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.
Sea turtles are tagged to achieve the recognition of individuals or cohorts for research purposes. Tagging is most often conducted to obtain information on reproductive biology, movements, strandings, residency and growth rates. This chapter will cover the use of external and internal tags, exclusive of remote sensing techniques (sonic and radio transmitters; see S. Eckert, this volume), naturally occurring genetic markers (see FitzSimmons et al., this volume), data logging devices that require the electronic down-loading of stored information (see S.
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
This report presents the results of a twelve day survey expedition (5 to 16 December, 2004) and represents the first ever systematic effort to document the marine biodiversity of the Great Sea Reef (GSR), locally known as Cakaulevu, to the north of Vanua Levu in the Fiji Archipelago. 23 sites were surveyed over 6 major habitat types: outer barrier reefs, back barrier reefs, channels, mangrove island fringing reefs, rocky island fringing reef and submerged patch reefs.
Kept in vertical file collection|Also available electronically
Call Number: VF 6834 [EL]
The Pacific islands are uniquely vulnerable to a variety of unpredictable events - natural disasters, including potential climate change impact, as well as health emergencies. The region is made up of mainly very small countries with poor socio-economic development. These and other contextual factors result in unique challenges in building systems, skills and experience necessary to maintain and promote a well functioning national society.
The Pacific islands region faces increasing environmental and socioeconomic pressures exacerbated by global climate change and climate variability.1 Adaptation to climate change and variability (CCV) is ultimately an issue of sustainable development. Even without climate change, Pacific island countries are already severely affected by climate variability and extremes, and they remain extremely vulnerable to future changes in the regional climate that could increase the risks.
The Pacific Islands region faces increasing environmental and socioeconomic pressures exacerbated by global climate change and climate variability.1 Adaptation to climate change and variability (CCV) is ultimately an issue of sustainable development. Even without climate change, Pacific island countries are already severely affected by climate variability and extremes, and they remain extremely vulnerable to future changes in the regional climate that could increase the risks.
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.
Some underwater photographs of live sea cucumbers are reproduced with kind permission from the French Institute of Research for Development (IRD) and the WorldFish Center. Photographs of dried beche-de-mer are by Eric Aubry and Jipé LeBars, Noumea, New Caledonia.
Avaialable electronically|2 copies kept at vertical file collection
Call Number: VF 7005 [EL]
Physical Description: 52 p. 25 cm
The natural environment of Pacific Island countries has supported, maintained and improved the social and economic wellbeing of its people and cultures since the arrival of the first inhabitants. The importance of the regions biodiversity cannot be understated; it is present in every facet of the island way of life. Natural resources provide food, shelter, medicine and are used extensively in traditions. In the past, utilization of these resources was allowed under traditional and community management.
The Cook Islands, a self-governing country in the central South Pacific consists of fifteen islands, all islands between 8°S and 23°S and 156°W and 167°W. It is geographically divided into two groups a Northern Group comprising Penrhyn, Rakahanga, Manihiki,Suwarrow, Nassau and Pukapuka. All are atolls except Nassau. The Southern Group comprises Palmerston, Rarotonga,Mangaia, Mauke and Atiu as high islands; Aitutaki a part atoll with a volcanic peak and a large lagoon: Mitiaro an elevated coral island and Manuae and Palmerston atolls. Tukutea is a small island near Atiu.
Research shows that marine reserves are one tool that can help to prevent, slow, or reverse negative changes in the ocean. Marine reserves are places in the ocean that are completely and permanently protected from uses that remove animals and plants or alter their habitats. Increasingly, the public, governmental agencies, commercial groups, and scientists are discussing the idea of establishing more marine reserves to complement existing ocean management. The purpose of this report is to provide a summary of the latest scientific information about marine reserves.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB), in co-operation with the Government of New Zealand is formulating the Pacific Regional Environmental Strategy. This will review major environmental challenges in the region and put forward strategic objectives
and activities for ADB assistance.
Available electronically
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 109 p. ; 29 cm
E.O. Wilson once said about ants "we need them to survive, but they don't need us at all." The same, in fact, could be said about countless other insects, bacteria, fungi, plankton, plants, and other organisms. This central truth, however, is
largely lost to most of us. Rather, we act as if we were totally independent of Nature, as if it were an infinite source ofproducts and services for our use alone, and an infinite sink for our wastes.
Available electronically|A project of the Center for Health and the Global Environment Harvard Medical School
This document presents a national plan for the implementation of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in the Republic of the Fiji Islands. Fiji was the second country in the
world to ratify the Stockholm Convention, having done so on 20 June 2001. The Convention entered into force on 17 May, 2004.
Available online
Call Number: 363.7287 NAT [EL]
Physical Description: v, 61 p. ; 29 cm
Local trees in the Northern Mariana Islands are some of our most precious resources. For centuries our people have relied on native trees and plants for food, medicine, building materials, and countless other uses. Trees also provide much-needed shade, help control soil erosion and serve as watershed areas which store our life-giving water. Birds, fruit bats and other animals also depend on plants for food and habitat needs. Today, much
Guam is the largest and southern-most island in
the Marianas chain. It lies about.13° North latitude
and has a wet and dry season of approximately equal
lengths. The island is about 30 miles long and ranges
from four in the middle to eight miles in width and is
oriented in a northeast, southwest direction. The pre-
vailing winds are easterly and bring an average annual
rainfall of about 85 inches. A range of hills extends
from the waist toward the south on the western side.
The highest of these hills, 1300 feet, is Mt. Lamlam
Field and Garden Plants of Guam is designed as a botanical field
guide and its purpose is to provide a way for interested people to learn the names of the plants that they see around them. Like most other places, Guam has a flora that is well documented for use by specialists of the scientific world. Reliable reference tools for students and interested amateurs, however, are almost nonexistent and it is for these individuals that this book is intended.
Available in electronic form
Call Number: [EL]
This book comprises the offerings of sixteen indigenous Pacific writers and presents the first publication of its kind in the region in terms of profiling the direct experiences of Pacific indigenous communities who have had an acrimonious encounter with science, biotechnology and intellectual property rights
Climate variability is the variation around the average climate, including seasonal variations as well as large-scale variations in atmospheric and ocean circulation such as the EI Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Climate change operates over decades or longer. Changes in climate occur as a result of internal variability within the climate system and external
factors (natural and anthropogenic). Although climate is always changing, over the past 10,000 years it has been both relatively stable and warm.
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