Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are very vulnerable to global warning and the impending sea level rise. Lack of energy security combined with but not limited to, High per capita use. lack of widespread renewable energy technologies, remoteness, limited funding, and high fuel prices, make pacific SIDS especially vulnerable to energy security/supply issues.1 This paper presents strategies that the Government of Nauru
Potable water for households, schools, commercial buildings, hotels, restaurants and similar uses must be safe, clean, clear and potable. Potable water must come from collection of rainwater, desalination of seawater or extraction of freshwater from the groundwater. Potable water also may be produced by private desalination units operated using seawater or
The Republic of Nauru since becoming independent on 31 January 1968 has relatively been self sufficient with little or no reliance on external assistance. This was made possible through revenue received from the mining of rock phosphate which since the early 1900s was the single key activity driving the economy of Nauru. In fact in the 1970s and 80s, Nauru had the highest per capita income making it the richest country in the Asia Pacific region.
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Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 8 Pages
Nauru is a small country comprising a single island with an area of only 22 km2. The island is having severe difficulties in achieving a safe and adequate supply of potable water and suffers from pollution of local groundwater due to inadequate sanitation services. The problems have arisen from the collapse of the utility services when phosphate mining ceased, followed by a national financial crisis.
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Physical Description: 6 Pages
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
It is becoming clear that there is a fair amount of small plastic distributed in the oceans and on beaches worldwide, not surprising given its durability and floatability. Marine debris is often ingested by animals such as sea turtles, marine mammals, and seabirds. Items such as lighters and small plastic pieces may look like food to an animal, or have an animal's natural food attached to it. Debris may also be ingested accidentally with actual food items. Exactly how many of them die each year due to marine debris ingestion is not
known.
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The Vanuatu Environmental Unit (VEU) is undertaking a capacity building add-on to the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Planning Project (NBSAP). One priority within the work is protection of the rights of Ni-Vanuatu, innovations and practices relating to biological diversity. The NBSAP Project has information from Regional Networks that have been promoting interest in protection of indigenous rights, including information from a forum held in Vila in 2001.1 Clark Peteru, a Samoan based lawyer, has provided advice on intellectual
The Republic of Vanuatu, formerly the Anglo-French Condominium of the New Hebrides, consists of the central and southern part of an archipelago which forms one of the numerous seismic arcs found in the Western Pacific. The Santa Cruz Islands, politically part of the Solomon Islands, constitute the northern
part of the archipelago (UNEP/IUCN. 1988).
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Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 76 p,
Vanuatu is among countries in the Pacific region that are most vulnerable to the risks of climate change, climate variability and sea level rise. With the livelihood of its people and economy interwoven, shaped and driven by climate sensitive
sectors, the effects of climate and sea level change are already very real and pose a tangible threat to the future socio-economic wellbeing of the country.
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Call Number: [EL],551.6 COM
Physical Description: 44 p.
This report presents the results of field studies of the National Forest Inventory. Details of the survey methodology and coverage are provided and summaries of results are presented.
The Vanuatu National Forest Inventory commenced in 1989. Field survey activities were primarily undertaken through the Vanuatu dry season and were completed in 1991. The primary objective of the forest survey was to provide information on type, distribution and volume of forest resources to enable national planning for development and conservation. The first step in developing the sampling strategy was the typing of vegetation from aerial photographs (API). Geographic information was collated and then overlain to compile discrete polygons known as resource mapping units (RMU).
The plant site is very close to, and its land lease abuts the Tagabe River which is a major resource for the area and particularly the people living in Blacksands who have no municipal utility supply. The plant is located 800m upstream from the river mouth and therefore downstream from most of the high use areas. There are, however, some parts of the Blacksands community that use the river for washing between the plant and sea, and undergrounds wells are common in the area. There is a potential for impacts through contamination of the river or
United Nations Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) (1993)
United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (1993)
Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer (1994)
Vienna Convention for the protection of the ozone layer (1994)
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Flora (CITES) (1989)
Convention on the Prohibition of Fishing with Long Drift Nets (1991)
United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)(1982)
Rio Declaration on Environment and development and AGENDA 21 (1992)
We found coral diversity to be relatively high, especially at both tips of the island. Here we estimated the hard coral coverage to be about 30-40% and soft coral coverage about 25%. However, dead Pocillopora and Acropora colonies, already
overgrown by algae, were scattered throughout the reef. On the northwest windward side of the island we encountered vast areas of bare rock with nibble filling the crevasses. Even in deeper zones live hard coral coverage was estimated to be only
There is now a consensus that there is a discernible human influence on global climate. The form these global changes will take in the Pacific is far less certain, but the most significant and more immediate consequences are likely to be related to changes in rainfall regimes and soil moisture budgets, prevailing winds (both speed and direction) and in regional and local sea levels and patterns of wave action.
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Call Number: 341.7623[EL]
ISBN/ISSN: 982-04-0194-1
Physical Description: 84 p.
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the
furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Mangroves are very special and unique trees.Mangroves are among the few trees that can grow in sea water as well as in places where the saltwater mixes with the fresh water from the land.
Mangroves grow in places with muddy soil and a protected shoreline. They live in large groups called "mangrove forests".
The mangrove forest is home to many different types of plants and trees.
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Physical Description: 4 Pages
One of the greatest challanges we face in protecting our islands biodiversity is how to balance the needs of the people that use it, and the future of the environment. There are many reasons why the Pacific islands way of life is endangered, it is
necessary to address these threats, all of them. Understand ing their causes will help to stop them, if it is possible or to change or adapt our way of life. It is necessary to focus on long term sustainability strategies, but in the mean time develop and carry out short term projects to address the immediate needs of our islands.
The Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC), have signed an agreement with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) to develop an innovative programme on Sustainable Integrated
Water Resources Management (IWRM).
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Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 31 p.
The Apia Catchment is Samoa's selected IWRM demonstration project zone. It accommodates Lake Lanoto'o and its two main tributaries - Vaisigano and Fuluasou Rivers, which are very important water sources for drinking water, hydropower, bio-diversity and tourism. Unfortunately, with increasing population and development pressures over the years, this catchment area has become significantly degraded from problems such as soil erosion, siltation, water pollution/contamination and water shortages, causing major concern to the Government.
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