Eliminating invasive species, like rats and weeds, will make Pacific Islands more resilient to climate change, environmental experts say. Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) director-general Sefanaia Nawadra said the nature of climate change means pre-existing environmental impacts are exacerbated.
"If the environment is already degraded, the ability of that environment to come back after a cyclone or drought or flooding is impacted by the presence of invasive species," Nawadra said. SPREP has been showcasing its work on invasive species management at climate meeting, Adaptation Futures Conference in Christchurch. Dominic Sadler, the manager of the programme, said invasive species thrive off disturbance. "As climate change starts to change that creates disturbance and so the impact of invasive species becomes worse, so you end up with a negative feedback loop," Sadler said.
