It was quite the year for the Pacific islands in 2021. Countries have had to negotiate the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, while climate change has continued to be a focal point. But while there has been plenty of commentary too narrowly focussed on the impacts of geostrategic competition, domestic and regional politics is where the rubber has really hit the road.
The health impacts of COVID-19 remained minimal in many countries of the region, although that has changed in 2022. There are countries that have yet to have any recorded cases, whilst several others have had a small number of infections that were successfully contained at the border. But there have been serious outbreaks elsewhere — such as in Fiji, French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea.
Please click here to read the full “Pacific resilience tested on multiple fronts” article published at East Asia Forum, written by Griffith Asia Institute Adjunct and Pacific Hub Lead, Dr Tess Newton Cain.
