"The Pacific is facing further difficulties as a result of land degradation, climate change, and growing demands on its natural resources. Researchers, government representatives, communities, and development partners come together at events like the Fiji International Landcare & Sustainable Agriculture Conference to provide practical solutions that can improve sustainable land management across the area.

"I'll be talking about how Digital Earth Pacific and open geospatial data are helping Pacific Island countries use satellite data to track changes in their landscapes. Governments can access pre-processed environmental data that helps with land use planning, sustainable agriculture, forest management, and compliance with international obligations, such as the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, rather than spending a lot of time processing raw satellite images.

"Improving access to high-quality environmental data is one of the Pacific's major opportunities. Ministries, researchers, and local communities can make better decisions about protecting productive land, strengthening agricultural resilience, and responding to climatic and environmental changes when they have access to the same trustworthy data.

"I want to stress how important regional cooperation is. Many Pacific countries face similar environmental challenges, and sharing information, resources, and technical expertise allows states to improve their national capacity while learning from one another. To support sustainable development and create resilient communities across the Pacific, open and accessible geospatial data is becoming increasingly important."