Biodiversity and ecosystem services are being degraded faster than at any other time in human history. Most of the world's biodiversity is found in Southern countries where people greatly depend on natural resources but suffer from high levels of rural poverty and often weak governance. Weak governance (eg. political marginalization and corruption) is a key underlying driver of both biodiversity loss and poverty. At the same time, the role of biodiversity in the provision of ecosystem services that underpin national economies and rural livelihoods is largely overlooked.
Multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) are agreements
The NWRP provides a framework for leadership and coordinated action in the supply of safe, adequate and financially, technically and environmentally sustainable water services to rural, outer island and urban communities in Kiribati and for the protection, conservation, sustainable use and efficient management of Kiribati's water resources. It is directed at improving the welfare and livelihood of I-Kiribati and represents the vision of the Government of Kiribati (GoK) for the water sector.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Water is a vital, strategic resource that underpins human well-being, health, cultural and spiritual values, sustains environments and provides development opportunities. The nature of coral islands and atolls, demographic trends, the widely dispersed villages, crowded urban centres, climatic variation and change and the impacts of human activities all combine to impose significant risks to water supplies for island communities and their environments. The challenges faced in the water and sanitation sector in Kiribati are amongst the most difficult in the world.
Available online
A mangrove is a woody plant or plant community which lives between the sea and the land, in areas which are flooded by tides for part of the time. Mangroves make up one of the world's most unique ecosystems because they thrive where no other trees can survive - in the transition zone between the ocean and land. They are also among the world's most productive ecosystems.
Call Number: 583.42 MIT
ISBN/ISSN: 978-955-8177-72-3
Physical Description: iii, 28 p. : col. ; 25 cm
The proposal to have the East Coast Escarpment designated as one of Nauru's five conservation areas to date stemmed from the government's desire to promote sustainable use of the country's terrestrial and marine biodiversity as a foundation for sustainable development. The other Conservation areas as shown in Map 1 have been recommended as an addition to the East Coast Escarpment Conservation Area.
The East-West Center is an education and research organization established by the US. Congress in 1960 to strengthen relations and understanding among the peoples and nations of Asia, the Pacific, and the United States. The Center contributes to a peaceful, prosperous, and just Asia Pacific community by serving as a vigorous hub for cooperative research, education, and dialogue on critical issues of common concern to the Asia Pacific region and the United States. Funding for the Center comes from the U.S.
This paper is concerned with integrating adaptation to climate change with local development in the context of a climate change mitigation project for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. It is argued that integration will enhance locally appropriate and sustainable outcomes necessary for effective forest conservation in the context of rural Vanuatu.
What is the nature of vulnerability and resilience to climate change at the community scale in Pacific island countries (PICs)? What approaches to climate change adaptation
Report No. 1 presents preliminary results from fieldwork conducted with the Mangaliliu Lelepa Island community in mid 2008. This case study forms one of three assessments of community-based vulnerability and resilience to climate stress in rural Vanuatu undertaken as part of a PhD in Geography.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 28 p.
The plan is designed to guide work in Pacific islands countries and territories over the next five years. In developing this plan, the experts representing the Pacific countries and territories sought to ensure that the plan would reflect the special circumstances which impact on implementation of the World Heritage Convention in region and in their respective countries.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 26 p.
In Samoa the Tectus pyramis and the Turbo chrysostomus are generally spread through out the reefs within suitable habitats. These habitats are mainly of shallow sunlit waters within the lagoon and reefs. The juvenile species are mainly found in lesser rough waters while adult species are known to thrive on reef flats towards the reef slopes. They are herbivorous and mainly feed on algae (turf algae), diatoms and foramaniferas on dead corals and rock surfaces. (Bell & Mulipola,) 1995
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Effective conservation of regional biotas requires accurate information on the distribution, endemicity, local richness, and taxonomic composition of species assemblages across multiple geographic scales. This is especially true in the Melanesian region, which contains ten percent of the world's biota on its numerous islands scattered across thousands of kilometers between Fiji and the Moluccas. Although certain important biotic components within this region, such as birds, have been reasonably surveyed, many others, particularly freshwater organisms, remain poorly understood.
The purpose of this briefing paper is to set out the SPREP Secretariats perspective and proposals for integration with SOPAC components based on the directives given by the SPREP Governing Council at the 19th meeting (SM19) in 2008. SM19 mandated the Director to work with the CEOs of SOPAC and SPC to arrive at a workable solution for the implementation of the Forum Leaders' decisions on the merging of SOPAC into SPREP and
This section contains a sample of values for coral reefs and surrounding ecosystems estimated at the global, regional and site-specific levels. Some of these summaries note values for ecosystem goods and services including tourism and recreation, fisheries, coastal protection, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration that are presented in Section 2.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 23 p.
Samoa has been the recipient of Global Environment Facility (GEF) financial support since the pilot phase of the GEF when Samoa participated in two regional projects: one on biodiversity, the other on climate change. These two projects set the stage for GEF interventions in Samoaand the Pacific region as a wholecreating a partnership among the GEF, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the South Pacific
Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP), and the Samoan Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) that continues to this day.
Marine turtles are easy to love but difficult to manage. Their
The Pacific has been aptly described as the last frontier1 for human settlement. Some 25,0002 islands lie scattered over the world's largest ocean whose area, covering about 28% of the global surface, is larger than the total land area of the world3.
The Minister responsible for environment acting in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet may, subject to the provisions of this Act, levy Deposits in respect of prescribed materials for waste material recovery.
Deposits levied under subsection (1) of this section shall be laid before the Maneaba ni Maungatabu within forty-eight hours of the day on which the next meeting of the Maneaba commences and shall come into operation on publication unless the Maneaba by resolution amends it or rejects it as the case may be.
Available online
By the late 1990s Kiribati was in a waste crisis. The primary problem was on South Tarawa, the capital, and home of approximately one half of the country's people. There were no
engineered landfills, and litter was extremely common and thick, in all built up areas and surrounding beaches. Piles of waste often remained uncollected in the streets for weeks.
Programmes were instituted by the Ministry of Environment, the ADB, and SPREP to turn the situation around. By 2002, a programme called SAPHE1 was underway, building two landfills,