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The shallow coastal zone of Fiji is comprised of three major, interrelated habitat types: marine algae and seagrass: large areas of mangroves; and extensive coral reefs. The marine resources include approximately 1000 coral reefs with representatives of all major reef types (Vuki et al„ 2000). Although marine biodiversity is lower than the 'coral triangle' of Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and northeastern Australia. Fiji does support approximately 200 species of coral (Veron. 2000).

The maintenance and enhancement of arboreal biodiversity, especially forest and tree genetic resources, is vital for sustainable development in the Pacific Islands. For Pacific peoples, their forest and tree genetic resources are not just a matter of scientific, economic (in monetary terms), recreational or ecological value. They are a capital inheritance that, until recent times, was passed on, relatively intact or in some cases enhanced, by past generations to current generations.

The Marshall Islands are critically dependent on the health of their coral reefs: every rock and sand grain on the islands are the remains of coral reef organisms. Only actively growing coral reefs can protect the islands against ocean waves and global sea level rise, and provide fish to feed the people. These crucial services are rapidly deteriorating because global warming is

Solomon Islands consists of many islands extending over 1,400 kilometers of ocean in the western equatorial Pacific
between 5 and 13 degrees south and 155 and 158 degrees east. It has an estimated total land area of 29,000 square
kilometers, a 12 mile territorial sea and approximately 1.3 million square kilometers of ocean within its 200 mile

Solomon Islanders rely heavily on marine resources and have one of the highest per capita rates of seafood consumption in the world. In 1982, the national average annual consumption of fish per person was estimated to be 25.7 kg, ranging from <10 kg in rural Guadalcanal and San Cristobal, to 54 kg in the Western Province (Cook, 1988). Another survey conducted in Honiara in 1992, found that 31 per cent of households consumed fresh fish each day and that 82.4 per cent of meals containing animal protein were based on fish.

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

The 290 km long Mariana Islands Archipelago encompasses 14 islands of the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), the U.S. Territory of Guam, and numerous offshore banks.

The Republic of the Fiji Islands (Fiji) has generally returned to normalcy after a period of political unrest and uncertainty. Instability over a period of nearly two decades, highlighted by the military coups that occurred in 1987 and again in 2000, has brought into focus the urgent need to achieve peace and security, in order to restore private sector confidence, and to accelerate various proposed public sector reforms needed to promote sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction. In 2001, the Government pledged to build a better Fiji.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) uses the country environmental analysis (CEA) as the tool to assist with early incorporation of environmental considerations into the country strategy and program (CSP) for its Developing Member Countries. The CEA provides targeted information necessary for informed decision making on environmental constraints, needs, and opportunities, including those that impinge upon poverty partnership agreements, as appropriate.

In terms of national aggregates, the Cook Islands have already achieved two of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG's): Goal 4 on Reducing Infant Mortality and Goal 5 on Maternal Health. With the exception of Goal 7 on environmental sustainability and an additional Goal 9 on Improving Governance, the Cook Islands is capable of achieving most of the other MDG's by the year 2015.

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Call Number: [EL]

Physical Description: 66 p.

Fiji Islands, one of the larger countries of the South Pacific island region, has a relatively high level of human development. Its multi-ethnic population, which numbers approximately 800,000, is growing slowly due to a moderately low level of fertility and a high level of emigration. The economy rests primarily on sugar production and tourism but is becoming more diverse, with manufacturing now an important sector of employment.

Available online

Call Number: [EL]

Physical Description: 83 p.

Increasing recognition of anthropogenic changes in the natural environment as a result of human interference has lead to the international community agreeing on a number of multilateral environmental agreements. At the 1992 Earth Summit, world leaders agreed on a comprehensive strategy for "sustainable development" - meeting our needs while ensuring that we leave a healthy and viable world for future generations.

The National Capacity Self-Assessment is a Global Environment Facility(GEF)-funded initiative currently being undertaken by over 50 developing countries world-wide. It responds to a concern that is raised frequently in the post-project evaluation of GEF-funded projects, namely that activities cease once GEF-

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 study of marine sediments provides useful information in marine, environmental and geochemical research about pollution of the marine environment (Calace et al. 2005). Urban developments and industrial activities contribute to the introduction of significant amounts of contaminants (among them trace metals) into the marine environment and affect directly the coastal systems where they are often deposited (Angelidis 1995; Dassenakis et al. 2003).

This thesis is a critical ethnographic account of the Wartha people, a small group of hunter-horticulturalists living on the Torassi or Bensbach River, in the southwest corner of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea (PNG). This area is adjacent to the international border between PNG and Indonesia's Papua Province (West Papua).

Available online|A thesis submitted to the School of Social Science, the University of Queensland for the degree of Doctor or Philosophy

Call Number: [EL]

Physical Description: 438 p.

Development of conceptual models is an important step in the design of the Inventory and Monitoring Program. Conceptual models provide a framework for clarifying meaningful

The native plants of remote tropical islands have been frequently characterized as poor competitors against seemingly more aggressive alien species.. Does this "weak competitor" characterization relate to some real adaptive consequences of island isolation and endemism, or does the generally concurrent presence of introduced ungulates and other forms of recurrent

The purpose of this thesis is to develop an analytical framework that can be used to better understand the impacts of tourism on small island developing states (SIDS). In particular, the framework will address tourism in light of sustainability goals

Solomon Islands is emerging from four turbulent years (1999 - 2003) of an ethnic crisis with a very weak economy, a rapidly growing population and a government system struggling to cope with the delivery of basic services. The country's people are
custodians to globally significant terrestrial and marine biodiversity that is at risk of being over-exploited and lost due to uncontrolled and unsustainable development activities. In recognition of the importance of environmental management and