This is a report on research conducted by the author under the auspices of research funding provided by The University of Adelaide and the International Waters Project (IWP)1 of the
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP). The focus of the research project has been to examine how existing arrangements of and approaches to governance affect the management of coastal resources and environments in three South Pacific countries: Fiji, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. It is not a comparative study.
Available electronically
The International Waters Project (IWP)1 is a 7-year, USD 12 million initiative concerned with management and conservation of marine, coastal and freshwater resources in the Pacific islands region, and is specifically intended to address the root causes of environmental degradation related to trans-boundary issues in the Pacific. The project includes two components: an integrated coastal and watershed management component, and an oceanic
During a review of the priority environmental concerns in Vanuatu (Tapisue et al. 2003) sustainable coastal fisheries were highlighted as an area for action under the IWP. IWP Vanuatu, in close consultation with the National Task Force, screened a number of potential communities to host the IWP pilot project. Coastal resource management has increasingly become a priority in many communities, but is sometimes hampered due to the
lack of cooperation within and among communities, often as a result of land boundary and village leadership disputes (Johannes and Hickey 2004)..
Before making a commitment to a given area, programs such as IWP must collect information on local institutions, community history, social and political structures, livelihood strategies
and opportunities for. and constraints to achieving program activities. This information provides insights that can help in dealing with specific local issues and in identifying key
issues, as well as factors for improved management of marine resources.
Available electronically
Call Number: 333.784 4 KIN (EL)
ISBN/ISSN: 978-982-04-0355-0
The "Capacity Building to enable the Development of Adaptation Measures in Pacific Island Countries" (CBDAMPIC) project is an adaptation to climate change project focusing on improving the sustainable livelihoods of Pacific Island people by
increasing their adaptive capacity to climate-related risks. The project is implemented in four countries: Cook Islands, Samoa, Fiji and Vanuatu and was executed from January 2002 till March 2005.
Available online
Call Number: VF 6683 (EL)
Physical Description: 64 p. ; 29 cm
The Kingdom of Tonga has previously indicated to SPREP that specialised short term training in reef ecology and the development of coral reef survey and monitoring skills is a priority for their country (Thistlethwaite et al. 1993, SPREP 1995, SPREP 1996). In recognition of the ongoing need for regional capacity building in coral reef survey and monitoring techniques, and to accommodate the particular requests of the Kingdom of Tonga. SPREP sought and received funding from AusAID to run a sub-regional course in Vava'u. Kingdom of Tonga.
An ecological baseline survey of the Amal/Crab Bay Tabu Eria (AKTE) was performed between November 2004 and May 2005. Resources were surveyed with the assistance of Community Facilitators (CFs), and under the direction of the AKTE Management Committee (MC); surveyed resources included land crabs, terrestrial flora, mangroves, avifauna,mammals, finfish, shellfish, turtles and dugongs. Available literature regarding these resources and their distrubution within Vanuatu was reviewed and summarised, and traditional and local knowledge documented, including vernacular names for resources.
One of the most critical factors influencing the success of the IWP pilot projects has been the choice of sites. Communities that choose to be involved in the project were committed to the
Climate change2 is one of the most pressing issues for the Pacific Island countries (PICs). The impacts of climate variability and extreme events (cyclones, floods, droughts, sea
Niue consists of a single uplifted coral atoll with a unique rugged coastline. It is situated in the Southwest Pacific Ocean within the Polynesian cultural zone. The population of Niue was 2.088 at the 1977 population census, and is a declining population due to outward migration. Niue lies on the edge of the southern tropical cyclone belt, and has two distinct seasons, a hot wet season from November to March and a cool dry season from April to November. The economy is largely dependent on overseas aid. with no realistic prospect of economic self-reliance.
The development and sustainable management of Nukunono's resources requires active involvement from all sectors of the community. Meetings were held with all stakeholder groups to document their concerns and perceptions of atoll resources and
current and historic resource use. These were further supplemented by semi-structured interviews conducted at random with individuals from all community groups to obtain more details perceptions on the status and use of resources and also
on management systems and their success or otherwise.
This book is primarily targeted at solid waste officers in Pacific island countries who may have little background in engineering and construction. The objective of this guide is to help those users understand the concept of a landfill and its operation. It also demonstrates ways to upgrade/improve an existing facility in an economical and effective way that suits most landfills in the Pacific island countries. This book focuses on inland-based waste disposal and does not include landfilling at coastlines, lagoons or wetlands where a different method needs to be developed and applied.
Recovery planning has been adopted internationally as a way of developing an agreed approach for the conservation of a threatened species. It provides an opportunity for all with knowledge of, or an interest in, a given species to contribute their ideas and agree on priority actions within a recovery plan
Also available electronically
Call Number: 598.65099614 MIN [EL]
Physical Description: 46 p. ; 29 cm
This report provides an overview of the current state of knowledge of cetacean diversity, habitat and threats in the Pacifi c Islands Region.
Coral reef, deep ocean and terrestrial surveys were conducted during 25 days of field work in the Phoenix Islands, Republic of Kiribati, with additional surveys of marine mammals during the 9 days of passage to and from Fiji. This study builds on an earlier survey conducted in 2000. Islands visited in 2002 included Nikumaroro, Manra, Kanton, Enderbury, Orona, Birnie and Phoenix, leaving out McKean which was surveyed in 2000. This report summarizes the results of the expedition, with detailed results being prepared for individual components for separate publication.
Global change poses enormous challenges to those responsible for managing the world's forests. There is perhaps no other ecosystem that is so closely linked to, and affected by, human induced changes to climate - being regarded simultaneously as a victim, a villain and a potential saviour. Concentrations of carbon dioxide methane and other greenhouse gases are rising at an accelerating rate in the atmosphere, largely as a result of emissions from human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels.
As an outcome of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, the 1994 Barbados Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States not only recognized common environmental challenges facing SIDS, but also highlighted the meteorological, hydrological and oceanographic issues in many of these countries. The Barbados Programme of Action (BPoA), the principal output of the Conference, identified 14 issues and/or focal areas as urgent priorities.
This report presents the integrated case study for Fiji carried out under an OECD project on Development and Climate Change. The report is structured around a three-tier framework. First, recent climate trends and climate change scenarios for Fiji are assessed, and key sectoral impacts are identified and ranked along multiple indicators to establish priorities for adaptation. Second, donor portfolios are analyzed to examine the proportion of donor activities affected by climate risks.
The management of waste materials is a world wide problem. In the small island developing states of the Pacific (Pacific SIDS), waste management is becoming an acute problem as urban population increases, the economies of these countries develop, and the quantities of waste materials requiring management increases. The problems are particularly evident on small atoll islands where there is little land available for landfill waste disposal and such activities are impacting on potable groundwater resources.
Kept in vertical file collection|Electronic copy available
Between 4 February and 8 March 2005, the Cook Islands experienced five damaging cyclones within a period of five weeks, four of which were assigned a severity rating of Category 51 and caused damage to homes and essential public infrastructure. The Government and its agencies provided early warning information dissemination, evacuation and emergency relief to the affected population with the support of international and regional relief agencies.