Axient LLC recently awarded Tellus Civic Science (Tellus) a subcontract to provide environmental security consultation to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) under contract with the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command. Tellus will manage the planning, concept development, facilitation, and execution of two events – the 2024 Indo-Pacific Environmental Security Forum (IPESF) and a Plastic Pollution Policy (P3) workshop. In addition, Tellus will continue activities and engagements with working groups and partner nations under the Indo-Pacific Environmental Security Partnership (Partnership),?www.ipesp.org. The Tellus’ team has been assisting INDOPACOM with the execution of the IPESF since 2016 and is honored to have the opportunity to continue supporting this multilateral event, which brings Indo-Pacific nations together to share lessons learned and best practices on a wide array of environmental security issues, as well as facilitates collaborative environmental security project development. Historical themes for the event have included energy security; water and food security; climate adaptation and resiliency planning; women, peace and security; combating wildlife trafficking; coastal ecosystem restoration; blue carbon; sustainable fisheries; and plastic pollution.?? During the 2023 IPESF in Sri Lanka, a partner from Fiji brought the need for a regional plastic pollution policy for Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) to the attention of INDOPACOM. Though plastic pollution is a global environmental issue, for PICTs the effects of plastic pollution are detrimental to their marine ecosystems, human health, and their economies that rely on coastal tourism.??Plastic pollution contributes to national fragility by negatively impacting PICTs primary food source of protein from the ocean. The P3 workshop will bring together and build PICTs’ capacity by developing a methodology for data collection and technological tool development, as well as developing a regional policy, built upon existing policies, that is aimed at?reducing plastic pollution through more holistic and effective policy development and implementation.?
