[sopac-ism-edf-announce] SOPAC EDF8&9 Project Updates

Mon, 24 May 2004 14:26:04 +1200

Bula vinaka

These first five months of the year have been quite eventful with the
signing of the EDF9 Consolidation Agreement, ongoing project activities in
the EDF 8 countries plus the first activity under EDF9.  The countries that
now join the initial 8 countries are Cook Islands, Federated States of
Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Niue, Nauru and Palau.

These e-newsletters you've been receiving are now also available online from
the SOPAC website at http://www.sopac.org/tiki/tiki-view_articles.php.  You
will also find the older EDF8 Updates at the same site.

Kind regards

Litea

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REGIONAL
* Interviews for the EDF8 Oceanographer and  the four  EDF9 Advisor
positions have been completed.  Appointments once finalised shall be
announced.
* Regional and country activities have been posted on the MapServer,
<http://map.sopac.org/tiki/tiki-calendar.php>.  For those wanting additional
information please contact the Project staff concerned.
* The EDF9 Consolidation Agreement between Forum Secretariat and SOPAC
became active from the end of March and the Pre-financing (Advance) Payment
was subsequently received in mid-May.

FIJI
* An introductory GPS/GIS course was held March 15 - 19 for the National
Disaster Management Office and their counterparts from Security Division and
the Fiji Red Cross. This was a first for the participants, generating a lot
of discussion on “where do we go from here”.
* Discussions on the Landslide Assessment Project for the Navua catchment
are ongoing with Forestry and other stakeholders.  The objective of the
project is to  develop a methodology whereby stakeholders can identify
actual landslides and potential threats based on easily accessible and
existing data sources within a GIS&RS environment.  A training session was
held for stakeholders, May 17 - 21, to identify and map landslides on stereo
aerial photographs and in situ. Later the mapped landslides will be
transferred into a GIS and based on the landslide inventory a GIS based
model (statistical or deterministic) will be developed for the study areas.
Sandra Melzner, a Masters student at the University of Bonn will be in the
country for 3 months to assist in the development of the model.
* Reg Sanday, Resource Economist, has been assisting the Fiji NGO, Partners
in Community Development, in developing a model for community vulnerability
analysis. PCDF is applying the model in villages in the Lau Group of Islands
under an AusAID regional project implemented by the Foundation of Peoples of
the South Pacific - International
* Wolf Forstreuter, GIS&RS Specialist and Elizabeth Lomani, GIS/RS/ICT
Project Intern have been assisting Fiji Electricity Authority in GIS
databasing and customisation
* The first training on image enhancement for vegetation analysis was held
in Suva, April 27 - 27, included were Fiji Pine Limited, Fiji Hardwood
Corporation and Department of Forestry who had registered an interest in
vegetation mapping.  Fiji Hardwood Corporation and Forestry are applying the
techniques in stratifying vegetating cover to identify broadleaf within
coniferous areas.  Broadleaf vegetation provides stability to the soil in
valleys thus would be earmarked for non-logging areas
* Fiji Hardwood Corporation is mapping mahogany plantations where mahogany
trees have grown through the canopy and are visible on the satellite
imagery.  They are now able to stratify mahogany areas into mahogany and
leftover natural forest plus other species planted.  The near infrared band
provides additional information for stratification.  Though these techniques
are possible with aerial photography, using high resolution  satellite data
is a lot more cost effective.  Fiji Hardwood will continue to map their
mahogany plantations using satellite data.

KIRIBATI
* Franck set up the MapServer (http://map.gov.ki) at the Ministry of
Fisheries and Marine Resource Development in Bairiki and followed it up with
a workshop for stakeholders in uploading data and updating the site.
* Franck returned to Kiribati work with the Ministry pf Foreign Affairs and
Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resource Development, May 24 -28

NIUE
* Michael Bonte, Risk Analyst and Litea Biukoto, Project Assistant were in
Niue 23 April - 04 May to assess the wave and wind impact of TC Heta on the
built environment and document eyewitness accounts of the event.  Also
requested was an assessment of the cliff failures around the northern and
western coasts of the island.  The outcomes of the assessment will be
incorporated into the numerical modelling of the wave impacts on Alofi.  A
3D flythrough developed from the model will provide a visual of the actual
impacts of TC Heta and identify potential areas to be affected should
another event of the same magnitude occur.
* Stakeholder consultations also identified activities that could extend the
model to a wider area.  At present the model will focus only on the area
where onshore and offshore physiographic data is available.
* The post TC Heta IKONOS imagery was purchased and has been valuable for
mapping out affected areas.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA
* Franck Martin, ICT Specialist was in Port Moresby, May 09 - 16 to consult
with stakeholders issues relating to the MapServer and identify a possible
location for installation

SAMOA
* The swathmapping survey has been completed and Quan Chung, Technical
Assistant, is working on the data.
* Reginald Sanday, Resource Economist, represented the project at a 4-day
meeting in Apia of the Pacific Group of ACP countries in discussion with the
European Union about procedures for implementing EDF9 projects
* Reg is planning to undertake an in-country visit 24 - 31 May for
consultations on Project issues.

SOLOMON ISLANDS
* Reg met with Provincial Council Stakeholders in Honiara , Malaita and New
Georgia  and visited the GIS centre where he was able to obtain data
* Wolf and Elizabeth are in Honiara, May 20 - June 03, conducting a GIS
customisation and database handling workshop with the Solomon Islands
Electricity Authority

TONGA
* Whilst enroute to Samoa the MV Turagalevu detoured to Niuafo'ou aka Tin
Can Island to map the bathymetry of the island.  Tin Can is an active
volcano that has no safe harbour for ships.  The island got its name from
the unique mail system where incoming and outgoing mail were sealed in
40-pound biscuit tins and transported between the ship and island by
swimmers (http://members.aol.com/TongaJan/tcm.html).

TUVALU
* The Tuvalu MapServer is being prepared for delivery.  Faatasi Mautama,
Director of Lands, uploaded some Tuvalu datasets whilst on attachment at
SOPAC.  Meelina and Tesimita Ailesi have since uploaded the remaining
datasets to the MapServer,  Both are GIS students at the University of the
South Pacific, Laucala Campus.
* The proposed starting data for the swathmapping survey of the Tuvalu
atolls is early June

VANUATU
* Wolf Forstreuter and Elizabeth Lomani were in Port Vila conducting a
training session on GIS customisation, March 22 - April 09.  The software
used in the hands-on training are MapInfo, MapBasic and Microsoft Access.
* Michael and Alan Mearns, Community Risk Programme Manager, were in Port
Vila, April 04 - 09 to consult with stakeholders issues pertaining to
disaster management and risk reduction.
* Department of Lands and Survey have expressed an interest in Database
handling and GIS customisation
* Franck Martin worked with Williams Ganileo, Country Intern, in setting up
the MapServer at the Ministry of Finance.  The uploaded data include a
portion of the VANRIS datasets http://map.vanuatu.gov.vu
* Stephen Booth, Project Leader & Water Resources Specialist held
discussions with Mines & Geology and Environment staff, particularly in
relation to the Tagabe and Teouma catchments and a field visit to Bouffa
landfill was undertaken. An inter-island reconnaissance visit was also
undertaken to Malakula [Lakatoro] to review damage to rural water supply
installations following Tropical Cyclone Ivy.

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Litea Biukoto
SOPAC South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission
Postal Address: Private Mail Bag, GPO, Suva, Fiji Islands
Street Address: Mead Road, Nabua, Fiji Islands
Tel: +679 338-1377 Fax: +679 337-0040
E-mail: litea@sopac.org
Web site: http://www.sopac.org.fj/, http://map.sopac.org/

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