Responding to climate variability and change: opportunities for integrated coastal management in the Pacific Rim

In September 1994, a Workshop on Climate Change Implications and Adaptation Strategies for the Indo-Pacific Island Nations was held in Honolulu, Hawaii. The workshop was convened under the auspices of the US Country Studies Program and was designed to provide a forum for representatives of several Pacific Rim nations to discuss the implications of climate change for economic development and resource management in their jurisdictions. As a background to the workshopʹs deliberations, this article provides a survey of scientific understanding related to climate variability and change. In addition, the article identifies specific opportunities to use emerging information on climate variability and climate change to support environmentally sustainable economic development in the Pacific region. The article is based on the Opening Keynote Address presented to the workshop by Eileen Shea.