Classifying organisms and artefacts by their outline shapes

We often wish to classify objects by their shapes. Indeed, the study of shapes is an important part of many scientific fields, such as evolutionary biology, structural biology, image processing and archaeology. However, mathematical shape spaces are rather complicated and nonlinear. The most widely used methods of shape analysis, geometric morphometrics, treat the shapes as sets of points. Diffeomorphic methods consider the underlying curve rather than points, but have rarely been applied to real-world problems. Using a machine classifier, we tested the ability of several of these methods to describe and classify the shapes of a variety of organic and man-made objects. We find that one method, based on square-root velocity functions (SRVFs), outperforms all others, including a standard geometric morphometric method (eigenshapes), and that it is also superior to human experts using shape alone. When the SRVF approach is constrained to take account of homologous landmarks it can accurately classify objects of very different shapes. The SRVF method identifies a shortest path between shapes, and we show that this can be used to estimate the shapes of intermediate steps in evolutionary series. Diffeomorphic shape analysis methods, we conclude, now provide practical and effective solutions to many shape description and classification problems in the natural and human sciences.</p

Policy Brief 2: Building Community Resilience

Building resilience in Ocean Cities of the Pacific region is key to converting challenges and risks communities face into opportunities for systemic transformation toward sustainable development. Island settlements at the nexus of ocean health, climate change and urban development will need to build anticipatory, adaptive, absorptive and transformative capacity in the face of complex stressors. The interlinked challenges and resource constraints in rapidly growing Ocean Cities in the Pacific means that the ability to absorb shocks and bounce back relevant partners and stakeholders to promote equitable opportunities for all people in urban communities to access resources and use them sustainably, and to apply standardized methods contextualized for the Pacific to assess the relative vulnerability of communities in Ocean Cities. It also recognizes the importance of promoting stronger governance regimes within urban communities, aligning these with the policies of local government, and encouraging partnerships between urban and rural communities. This second policy brief in the Ocean Cities series offers guidance in this direction

Special Report on Global warming of 1.5°C (SR15) - Chapter 5:Sustainable Development, Poverty Eradication and Reducing Inequalities

The Special Report on 1.5°C assesses three main themes: • What would be required to limit warming to 1.5°C (mitigation pathways) • The impacts of 1.5°C of warming, compared to 2ºC and higher • Strengthening the global response to climate change; mitigation and adaptation options The connections between climate change and sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty are discussed throughout the report. This chapter takes sustainable development as the starting point and focus for analysis. It considers the broad and multifaceted bi-directional interplay between sustainable development, including its focus on eradicating poverty and reducing inequality in their multidimensional aspects, and climate actions in a 1.5°C warmer world. These fundamental connections are embedded in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The chapter also examines synergies and trade-offs of adaptation and mitigation options with sustainable development and the SDGs and offers insights into possible pathways, especially climate-resilient development pathways towards a 1.5°C warmer world

Climate Change, Disaster Risk Management and the Role of Education: Benefits and Challenges of Online Learning for Pacific Small Island Developing States

Climate change and disaster risk management education in the context of the Pacific Small Island Developing States is crucial, but even more so, is ensuring that access to this education is available to those who require it. The Pacific Small Island Developing States are extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and disasters and have limited capacity to address this so the move by the University of the South Pacific to develop a post graduate diploma in climate change program and make this fully available online is an important one. This paper presents experiences and observations of the benefits and challenges of online learning in the context of the Pacific Small Island Developing States. Special focus is given to the documentation of staff and student experiences from across the Pacific Small Island Developing States region. Lessons learnt are shared and recommendations for actions to address the challenges are proposed. As the only institution providing post graduate climate change and disaster risk management education online in the Pacific Small Island Developing States region, this paper is aimed at informing individuals who wish to engage in climate change and disaster risk management related online learning and institutions who would like to venture into this mode of climate change and disaster risk management education

An overview of the information presented in nationally determined contributions (NDCs) for Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu

The Paris Agreement requires that signatories develop and communicate their post 2020 climate actions in the form of Nationally Determined Contributions. This paper encompasses an overview of the nationally determined contributions communicated by the Pacific Small Islands Developing States with a focus on the four (4) Melanesian countries; Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. It identifies the gaps and challenges the nationally determined contributions potentially entail and is a contribution to the development of discourse on nationally determined contributions for the four (4) Melanesian countries. The methodology used is a situational analysis of the NDCs communicated by Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. The paper explores the questions ‘are the current nationally determined contributions communicated by the four (4) Melanesian countries consistent, comprehensive and feasible?’ and ‘what can be done to improve the information provided in these nationally determined contributions?’ The paper proposes key mitigation and adaptation interventions for NDC enhancement and is intended to be used by the four (4) countries to enhance the implementation of their nationally determined contributions

Policy Brief 1: The Ocean and the City

Ocean Cities are where landscapes and seascapes meet, where human behaviour and urban development have a profound impact on marine health and climate change. Marine and coastal ecosystems are the largest carbon sink in the world and a vital source of livelihood, employment, nutrition and economic growth in cities and islands. Yet, the capacity of these ecosystems to balance our climate, protect our coastlines, and sustain human development is acutely threatened. Marine pollution and urban run-off, unsustainable coastal development and poor marine governance, rising sea levels, ocean warming and acidification endanger the health of our ocean and erode the very foundation Ocean Cities are built on. For Pacific island settlements, the nexus between urban development, climate change and the ocean is of critical importance since most island communities are coastal, with some smaller island and atoll nations under five meters of elevation. Together with their regional partners, Ocean Cities of the Pacific islands can pioneer ocean-focused, climate resilient solutions for sustainable development. Recognizing and understanding the interconnections and interdependent futures between cities and the ocean will catalyse integrated responses to increase resilience, protect ecosystems, and meet the challenges of rapidly urbanizing island societies. This policy brief outlines the challenges of unplanned rapid urban expansion and deteriorating ocean health, urban resilience and climate impacts on Ocean Cities. Associated opportunities for ocean friendly climate responsive urban development in Pacific islands are discussed in policy briefs two and three of this series. Even if global warming is limited to 2°C, sea levels could continue to rise by over 5 meters over the following centuries, posing a serious threat to low-lying Ocean Cities of the Pacific islands as most urban areas are located ≤5 meters above sea level