducing costs and increasing local ownership. The approach enables degraded reef systems to be restored while simultaneously building in-country capability and employment pathways, guided by our National AVOI Play Book at its core.

This innovation directly addresses climate change by strengthening reef resilience, supporting fisheries recovery and enhancing coastal protection against storm surge and extreme weather events. It also improves ecosystem health, which is critical for food security and long-term adaptation in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs).

What makes this model particularly relevant for PICTs is its practicality and scalability. It does not rely on high-cost external inputs but instead builds local capacity, integrates customary stewardship and aligns with government policy frameworks. The system can be replicated across islands using a consistent training, deployment and governance approach.

Supported by drone-enabled monitoring and AI self learning data collection, AVOI’s model provides a cost-effective, community-led solution that connects restoration, climate resilience and sustainable economic opportunity in a way that is both locally grounded and nationally scalable.

How is this solution innovative?

AVOI’s solution is innovative because it integrates community workforce development, marine restoration and applied technology into a single, scalable delivery model tailored for island environments. Rather than treating conservation, employment and climate adaptation as separate challenges, AVOI combines them through the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger program and locally delivered Reef Ball restoration systems. This creates a practical pathway where communities are directly trained and employed to restore and monitor their own marine ecosystems. The model also incorporates drone-enabled monitoring and emerging AI-supported survey systems to improve data collection, ecological tracking and rapid response capability, including in remote and disaster-affected areas. This blend of low-cost, locally sourced restoration methods with advanced monitoring technology allows for both accessibility and scientific rigour. What makes the approach particularly innovative is its focus on scalability and replication. By developing a standardised training, deployment and governance framework, AVOI provides a repeatable model based on a National AVOI Play book that can be adapted across Pacific Island Countries, helping translate policy into measurable, community-led climate and environmental outcomes.

How can the innovation be replicated and scaled up in other PICTs

AVOI’s model is designed for replication across Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) through a structured, partnership-driven and capacity-focused approach. Following an initial two-year proof-of-concept in Vanuatu, AVOI will develop a refined National PICT Playbook outlining standard operating procedures (SOPs) and safe work method statements (SWMS), delivered in both English and Bislama, with visual and pictorial elements to ensure accessibility across diverse communities.

Scaling will be enabled through institutional partnerships with government agencies, regional bodies, scientific partners such as UTS, and local stakeholders, supported by blended financing models including public-private partnerships, eco-tourism revenue streams and conservation funding.

A key component is the development of a simplified, citizen science-based survey framework focused on key indicator species. This approach lowers technical barriers, enabling participation from communities with varying levels of formal education while strengthening data collection and stewardship.

By combining local workforce training, accessible science, and standardised systems, AVOI creates a practical, low-cost model that can be adapted regionally, empowering communities while supporting climate resilience, biodiversity restoration and sustainable economic development across PICTs.

Is your solution cost‑effective and affordable in the context of Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs)?

AVOI’s solution is designed to be highly cost-effective and affordable for communities, local governments and small operators across PICTs. A core principle of the model is the use of locally available materials, including aggregates from regional quarries and, where appropriate, surplus or repurposed government materials. This significantly reduces construction and deployment costs for Reef Ball systems and associated infrastructure.

From an end-user perspective, the model lowers financial barriers by building local capability through the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger Camp Initiative and subsequent program, reducing reliance on external expertise and enabling communities to deliver and maintain restoration activities themselves. The integration of eco-tourism also creates revenue-generating opportunities that can help offset ongoing costs.

Affordability is further strengthened through the development of a streamlined cross-departmental approval pathway within the AVOI Playbook. By providing clear guidance on site selection, environmental considerations and standardised processes, local governments can reduce delays, duplication and administrative costs, enabling more efficient project delivery at scale.

Together, these elements create a low-cost, accessible and sustainable model that is practical for widespread adoption across PICTs.

Where is this being piloted?

AVOI’s solution is being piloted in Vanuatu, with Havannah Harbour (North-West Efate) identified as the primary proof-of-concept site, supported by a permanent operational and training hub at Lot 149, Lapita Estate. While over 1,000,000 Reef Balls have been deployed globally across more than 80 countries, this will be the first integrated deployment of this system in Vanuatu. The pilot combines initial baseline surveys across 12 regions using Reef Life Survey (RLS Methodology) prior to any deployments. Once 6 of the sites are selected for deployment we will deploy 50m x 10m of Reef Ball habitat restoration—designed as a 500+ year solution—, allowing us to. Continue to conduct 6 monthly replicated surveys in exactly the same 50m transects to demonstrate recruitment changes providing proof of concept. Together with the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger program, which trains and employs local Ni-Vanuatu to deliver restoration, monitoring and stewardship, supported by drone-enabled surveying, community engagement and eco-tourism integration. The approach is intentionally holistic, linking marine restoration, climate resilience, workforce development, local supply chains and government coordination into a single, place-based model. The Havannah Harbour pilot will be used to refine systems, demonstrate measurable outcomes and establish a scalable framework for national and regional replication across PICTs, through the development of our AVOI National Playbook, helping guide replication across all our satellite sites. Initial training will be conducted through AVOI Headquarters in Havannah Harbour, with Ranger selection conducted through a multi-day conservation camp where participant will all leave with new knowledge and appreciation for the terrestrial and marine environment, and Ocean Rangers selected for employment within the AVOI team at the conclusion of the camps.