Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Research and Development
Symposium

PICARD '24 will be held in Honolulu
14 and 15 June, 2024

 Doubletree-Alana Waikiki
1956 Ala Moana Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96815
+1-808-941-7275

PICARD is a conference designed to give a voice to Pacific Islanders living through climate change, and to showcase ideas from around the world that the Marshallese have found valuable for climate adaptation.

​

The ideas that will be demonstrated have been selected for their value and scalability by the research staff and indigenous advisors at the Kwajalein Atoll Sustainability Laboratory (KASL). KASL was established in 2022 as a Marshallese non-governmental non-profit focused on climate adaptation. Its research team is supported by the US Office of Naval Research in Washington DC, and the lab is located on Ebeye Island within Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, 2400 miles southwest of Hawaii. The islands around Kwajalein Lagoon, like Ebeye, sit very close to sea level, and their climate threats are already severe.

KASL was established as a working field laboratory for climate adaptation and has rapidly accumulated a global network of individual and institutional partners. Those KASL affiliates are designing tools and methods for climate adaptation, focused on helping those at the bottom of the pyramid and the edge of the water. Their ideas are being tested under real-world conditions at KASL, and KASL wishes to share some of the most promising ideas and solicit more.      

PICARD Concept and Design

Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FESTPAC) is a ten-day cultural gathering of Pacific Island Nations that takes place every four years. The festival is held on islands around the Pacific, and in June 2024, it will take place in Honolulu, Hawaii for the first time. The Festival organizers anticipate hundreds of delegates from two dozen nations in and around the Pacific, and thousands of visitors.

KASL will host the PICARD Symposium during, but separate from, FESTPAC, inviting senior national representatives for two days (14-15 June) of science, engineering, and indigenous discussions about climate adaptation. Topics will include the problems facing Pacific islands as seen by:

​

• Native islanders

• Expert scientists

• International funding agencies, and

• Leading humanitarian aid organizations.

The discussion will then describe current research in:

• cultural preservation

• drinking water

• energy sources

• novel shelters

• sanitation

• healthcare

• communication

• transportation

• education

• job creation, and

• ecosystem regeneration

We'll have live demonstrations of a dozen or more promising ideas, and the following day will be dedicated to interactive small-group discussions for assessing impressions and planning the next steps.

Attendance is free, but space is very limited. Pre-registration is required and all invitations will be coordinated by the Marshallese Ambassador and his  Embassy staff.

Inquiries regarding attendance should be sent to the KASL Research Director, Dr. Eric Rasmussen, at RasmussenE@ihs-i.com or on cell and Signal at +1-360-621-3592.