Compound Climate Events in the Pacific Islands

Extreme climate events, such as droughts and storms, have severe consequences in the Pacific Islands, particularly when multiple events co-occur either simultaneously or consecutively. Compound events are driven by a combination of multiple hazards and/or drivers, which can be in a single location or linked across large distances. Compound events can also result from interactions with environmental or non-climate hazards, or socioeconomic stressors. While compound event research has expanded greatly since first being introduced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on Climate Extremes in 2012, few studies have examined these types of events in the Pacific Islands region. Working with collaborators at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, NOAA, Arizona State University, and the East-West Center, this project will characterize compound events in Hawaiʻi and the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands and describe the implications for hazard prediction, impact assessment, and adaptation planning.