Search

New Zealand's geographic isolation and long period without human habitation allowed a unique natural environment to flourish. Our
environment is known for the richness of its biodiversity, with more than 80,000 native animal, plant, and fungus species. As a result of New Zealand's isolation, much of our flora and fauna are not found anywhere else on earth.

Also available online

Call Number: 333.7 ENV [EL]

ISBN/ISSN: 978-0-478-30194-6

Physical Description: 74 p. ; 29 cm

In summary, the coast is part of an emergent, Holocene reef-carbonate system, with the beach being comprised entirely of carbonate sediments developed on phosphate-rich, cavernous, dolomite limestone bedrock. The coastline is partly rocky with classic karst limestone pinnacles found throughout the bay. The reef is a coral dominated system and is narrow and well-flushed, with many closely-spaced reef channels. The coastline at Anibare Bay is an active and dynamic one. The relatively coarse admixture of abraded sand and gravel and highly abraded karts pinnacles testify to this.

American Samoa is a U.S. Territory located approximately 4,200 km south of Hawai'i. It is the southernmost of all U.S. possessions and the only U.S. jurisdiction in the South Pacific. American Samoa comprises seven islands (five volcanic islands and two coral atolls) with a combined land area of approximately 200 km2 . The five volcanic islands, Tutuila, Aunu'u, Ofu, Olosega, and Ta'u, are the major inhabited islands of

The 290 km long Mariana Islands Archipelago encompasses 14 islands of the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), the U.S. Territory of Guam, and numerous offshore banks.

The Republic of the Fiji Islands (Fiji) has generally returned to normalcy after a period of political unrest and uncertainty. Instability over a period of nearly two decades, highlighted by the military coups that occurred in 1987 and again in 2000, has brought into focus the urgent need to achieve peace and security, in order to restore private sector confidence, and to accelerate various proposed public sector reforms needed to promote sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction. In 2001, the Government pledged to build a better Fiji.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) uses the country environmental analysis (CEA) as the tool to assist with early incorporation of environmental considerations into the country strategy and program (CSP) for its Developing Member Countries. The CEA provides targeted information necessary for informed decision making on environmental constraints, needs, and opportunities, including those that impinge upon poverty partnership agreements, as appropriate.

Asia-Pacific is a region of contrasts. It has some of the fastest-growing economies of the world while, at the same time, the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) continue to face persistent

There is no shortage of provisions relating to waste management issues in the current laws of Kiribati. While it may be useful to consider the opportunities for recognising the role of the community in waste management under the laws of Kiribati, there would appear to be only limited scope for effective legislative action in this regard. The role of Local Government Councils is clear and this is effectively provided for the in the Local Government Act 1984.

In terms of national aggregates, the Cook Islands have already achieved two of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG's): Goal 4 on Reducing Infant Mortality and Goal 5 on Maternal Health. With the exception of Goal 7 on environmental sustainability and an additional Goal 9 on Improving Governance, the Cook Islands is capable of achieving most of the other MDG's by the year 2015.

Available online

Call Number: [EL]

Physical Description: 66 p.

Fiji Islands, one of the larger countries of the South Pacific island region, has a relatively high level of human development. Its multi-ethnic population, which numbers approximately 800,000, is growing slowly due to a moderately low level of fertility and a high level of emigration. The economy rests primarily on sugar production and tourism but is becoming more diverse, with manufacturing now an important sector of employment.

Available online

Call Number: [EL]

Physical Description: 83 p.

Specific challenges, which may hamper the achievement and must be addressed during implementation of each MDG are briefly outlined in the MDG chapters of this report but are detailed in the Comprehensive Report. Generally, all future interventions, designed to achieve the MDGs should not only be very closely coordinated with the implementation of the MTDS but also with the implementation of the National Poverty Reduction Strategy (NPRS), the National Population Policy (NPP) and all sectoral plans.

Available online

Call Number: [EL]

Tuvalu, which consists of nine coral atoll islands, is widely dispersed over 1.2 million square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean stretching in a north-south direction over some 560 kilometres between latitudes 5 and 11 degrees south and over longitudes 176 and 180 degrees east. The total land area of the

This Millennium Development Goals Report (MDGR) is designed to be a tool for awareness raising, advocacy, alliance building, and renewal of political commitments at the national level, as well as building capacity for monitoring and reporting on goals and targets. This MDGR is, therefore, primarily a public affairs document, especially since during its preparation there was limited consultation with the non state actors and the private sector as key partners in achieving the MDGs. As a living

Environmental pollution is an important issue for an island country like Fiji to address. With limited land resources and sea being the source of income generation, it is highly important that these pollution issues are dealt with. However there is another form of environment pollution which is quite significant in this country. This is air pollution. Air pollution affects a greater population than its immediate surroundings therefore a nationwide policy is critical.

Available online

Call Number: [EL]

Physical Description: 67 p.

The people of Palau have depended on their islands' biodiversity since their first arrival several millennia in the past. Palauans have not only depended on these resources, however; they have managed them sustainably, so that future generations could continue to enjoy the benefits they have supplied for thousands of years. The abundance of the natural resources of these islands have maintained the social and economic well-being of the Palauan people; using and protecting these resources are part of the Palauan way of life.

Modern biotechnology and biosafety are new concepts to Niue. Low-level biotechnology has been used by farmers for centuries to crossbreed plants and animals. This has resulted in higher crop yields, bigger animals or stronger plants. Modern biotechnology can now transfer characteristics from one species to another by taking genes from one species and inserting them into the same or another species to produce new and desired characteristics. This may include resistance to disease or to pests.

Biosafety issues are becoming very contentious today given the uncertainty of the impact of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on the environment, biodiversity and the people. There are those that view GMOs as an answer to alleviating world hunger and mitigating global health problems through the introduction of new and technologically advanced GMO for food, feed, food processing and pharmaceuticals. Then there is the
other group that argue that GMOs pose a risk to the environment, biological diversity and the safety and health of the people.

Available online

Vanuatu's economy is based on the beneficial use of environmental resources for subsistence and commercial purposes. Tourism, subsistence and commercial agriculture, forestry and subsistence and commercial fisheries are all important sectors of economic activity. The potential for adverse impacts from the spread of living organisms beyond their natural range is well known.

Increasing recognition of anthropogenic changes in the natural environment as a result of human interference has lead to the international community agreeing on a number of multilateral environmental agreements. At the 1992 Earth Summit, world leaders agreed on a comprehensive strategy for "sustainable development" - meeting our needs while ensuring that we leave a healthy and viable world for future generations.

The National Capacity Self-Assessment is a Global Environment Facility(GEF)-funded initiative currently being undertaken by over 50 developing countries world-wide. It responds to a concern that is raised frequently in the post-project evaluation of GEF-funded projects, namely that activities cease once GEF-