This report presents an overview of the global assessment landscape and highlight elements of best practice with respect to the future undertaking of major assessments. It includes an analysis of existing and ongoing sub-regional and regional assessments from a multi-thematic perspective.
The main aim of this report is to set out a preliminary assessment of the current needs within SPREP in relation to assisting the development of environmental law in Pacific island countries, particularly in relation to legal responses to the impacts of climate change in the region, and to make a series of recommendations based on that assessment. The context of the assessment is that climate change has become one of the overarching priorities within SPREP, also recognizing SPREPs climate-change leadership role within the region.
Available online
A Workshop on Regional Action to Combat Invasive Alien Species on Islands to Preserve Biodiversity and Adapt to Climate Change highlighted successes, deepened connections within regions and facilitated the exchange of experiences across regions.While discussions outlined significant obstacles to invasive alien species management2 on islands, they also showcased how targeted successes have led to major gains for conservation and development.Collaboration across developmental and environmental sectors and sustained support are critical to success in this field.Exciting new initiatives are dev
The Asia-Pacific region is an economic
powerhouse, with some of
the worlds most dynamic economies.
But it has been making slower progress
with some of the Millennium Development
Goals. Its greatest success has
been with poverty, for which the region
as a whole is likely to meet the 2015
target of halving the proportion of people
living in income poverty. But most
countries will miss at least some of the
other targets and goals, and a number
will miss their goal even for poverty.
Available online
The Regional Wetlands Action Plan (RWAP) for the Pacific Islands (SPREP, 1999) was endorsed by the 26 member countries and territories of SPREP. The Action Plan contained 28 priority actions in the areas of management, capacity building, research and monitoring for wetland ecosystems. In 2002, a formal memorandum of cooperation was signed between the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and SPREP to promote the importance of wetland conservation in the Pacific Islands region.
L’Étude d’impact environnemental (ÉIE) est un processus utilisé
pour évaluer et gérer des projets de développement particuliers.
Elle a pour objectif de maximiser les retombées positives et de
minimiser les impacts négatifs pour les communautés locales et
leur environnement. La mobilisation des parties prenantes et les
connaissances locales sont essentielles à la réalisation d’une
bonne ÉIE. Correctement mise en oeuvre, l’ÉIE peut contribuer
à la réalisation des objectifs de croissance verte, de résilience
The Oceania region is very prone to natural disasters having experienced two Category 5 cyclones in as many years; Tropical Cyclone (TC)Pam struck Vanuatu on 13 March 2015 and TC Winston struck Fiji on 20 February 2016.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 92 p
At its 14th meeting held in the Hague, the Netherlands in June 2007, the Conference of the Parties to CITES adopted decision 14.80 that directed the CITES Secretariat to seek external funding to enable a workshop to be held in the Pacific, in collaboration with appropriate regional organizations, to initiate regional cooperation on the management of sustainable fisheries for giant clams (Tridacnidae).
Report of meeting (Technical) / Secretariat of the Pacific Community)
Call Number: 333.955440995 [EL]
ISBN/ISSN: 978-982-00-0406-1
With increasing globalization of markets, rising environmental awareness, and attention from international conventions and agreements, the vast majority of countries are looking into managing their forests more sustainably. The main limitation appears to be lack of funding for improving forest management. Traditional sources include the government, targeted investments from the private sector, international donor support, and contributions in kind from rural communities. But these are grossly inadequate, and additional finances are required.
At present, there is no regional target set for the share of environmental expenditure as a share of GDP.
Measuring the amount that a government allocates to the environment is
challenging due to overlapping sector plans or integration of environmental
management into a larger ministry without a corresponding public budget
report that specifies ‘environmental’ spending.
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 120 p. 29 cm.
Inshore fish populations are complex, exist in variable
and rapidly changing ecosystems, and are harvested
and impacted by a broad range of users, making their
management complex.
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 4 p.
Measuring the amount that a government allocates to the environment is challenging due to overlapping sector plans or integration of environmental management into a larger ministry without a corresponding public budget report that specifies ‘environmental’ spending. Some countries separate the management of fisheries and marine resources from that of other environmental and climate change response actions.
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 4 p.
Fishing is a complex topic with many species and ecosystem components as well as social, cultural, political, and economic components. Here, we focus on the defined indicator regarding tuna, considering the biomass of these pelagic fish as well as the ecosystems that support these fish. For information about coastal and nearshore fisheries, please see Regional Indicator: Coastal fish biomass.
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 4 p.
The purpose in producing the SOCO is not just to understand the current status of conservation in the region but to establish a process for periodic reviews of the status of biodiversity and implementation of conservation measures in the Pacific islands region.
The Pacific Islands region that is served by SPREP covers 32 million km2 and is in
the middle of the largest continuous marine habitat on the planet, the Pacific Ocean.
This region is home to a diverse range of large marine animals, including cetaceans,
sirenians and marine turtles. Over half of the world’s known species of cetaceans are
found in the region. The area also supports the world’s largest remaining populations
of dugongs, and green, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles.
Available online
Regional cooperation and responses are common across the PICTs. SPREP already has in place regional action plans for marine turtles, dugongs, and whales and dolphins. In addition, the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), comprising 17 Pacific States, has a proven track record in cooperation on fisheries management issues including the longstanding Nauru Agreement and the current development of a regional monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) strategy.
Pacific islands are hotspots of unique biodiversity. Our ancestral traditions are linked
to nature. However, these traditions, the natural environment, and biodiversity are
threatened by changing global and regional environmental pressures, ecological
degradation, growing human populations, changing demands of our societies, and the
impacts of climate change and sea level rise.
Call Number: [EL],333.720961 STA
ISBN/ISSN: 978-982-04-0905-7,978-982-04-0906-4
Physical Description: 156 p. 29 cm.
The status of the region’s forests was deemed Fair to Good, with the majority of Pacific islands still having relatively high for est cover, higher than the global average. The area of unlogged primary forest varies across the region, with large areas in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and countries like Cook Islands and Kiribati having no primary forest left
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 4 p.
Simplifying coral reef ecosystems to a single number for a country, or for a region, runs counter to our knowledge of the complexity and variability that characterise healthy reefs in a healthy ocean scape.
There are active drinking water or freshwater monitoring progra mmes in 11 of 14 Pacific countries and 6 of 7 territories. The primary challenge is the regularity and frequency of sampling, the capacity to process samples accurately in country, and the official response process to the findings. There is no regional data collation for this proposed indicator , to date. Escherichia coli occurs naturally in human and animal intestines and therefore can be used as a proxy for untreated sewage contamination or other pollution.
Call Number: [EL]