ABSTRACT
With the exception of some elements of the Pacific Islands Climate Change Assistance Programme (PICCAP), the projects discussed in the previous chapter were uncontroversial both with respect to their research and their contribution to assisting the Pacific Islands to respond to climate change. They presented no significant science-policy conundrums to their sponsors or to people in the region. There have, however, been two very controversial climate change related projects in the region – the South Pacific Sea Level and Climate Monitoring (SPSLCM) project, and the Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI). In this chapter we review these projects and the controversy surrounding them, showing that the controversy has arisen largely because of their perceived political functions, which have in turn given rise to questions about whether or not the projects and methodology were suitable. The controversies also reveal some of the tensions between aid donors and the Pacific Islands, and between regional organizations and PICs. They offer insights into the highly political character of research on vulnerability in the region, and the problematic nature of efforts to measure and monitor change in the Pacific.
