This report is based on a master set of data that has been compiled by an Inter-Agency and Expert Group on MDG Indicators led by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, in response to the wishes of the General Assembly for periodic assessment of progress towards the MDGs. The Group comprises representatives of the international
The Earth currently finds itself in the midst of what some have termed the "Anthropocene Era" - a period during which human activities have become a dominate force affecting not only the
planet's landscape, but also its atmosphere. Since the dawn of the industrial evolution of the mid-18th century, humans have contributed to substantial increases in the concentration of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide has increased by 36%, methane by 17%, and nitrous oxide by 151%. These changes in the global atmosphere are directly linked to over
More than 20 cetacean species are known to exist in the
Pacific Islands Region, which encompasses the U.S. Exclusive
Economic Zone, or EEZ (waters out to 370 km from shore) around
the entire Hawaiian Archipelago. Johnston Atoll. Kingman Reef and Palmyra Atoll. Baker and Howland Islands. Jarvis Island. American Samoa. Wake Island, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, totaling some 5.8 million km2 of ocean.
Many of the species present are poorly studied throughout their
It is now widely acknowledged within the scientific community that the global rate of sea- level rise is quickening - and is likely to continue to do so as a result of anthropogenic
climate change. It is expected, therefore, that any resulting increase in the frequency or intensity of extreme sea-level events will cause serious problems for the inhabitants of low-
lying coastal communities and islands during the 21st century.
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Physical Description: 16 p.
This booklet features practical projects and programmes that governments and their partners have developed in their efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The booklet has been prepared for the High-Level Event on the MDGs which has been convened by the UN Secretary-General and the President of the UN General Assembly and which will enable world leaders to review progress, identify gaps, and commit themselves to
the necessary efforts, resources and mechanisms.
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Work is based around country visits by the network coordinator to support PILN teams to identify and take strategic action to manage their priority invasive species. The network is functioning by sharing awareness of successful activities being earned out by the teams, providing the mechanism for other teams to do the same, and actively encouraging them to do so.
Capacity building is linked to on-going invasive species projects and achieved through workshops and exchanges.
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The Pacific Invasives Initiative (PII) is a sister partnership based at Auckland University which shares 6 partners with PILN. The goal of the PII is to contribute to conserving island biodiversity and enhancing the sustainability of island livelihoods by minimizing the spread and impacts of invasive species in the Pacific region. This is achieved by increasing support and developing capacity in the region for managing the impacts of these species.
Fishers have changed their methods from wading in the shallows to the use of sail and paddle canoes, and dinghies with outboard motors. This has resulted in greater coverage of the area where sea cucumbers live, more regular fishing, access to remote areas and the capacity to transport greater catches. Loss of much larger numbers of sea cucumbers from many areas as a result of this increased fishing pressure reduces the chances of adults remaining at densities high enough for effective reproduction.
This thesis applies an approach of political ecology to analyze environmental change in the Cook Islands in the context of the fiscal crisis of the state in the 1990's. Questions and methods from both human and physical geography are brought to the empirical case. Corruption and financial management surrounding a hotel development on Rarotonga, Cook Islands presents a case of "criminal ecology" This research finds that the Pacific
Highlands Pacific Limited is currently seeking finance for the development of a Nickel-Cobalt mine in Madang Province. Papua New Guinea. The mine will be located near the Ramu River, with processing facilities at Basamuk Bay on the Rai Coast. Basainuk Bay is a small embayment of the larger Astrolabe Bay. Highlands Pacific plans to dispose of mill tailings through a submarine outfall into Astrolabe Bay. Oceanographic conditions in Astrolabe Bay make this practise inadvisable if consideration is given to the ecological health of the Madang region.
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The World Conservation Union (IUCN) is the world's largest and most important conservation network. The Union brings together 84 States, 108 government agencies and more than 800 non-government organisations, together with 10,000 experts, in a unique worldwide partnership.
Palau is blessed with a wealth of natural resources. We enjoy clean air, clean water, abundant marine life, and healthy, productive reefs. Our stunning Rock Islands and majestic dive sites continue to draw admiration from around the world. But Patau's wealth is not just found in its natural resources. Palau has also been blessed with a wealth of human resources and technical capabilities. The population of Palau is well educated and highly talented, and makes use of the most advanced computer and development techniques on a daily basis.
Principles for designing marine protected area (MPA) networks that address social, economic, and biological criteria are well established in the scientific literature. Climate change represents a new and serious threat to marine ecosystems, but, to date, few studies have specifically considered how to design MPA networks to be resilient to this emerging threat. Here, we compile the best available information on MPA network design and
The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) (represented by Greg Urwin and Tuiloma Neroni Slade, respectively former and present Secretary-General. Iosefa Maiawa, Feleti Teo and Peter Forau, Deputies Secretary-General) and the European
In order to identify hotspots in the Cook Islands a meeting of the Cook Islands Water Safety Committee (WSC) was convened on January 26, 2007. As explained in the GEF Diagnostic Report for the Cook Islands (Davie & Parakoti, 2007) it is recommended, in order to minimize duplication of roles, that the WSC forms the IWRM committee used in any GEF project.
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Physical Description: 14 p.
In the Pacific, land and sea are life; livelihoods and the natural environment are inseparable. Culture, tradition and livelihoods, are underpinned by the incredible biodiversity of the nearly 3,000 islands and atolls of the Pacific. However, high birth rates, unsustainable use of natural resources, increasing dependency on the cash economy, labour migration, and the deterioration of traditional social systems, are changing traditional lifestyles.
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Physical Description: 36 p.
Few studies1 have been published on school-based environmental education (EE) in the Pacific islands, and there is little available information on effective initiatives in schools. The key purpose of this study is to review and assess the extent to which EE is being carried out in Pacific Island schools to support ongoing dialogue about environment and sustainable development education at the national, regional and international levels.
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Physical Description: 74
Pacific Island governments, along with other world leaders and civil society, have pledged their commitment to take action to change and promote sustainable development. Along with this
commitment is the recognition that a sustainable future is dependent upon a considerable shift in attitudes, value, lifestyles and behaviour.
Education and training are critical components of SPREP's mandate and vision for sustainable development in the Pacific. This is clearly identified in SPREP's Strategic Programmes and
Action Plan endorsed by Pacific leaders in 2004.