Natural disasters such as hurricanes, cyclones, and tropical depressions cause average annual direct losses of US$284 million in the Pacific. With a combined population of fewer than 10 million people, annual losses are the highest in the world on a per-capita basis. Extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall are closely linked to climate change, suggesting that Pacific Island nations face increasing risk of disasters such as flooding and landslides. Proactive management through infrastructure development, social solutions, and/or ecosystem-based adaptation can mitigate these risks.
This report examines the role of the ecosystem services in reducing the vulnerability of the people of the Pacific Islands to climate change. Specifically, it describes the decision-making frameworks and the current state of knowledge of specific ecosystem-service/development relationships that are relevant to EbA.
Marine invasive species have received much less attention than terrestrial species worldwide. In the Pacific, the marine environment provides us with a significant part of our diet and income. Marine Managed Areas focus on protecting these important resources for livelihood purposes, biodiversity and ecosystem function, tourism and many other benefits. Although invasive species management is more difficult in the marine environment, it is not something we can neglect, and the efforts we put in need to increase. This guide seeks to provide some options for this management.
The Invasive Species Battler series has been developed to share what we have learned about common invasive species issues in the region. They are not intended to cover each issue in depth but to provide information and case-studies that can assist you to make a decision about what to do next or where to go for further information.
SPREP publication| available online
Call Number: [EL]
ISBN/ISSN: 978-982-04-0785-5,978-982-04-0786-2
Physical Description: 28 p
The Cook Islands signed the Convention on Biological Diversity at the Earth
Summit in 1992. As a Party to the Convention, the Cook Islands Government
committed itself and its people to conserve its biodiversity, to use it in a sustainable manner, and to share its benefits in an equitable manner. It also committed itself to control invasive species (the weeds and pest animals in natural ecosystems and agricultural systems), and to reduce the likelihood of future invasions.
Call Number: 333.95 MCC [EL],BIO,333.95 COO
Seabirds of the Pacific Islands; 42 species of seabird known or suspected to breed throughout the tropical Pacific islands. 10 are considered endemic. 11 globally threatened (CR, EN, VU) and one near threatened species.
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 12 p.
Island ecosystems have proven to be particularly sensitive to
human disturbances (Bourne 1975; Byrne 1980; Jarvis 1979). This was first noted by Charles Darwin in the explanation of his theory of natural selection (Byrne 1980). Since then, qualities of insular species have been examined by various authors in an attempt to understand the basis for island vulnerability.
Available online
Call Number: [EL],VF 2783
Physical Description: 34 p.
The botany of four small, relatively undisturbed tuff cone islands off the east coast of Upolu, Western Samoa, is examined. During a series of visits to the islands, the vegetation was studied in nine sample plots, and a checklist of the 260 species comprising the flora was compiled. Six types of native vegetation are recognized, one of which (Diospyros coastal forest) appears to be unique to tuff cone islands. Casual observations were made on the avifauna and turtle
species, and the ecological significance of the islands is discussed.
Since 1987, I have assisted the Cook Islands Conservation/Environment Service and, more recently, the Takitumu Conservation Area Project and the Avifauna Conservation Programme of the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to plan and implement a recovery programme for the kakerori, a critically endangered forest bird endemic to Rarotonga. In 1989, the kakerori was one of the 10 rarest birds in the world, and classified as 'critically endangered' (Collar et al. 1994) with a population of just 29 birds. I calculated
The aim of this consultancy is to prepare a broad analysis of legal and institutional options for the establishment and management of Conservation Areas in fourteen independent Pacific Island countries. The full terms of reference for the consultancy are annexed at Appendix 1.
Available online
Call Number: 344.026 SOU [EL]
ISBN/ISSN: 982-04-0089-9
Physical Description: v, ; 45 p.
The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply
the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN concerning the legal status of any country,
territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
A contribution to the global invasive species programme
Call Number: 628.16 CLA [EL],SPE
ISBN/ISSN: 2-8317-0548-7
Physical Description: xvi, 138 p. ; 29 cm
The Pacific islands have an extremely rich maritime heritage. The islands themselves were first populated by what are arguably the greatest mariners in human history. In pie-European times the Pacific islandersnavigated wooden canoes held together with coconut fibre across thousands of miles of open ocean, with
nothing but the stars and their intimate knowledge of the sea to aid navigation. Today, this seafaring tradition is continued, with several island countries, such as Kiribati and Tuvalu, being suppliers of seamento the regional and global shipping fleet.
SPREP's direction in the Islands Ecosystems Programme reflects a
fundamental commitment to sustaining the livelihoods of island peoples today and tomorrow by supporting ecosystem management and species conservation. The Programme focuses on developing the capacities of the peoples of the Pacific islands to equip them to sustainable manage and conserve the terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems of their islands. The programme also focuses efforts to protect priority threatened species, and to protect Pacific island countries and terrttories (PICTs) from
On 6 January 2004. cyclone Heta devastated much of the South Pacific island nation of Niue. Extensive damage was done to forest, particularly of the north- western sector, with many trees up-rooted and others stripped of branches and foliage. This report details our findings from a survey of Niue's birds and rodents during 3-19 September 2004 and compares these with results from a similar survey in September 1994.
American Samoa is a group of oceanic islands, which lie about 3,680 km southwest of Hawaiíi and about 2,560 km from the northern tip of New Zealand. It is situated along 14 degrees latitude south of the equator. Its immediate neighbor is Samoa (formerly known as Western Samoa), an independent state 128 km to the west. The total land area of American Samoa is about 200 square kilometers, which is shared by five main islands, namely Tutuila, Tau, Ofu, Olosega, and Aunuu.
The biodiversity of the Pacific region is recognised as being globally significant. The Solomon Islands was recently included into the famous "Coral Triangle", the area of ocean considered to have the highest marine biodiversity in the world. This includes the waters of the Philippines, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The Solomon Islands Rainforest Ecoregion is recognised as "one of the world's great Centres of Plant Diversity"
The purpose of the National Invasive Species Strategy is to minimize the harmful effects of invasive species on the environment and society of Palau through coordination of efforts at all levels of Palauan society, and to facilitate cooperation with neighboring countries and the Pacific Islands region to prevent the movement of invasive species.
Available online|Adopted by the National Environmental Protected Council
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 34 p.
This is a continuation of the survey of islands in Micronesia and American Samoa for invasive plant species requested by the Pacific Islands Committee. Council of Western State Foresters. A
survey of other Micronesian islands was conducted in 1998 and was discussed in a previous report2. This report summarizes a survey of the island of Rota. Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, on 5 April 2000. The objectives, as with the previous survey. were three-fold: (1) To identify plant species on the island that are presently causing problems to natural and
The Government of the Cook Islands requested assistance from the US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, to conduct a survey of invasive
plant species of environmental concern, similar to surveys previously conducted in Micronesia, American Samoa, Nine, Samoa and Tonga. The survey was carried out from 11 March through
This is a continuation of the survey of islands in Micronesia and American Samoa for invasive plant species requested by the Pacific Islands Committee, Council of Western State Foresters. A
survey of other Micronesian islands was conducted in 1998 and was discussed in a previous report". This report is based on a survey of several islands of Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia, from 30 March to 4 April 2000. The objectives, as with the previous survey, were three-fold: (1) To identify plant species on the islands that are presently causing problems to