The paper argues that the mainstreaming of the conservation of the unique terrestrial, freshwater and marine biodiversity of the Pacific Islands, including the traditional knowledge and uses that Pacific Island peoples have for this biodiversity, is by far the most important precondition for ecologically, economically and culturally sustainable development in the small-island states and territories of the Pacific Ocean
This volume is divided into five chapters;
* Chapter 1 provides an overview of the importance of the ocean to Pacific Island people, and describes the key challenges and opportunities the ocean presents.
* Chapter 2 outlines a strategy for managing coastal areas in the Pacific.
* Chapter 3 focuses on the management of shared tuna fisheries and on ways Pacific Island countries could optimize
their benefits under a new regional management regime.
* Chapter 4 analyzes the policy and regulatory environment for seabed mining.
Each of the contributions to the Special Issue sheds light on a different aspect of the UNFCCC, international human rights law and/or the inter-relationship between these frameworks.
Pacific Information brief
Human resource development in the Marine sector
This article explores the phenomenon of the use of ICT for climate change activism in the Pacific.
Many of the sea cucumber fisheries in Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) are in a poor state and in need of rehabilitation. This article documents the status of sea cucumbers in the region
This report summarizes the conservation status of 167 freshwater fishes, 166 land snails and 157 reptiles native to the Pacific Islands. It identifies Pacific Island species that are threatened with extinction at the global level, according to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria – the world’s most widely accepted methodology for measuring extinction risk.
Coastal Zone management is a much debated subject in the discourse about sustainable development in the South Pacific region. This book specifically deals with the analysis of the effects of the fundamental drivers, ecological connectivity, and root causes of coastal resource and environmental challenges using key economic concepts, principles and paradigms.
This study undertakes a vulnerability assessment of the freshwater resources of the PICs, based on input from technical experts and regional resource managers.
This chapter describes the diversity and distribution of mangrove, seagrass and intertidal flat habitats in the tropical Pacific (25°N–25°S and 130°E–130°W), outlining the role they play in supporting coastal fisheries in the region, and summarising the critical requirements for establishing and maintaining these habitats.
This report summarises key economic factors affecting the success of recent resource and environmental management projects in the Pacific.
This compendium presents a wide-ranging overview of more than 400 projects, case studies and research activities specifically related to climate change and Indigenous Peoples. It provides a sketch of the climate and environmental changes, local observations and impacts being felt by communities in different regions, and outlines various adaptation and mitigation strategies that are currently being implemented by Indigenous Peoples
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a tool that is used to assess and manage individual development projects, with an aim of maximising positive benefits and minimising negative impacts for local communities and their environment. When used effectively, EIA can help to support the achievement of green growth targets, climate change resilience, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This paper attempts to present a “quick snapshot” of the status of biodiversity in the Pacific Islands and the prospects and challenges for the mainstreaming of its conservation and sustainable use by Pacific Island peoples during the 21st century
This report summarises the projected changes in ocean chemistry for the Pacific island region (from 130°E to 130°W and 25°N to 25°S) at regional and sub-regional scales, assessing the vulnerability of Pacific coastal and oceanic habitats and fisheries to ocean acidification using an established framework, and discussing the implications for the Pacific island communities dependent on fisheries and aquaculture for food security and livelihood
This volume is the third of a four-volume report entitled 'Cities, Seas and Storms: Managing Change in the Pacific Island Economies' produced by the World Bank. The key outcome of the report is intended to be an improved understanding of the need for management interventions. The report also argues for a greater collaboration between traditional, national and regional organizations in ocean management, able to maximize their comparative strengths while minimizing the inefficiencies in their interaction.
This Special Issue of the Journal of South Pacific Law aims to provide insight into the role of international law in addressing the short-term and long-term challenges posed by climate change to Pacific Island States and their populations. It focuses on the two international legal frameworks that were designed to protect the Earth’s climate system and the human person: international climate change law on the one hand, and international human rights law on the other.