07 February 2018

The Institute of Applied Sciences (IAS) Senior Scientific Officer, Ms Make Movono represented the Pacific region on a “Coastal Geology, Geohazards and Management (GeoCoast)” training course at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) in Daejon, South Korea in November 2017.  The course, offered only once in 5 years aimed to foster highly qualified experts and professionals from all over the world in the fields of coastal geology and geohazards as well as at enhancing the capabilities of the cooperating countries and organisations with KIGAM and Korea.

The training examined the different ways of investigating, monitoring, modelling and managing the coastal zone, from traditional methods to the latest state-of-the-art technologies.  The trainer, Andrew Short,  a marine scientist specialising in coastal processes and beach dynamics and a current Honorary Professor in the School of Geosciences of the University of Sydney, has published more than 200 scientific articles and 12 books on the subject and serves on the New South Wales Coastal Panel, advising the government on coastal management issues. 

An understanding of natural coastal hazards is essential for the safe and sustainable development of the small island states in the South Pacific. Coastal change poses potential risk to coastal communities across the Pacific region. Powerful storms generate surge, waves and currents causing coastal erosion, flooding, extensive wave damage destroying roads, buildings and other critical infrastructure, alter natural habitats and ecosystem therefore affecting people’s livelihoods. Accordingly, robust and meaningful plans for effective integrated coastal management must explicitly incorporate a realistic range of coastal processes and responses based on an understanding of the physical environment. 

The Institute of Applied Sciences has been involved in Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) projects with communities throughout Fiji and the Pacific region since 2002. Ms. Movono, who has years of experience in community work, natural resource management, conservation, coastal management and oceanography noted that ICM begins with institutional and policy issues, and incorporates science as a secondary component. “When science is introduced, much emphasis is placed on biological issues and on infrastructure development, while non-living resources and physical shore processes are sometimes overlooked. I hope, that the geological oceanographic context will be fundamental to the recognition of hazards, delineation of risk, and prediction of changes that may occur from any manipulation in the coastal system”.  She emphasised the need for an increased understanding of such processes in the region to allow for better preparation for threats which are detrimental to the region’s coastal communities. Ms Movono also thanked the Dr. Sung-rock Lee, Director of KIGAM for the training opportunity, which has supported the expertise development and assisted to enhance IAS’s scientific services offering to the region.