In June 2007 a group of engineers, public health practitioners, local and international NGO staff, academics and government
representatives gathered to discuss water and sanitation in South East Asia and the Pacific at the Let's Come Clean Conference in Melbourne, Australia. At the conference, consensus emerged on the need for greater regional exchange of experience in sanitation. It was agreed that more could be done to document and disseminate practical lessons learned from water, sanitation and hygiene initiatives throughout the region.
Available online
Forests and other wooded land together cover about
one-third of the Asia and the Pacific region.
Excluding the Russian Federation, forest area in 2005
was estimated at 734 million hectares, accounting for
about 19 percent of global forest area. The region as a
whole experienced a net increase in forest area of about
633 000 ha annually during 2000-2005. This
is an important breakthrough, since the region had
experienced a net loss of forest cover during the 1990s. The improvement was largely the result of an increase of more
The need for a Pacific Biodiversity Information Forum to provide a venue and support for biodiversity information needs in the Pacific Basin was established during the GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) meeting on Maui in May of 2002. Interested parties met again during the October 2003 GBIF meeting in Tsukuba, Japan and reaffirmed the need and began to draw up a governing structure for PBIF and identify specific biodiversity needs in the Pacific Basin that can be addressed through projects.
In World Resources 2005 we showed that ecosystems can become the focus of a powerful model for nature-based enterprise that delivers continuing economic and social benefits to die poor, even as it improves the natural resource base. Evidence shows that poor rural families empowered with secure resource rights can significantly increase their income stream from nature with prudent ecosystem management. To make this possible, a funda-
mental shift in governancein the power of the poor to access resources of value and build functional enterprisesis required.
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Fisheries in the Solomon Islands comprise two distinct sectors: the industrial sector which is predominantly off-shore and depends on the abundant tuna resources found in the country's
"The CARICOM Environment in Figures 2004 has been prepared the Caribbean
Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, Statistics Sub-programme based on data submitted
by Member States and Associate Members., from the United Nations Statistics Division
(UNSD) and from other regional and National Organisations. This is the second report in
this area of Statistics that has been produced. The first report contained data up to the
period 2002. The work on Environmental Statistics in the CARICOM Region was
Species which have been assessed for extinction
risk are on average moving closer to extinction.
Amphibians face the greatest risk and
coral species are deteriorating most rapidly in
status. Nearly a quarter of plant species are estimated
to be threatened with extinction.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
ISBN/ISSN: 92-9225-220-8
Physical Description: 96 p.
This remote chain of 13 islands (9 inhabited) and two atolls is located 140 south of the equator near the International Date Line. It is divided into two political entities, the US Territory of American Samoa and the neighboring independent country of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa. The land area of (western) Samoa is approximately 15 times larger than the land area of American Samoa
2 copies and also available electronically
Call Number: 508.099613 CRA [EL]
Physical Description: 130 p. ; 28 cm
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
Climate change is real and Asia is already experiencing its adverse impacts. Projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggest that such impacts will become even more intense in the future. While the contribution of developing countries in Asia to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is increasing rapidly, per capita emissions are still low and developmental challenges remain significant.
The Earth currently finds itself in the midst of what some have termed the "Anthropocene Era" - a period during which human activities have become a dominate force affecting not only the
planet's landscape, but also its atmosphere. Since the dawn of the industrial evolution of the mid-18th century, humans have contributed to substantial increases in the concentration of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide has increased by 36%, methane by 17%, and nitrous oxide by 151%. These changes in the global atmosphere are directly linked to over
The Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC (IPCC AR4) Working Group II (2007) identifies small island states as being among the most vulnerable countries of the world to the adverse impacts of climate change. Hay, el al.y (2003) in discussing the Pacific's observed climate noted that compared to earlier historical records during the twentieth century, the southern Pacific had experienced a significantly drier and warmer climate (by 15 percent and 0.8°C, respectively).
To formally launch the second phase of the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) programme, a regional inception workshop for the Pacific was held at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel, Apia, Samoa from 11th to 15th June 2018. The aim of the inception workshop was to ensure that all 15 countries in the Pacific ACP Group of States were engaged for the second phase of BIOPAMA. The working title of the workshop was Regional Workshop on Improving Information and Capacity for More Effective Protected Area Management and Governance in the Pacific.
The nine Pacific Island countries (PICs)1 covered in this regional strategy face similar development challenges today despite notable differences in history, culture, and endowments.
The lack of economic growth in the face of growing populations has contributed to rising unemployment and hardship in the region. Even those countries that have seen positive growth in
With these decisions in mind, the Pacific Plan identifies initiatives within an implementation framework that extends to 10 years. Some of this work is already underway. The Plan provides a framework for effective and enhanced engagement
between Forum countries and Pacific territories and with their non-state actors and development partners. It does not limit the sovereign right of Forum Member countries to determine their own national goals and priorities. It may also guide but does not restrict bilateral development programmes and activities.
1 copy