Offering hope and inspiration.

Asterio Takesy
Promoting what is best for the Pacific environment can be a complex and difficult task, given the considerable interest in the region's natural resources. Every so often though, someone or even a group of like-minded individuals takes an initiative that offers hope and inspiration for all of us.

In recently announcing the Micronesia Challenge, president of Palau, Tommy Remengesau Jr, is taking up the challenge to conserve and sustain our natural resources to the next level: regional responsibility and commitment.

As with many small islands states around the world, the impact of a range of threats including increasing population, land clearing and habitat loss, over-harvesting and invasive species suggests the Palauan initiative is not only timely but compelled by necessity.

The president has committed Palau and called on neighbouring Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands to conserve 30 percent of their near-shore marine resources and 20 percent of forest resources by 2020.

These Micronesian countries constitute 6.7 million square kilometres-more than 22% of the Pacific Islands region and five percent of the largest ocean in the world.

President Remengesau recently told the media how the challenge highlights the significance of healthy marine and forest resources to the future of Micronesia and its ability to work as a region.

“The basic rationale for initiating the challenge is that our countries and territories are ecologically, culturally and politically connected; we must take a regional approach to maximise our capacities and abilities to access technical and funding assistance from regional and international sources.”

The biodiversity of the Pacific region is recognised as being globally significant from both a terrestrial and a marine perspective.

However, the biodiversity of the Pacific is also very highly threatened and has more endangered species per capita than any other region in the world.

The Micronesian Challenge is now being implemented through national biodiversity strategies and action plans.

This initiative joins the commitment made by Fiji at the Mauritius International Meeting, demonstrating considerable international and regional leadership on sustainable marine resource management.

Fiji declared a network of marine protected areas within 30% of its inshore and offshore marine areas by 2020.

For Fiji, there was recognition that the mainstay of national income, coastal livelihoods and traditional cultures are national networks of marine protected areas (Waitui Tabu).

Fiji is now implementing that commitment. Similar commitments by Pacific islands countries will highlight the importance of island biodiversity at a series of events at the important 8th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 8) to be held in Brazil in March.

At this international biodiversity meeting, a new Island Biodiversity Programme of Work is expected to be adopted for all islands countries and countries with islands. This new programme enables us as Pacific islanders to understand what needs to be done to reduce the rapid loss of our biodiversity.

SPREP is playing its part in conserving our natural resources through the Action Strategy for Nature Conservation.

The efforts the region has put into the development of the new Island Biodiversity Programme of Work indicates the resolve to work together with a common purpose and to deal with the threats we are now facing. We know that Pacific islanders remain highly dependent on natural resources for survival and we are committed to working together to ensure these can still sustain us.

SPREP applauds the initiative taken by Palau and Micronesia, as well as Fiji, in showing leadership for bio-diversity conservation.

But they are not alone. Leadership is also shown with the appointment of Tepa Suaesi of Samoa to the International Union for the Conservation Of Nature's World Commission on Protected Areas as a vice-chair for the region; and with the successful nomination of Palau to an important bureau position with the Convention of Biological Diversity.

Through conservation mechanisms like the Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation, we have the opportunity to support the implementation of the Island Biodiversity Programme of Work in our region and improve collaboration and coordination between the various organisations and donors working in this area so that greater impact is felt in countries and by Pacific islands communities.

The challenge I make to those reading this article is to be stirred into action by the leadership shown and to look at what you can do to reduce biodiversity loss in our region.

We need to take considered action because degradation of biodiversity resources continues to erode the quality of life and opportunities for many Pacific islanders.

Given the present scenario, our collective hope now lies with the courage and actions of our member governments to find workable solutions and work collaboratively to implement activities that will address the situation.


The author is Director, Pacific Regional Environment Programme.