The Pacific Islands region is currently experiencing an unprecedented rush for marine and terrestrial resources in a context of climate change. At stake are the exploitation of mineral resources (including oil and gas, and potentially deep-sea mineral resources) and other natural resources (such as fisheries and forests). The rush is also about conservation, the conservation of both small-scale and large-scale areas (especially through networks of locally managed marine areas and the development of large-scale marine protected areas), as well geopolitical issues of maritime boundary demarcation and the extension of the continental shelf and therefore sovereign rights over natural resources in new areas. The PACSEN GDRI will tackle these critical issues of territorial and natural resource governance with a strong emphasis on social responsibility, equity and sustainable development. The overall objective of the network is to contribute to the framing of integrated, responsible and sustainable management of natural resources in order to improve people’s wellbeing throughout the South Pacific. Accordingly, the network will combine fundamental and applied/policy oriented research, to bridge gaps between scholars, policy-makers and civil society organizations, and strengthen capacities and expertise of all these stakeholders in territorial and natural resource governance frameworks.
Axes de recherche
As a knowledge hub aiming to enhance multi-stakeholder cooperation in natural resource management, PACSEN’s specific objectives will be to:
1 - Promote the involvement of the Pacific universities and research institutions in policy-making and development processes, linking with existing bodies such as the Pacific Islands Universities Research Network (PIURN) and the Pacific Community/Communauté du Pacifique (SPC/CPS).
2 - Create a platform for scientific research, data and information to be integrated into future policies.
3 - Address gaps identified in national policies and capacities, and raise awareness.
To achieve this, the network brings together institutions and scholars from Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island countries and territories with a strong scientific expertise and legitimacy in the fields of governance, land and marine tenure, natural resource management, extractive industries and development studies. This network also bridges a double gap between (i) Francophone and Anglophone worlds in the Pacific and (ii) independent countries and overseas territories (in particular New Caledonia). The circulation of scholars and ideas within the network will also greatly benefit from the participation in the consortium of SPC, the main multilateral regional organization.