Pacific Ocean And Climate Crisis Assessment (POCCA)

The Pacific Ocean and Climate Crisis Assessment Project (POCCA) is a region-wide initiative that places Pacific Indigenous knowledge at the core of climate resilience and adaptation planning. Covering 16 Pacific Island countries, POCCA seeks to demonstrate how Indigenous knowledge systems can work in tandem with Western science to inform national and regional climate strategies.

Led by Pacific experts, the project focuses on community-level adaptation and resilience, generating insights that can guide effective policymaking and strengthen the Pacific’s voice in global climate negotiations. By incorporating diverse perspectives, POCCA highlights the importance of context-specific approaches to addressing the climate crisis.

Funded through the Fund for International Cooperation by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the project was initially launched by the University of the South Pacific and the University of Canterbury. It has since expanded into a transnational collaboration involving academics, policymakers, researchers, and civil society organizations from across the Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, the United States, and beyond.

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