The Vanuatu Government, through the Vanuatu Environment Unit in collaboration with relevant departments, has implemented this UNEP/GEF funded project on National Capacity Self Assessment (NCSA) Project, which started in Vanuatu in December 2004. The main objective of the NCSA project is to enhance the capacity of Vanuatu in addressing global environment management issues, particular in the thematic areas of Biodiversity, Climate Change and Land Degradation, each being addressed within its respective international convention.
Available online
This report provides an overview of priority environmental concerns (PEC) in the 3 IWP focal areas of sustainable coastal fisheries and marine protected areas, protection of freshwater resources and community based waste reduction.
The corals reefs of Australia and Papua New Guinea cover 19% of the world's total reef area and contain levels of biological diversity approaching the 'hot spots' of the Philippines and Indonesia;
Human pressures on these reefs are lower than in other parts of the world (particularly SE Asia). The reefs of eastern Australia, particularly the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), have a long history of research and monitoring and world leading management;
Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Samoa and Tuvalu report monitoring data for this report, with data from a broad range of observers (scientists, students, dive guides and communities); Nauru has not conducted recent monitoring;
Coral reefs in Micronesia and American Samoa appear to be amongst the most resilient in the world, despite numerous on-going threats; There has been considerable recovery of reefs in western Micronesia (especially Palau) that were devastated during the massive coral bleaching in 1998; The more remote islands support thriving communities of large reef fishes due to
Several urban areas and popular tourist destinations have suffered from pollution from the land, significant fishing pressure, recreational overuse, and alien species. Despite these pressures, many coral reefs in Hawai'i remain in fair to good condition, especially remote reefs; Most MPAs have proven to be highly effective in conserving biodiversity and fisheries
resources. MPA size, habitat quality, and level of protection are the most important success factors, but several MPAs are too small to have significant effects outside their boundaries;
The objective of the Stockholm Convention is to protect human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The convention currently covers the following twelve chemicals: aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor,
In a unique move Tokelau requested all regional and international organizations that it is affiliated to either through full membership, associate or by accessing through regional international projects, to visit and consult Tokelau as a "body corporate" or all at once. The intention is to assist a small tiny country in managing all the possible assistance available from these organizations so that the actual assistance itself could be much more effective in their delivery and avoid duplication.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
The Fisheries Department is the sole agency responsible for the control (regulation), development and management of the fisheries resources within Vanuatu. However, consideration of the impacts from developments on the environment is the responsibility of the Environment Unit of the Ministry of Natural Resources. There is a possible overlap of responsibilities between the two agencies in certain areas like assessment work and conservation of species.
Available online|Fisheres Dept. version include graphics (2007; 117 mb). Subsequently published without graphics as IWP report
This article describes and discusses the establishment and operation of the Micronesia Conservation Trust (MCT). Following three years of preparations and multi-stakeholder consultations MCT was established in 2002 with the objective of supporting biodiversity conservation and related sustainable development for the people of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) by providing long-term sustained funding. In 2008 MCT completed
In this report we present the results of a study carried out between May 2004 and May 2005 as a contribution to the Tropical Rivers Inventory and Assessment Project (TRIAP) of Australia's Tropical Rivers Program. The aim was to provide a framework for the analysis of the ecosystem services provided by the wetland and riverine ecosystems of northern Australia. The analyses drew heavily on the conceptual framework provided by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) where ecosystem services were defined as 'the benefits people obtain from ecosystems'.
The Government of Republic of Kiribati has recognized the important contribution of biodiversity to the people of Kiribati by ratifying the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on 16 August 1994. In doing this, Kiribati has taken on obligations and commitments to protect and promote the sustainable use of biodiversity.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 67 p.
Human well-being utterly depends on nature. Development, defined broadly to encompass social, economic, and environmental aspects
The CBD, the Ramsar Convention and the CMS recognise impact assessment as an important tool to ensure that development is planned and implemented with biodiversity 'in mind'. The CBD requires parties to apply impact assessment to projects, programmes, plans and policies with a potential negative impact on biodiversity. Considerable progress has been made in strengthening impact assessment as a tool to further the aims of the CBD and related conventions. However, practise shows
that more work is needed.
This document outlines the activities that the Secretariat plans to undertake to support the IYB. Some of these have already begun and others are in development. The paper includes suggestions as to actions that other partners may take to advance the celebrations of the IYB.
The end result of the IYB celebration will be action at various levels as a result of targeted "public awareness" campaigns in collaboration with a number of partners. A comprehensive
In April 2003, he National Marine Fisheries Service(NMFS,also known as NOAA Fisheries) transferred the responsibility for man aging the marine resources infederal waters surrounding the US Pacific Islands from NOAA Fisheries' Southwest Region based in california to the newly defined pacific islands region based in Hawaii.The Pacific Islands Region was established with the explicit intent of employing regional expertise to provide improved customer service and stewardship of living marine resources within the expansive geographic region of the western pacific.
To strengthen the governance of and programmatic and administrative support for Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) by United Nations organizations by identifying measures to promote enhanced coordination, coherence and synergies between MEAs and the United Nations system, thus increasing United Nations system's contribution towards a more integrated approach to international environmental governance and management at national, regional and international levels.
Available online
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Physical Description: 49 p.
The Western Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Council (WPRFMC) has been funding several leatherback turtle recovery projects in Melanesia for a number of years. The major
contribution by the WPRFMC in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is the ongoing support of the Huon Coast Leatherback Turtle Conservation Project (HCLTCP) in the Morobe Province
Available online|Report prepared for the WPRFMC
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 50 p.
Constitution - The constitution of a country usually mentions the environment in the preamble, but not in the substance of the
constitution. E.g. Soloman Islands took into account the importance of the environment and that the resources belonged to the people. Resources are usually under common law and under the power of the state, so this was a paradigm shift. Unfortunately, the new government will not include this proposal that the environment belongs to the people.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
The Office of the Attorney General of Samoa in conjunction with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa initiated a project under the name of the "Legislative Drafting Handbook Project". This project was implemented with assistance from the Public Sector Improvement Facility and utilises funds provided to the PSIF by the Governments of Australia and New Zealand.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 97 p.