Freshwater is essential for life and for the social, cultural and economic well-being of all peoples. In Nauru, freshwater is a vital and scarce resource supporting the island’s communities and their economic growth. There are widespread community concerns about the availability and quality of freshwater, especially during Nauru’s frequent ENSO-related droughts and due to discharge from household sanitation systems to shallow groundwater. Predicted impacts of climate change add to these concerns.
This report updates Sanitation, hygiene and drinking-water in Pacific island countries: Converting commitment into action (WHO, SOPAC, 2008). This report reviews the status of sanitation, drinking-water and hygiene in Pacific island countries and the challenges faced in meeting international targets. Information sources include the WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP) which produces estimates of progress based on data from national censuses and household surveys.
Nauruans’ experiences of a resource curse from mining phosphate stands, as a case study of retarded development. Nauru was much adulated in the press in the early 20th century as an example of a small island that became wealthy through mining. The high grade phosphate that covered four fifths of the island was considered by outsiders as a very lucrative resource that had to be mined, particularly as fertilizer to enhance the pastures of Australia and New Zealand.
Pacific island countries are no different from other countries in that freshwater is essential to human
existence and a major requirement in agricultural and other commercial production systems. The economic
and social well being of Pacific island countries are dependent upon the quality and quantity of their water.
However, the ability of the island countries to effectively manage the water sector is unique to Small Island
Developing States (SIDS), whereby constrained by their small size, fragility, natural vulnerability, and
This report is the result of a visit to Nauru of 21 days from 14th November to 5th Dec 2003.
In May 2003 Buada Community had been chosen as the International Waters Programme Pilot Project,
to implement a community-based waste reduction pilot project. There were two main areas of interest
for this visit: to identify the baseline situation regarding waste in Buada Community, and to determine
the current situation on Nauru with regard to the legal and institutional responsibility for dealing with
Extracted Annexed from a WHO Mission to Nauru by Dr Ian Wallis 2001
Scientific article - Micronesica 40(1/2): 227-232 (2008)
Scientific article - Pacific Science 2008 (62 : 4) 495-498.
Scientific article - Bulletin BOC 2008 128(4)
Scientific article: Pacific Science 2008 (62 : 4 ) 499-507
Photocopy of an article published in Geo 9 (2): 70-77
Scientific publication: Micronesica 39 (2): 171-295 (2007)
A report published by the Atoll Research Programme, University of the South Pacific 1997 for
Nauru Departments of: Island Development and Industry, Education and Health and Nauru Fisheries and Marine Resources of the Government of the Republic of NAURU
with financial support from UNESCO
via UNESCO Office for the Pacific States, W. Samoa.
Scientific article published in the Pacific Science (2008) vol. 62, no. 4: 499-507
pdf 1 pager. graph downloaded from BOM 2021
Legislation
4-page summary from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Report presented to the Fourth Pacific Meteorological Council Meeting held in Honiara from 14-18 August, 2017.
Report - 9 pages