The aim of the National Protected Areas Forum was to fulfill mandates and strengthen policies to protect the country’s abundant natural assets into the future to benefit all life and future generations. Led by the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA) with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
This new Pacific Islands framework for Nature Conservation and Protected Areas 2021-2025 was endorsed during the conference and subsequently at the 30th SPREP Meeting by 26 members countries and territories in 2021. It reflects the urgent need for transformative action in response to the multiple accelerating threats, both established and emerging, that are faced by nature and people in the Pacific. It identifies the key regional priorities for action which form the six Strategic Objectives for the Framework.
This paper contrasts seven spatial biodiversity conservation area designations by six different bodies: Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs), and the Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); the Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) of the Food And Agriculture Organization (FAO); the Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) under criteria developed by the IUCN; the Areas of Particular Environmental Interest (APEIs) of the International Seabed Authority (ISA); the Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSAs) of the Internatio
This Management Plan was prepared by the representatives of the Vuri Clan of Sikipozo Tribe in partnership with the Natural Resources Development Foundation (NRDF), Ecological Solutions Solomon Islands (ESSI), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-SI), the Ministry of Forestry and Research (National Herbarium and Botanic Gardens Division) (MoFR-NHBG) and the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM).
Palauans describe the environment as "Lukel a Klengar" - the nest of life. In this short film produced for the Palau International Coral Reef Center as part of the Our Ocean 2022 Conference, Palauan ocean conservation is on display through the protection of a massive piece of ocean in the Palau National Marine Sanctuary. Tommy Remengesau, Jr. (former President of Palau), Ann Singeo (Executive Director of the Ebiil Society), Paramount High Chief Reklai (traditional leader of the Palauan people), and others share their wisdom and insights about large ocean conservation.
'Gwala Rising in the Bwanabwana Islands' depicts the revitalization of traditional conservation practices in the islands of Papua New Guinea. The community of Anagusa Island is combating the effects of climate change and protecting the coral reefs they rely on using gwala: the traditional practice of setting aside a reef or forest area to allow the ecosystem to recover. Gwala is helping the community of Anagusa Island prosper - empowering men and women with improved access to food and livelihoods.
Meet Josefa Bau from Nataleira who runs a dolphin watching business with tours to Moon Reef, a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Fiji. Nurturing and protecting natural resources is not a new or foreign concept for i-Taukei (indigenous Fijians) like Josefa - ocean conservation is more than just environmental protection - it is an intrinsic part of their identity passed on for generations.
This Management Plan was prepared by the representatives of the Padezaka Tribe in partnership with the Natural Resources Development Foundation (NRDF), Integrated Forest Management Program (IFMP) and Ecological Solutions Solomon Islands (ESSI) in Choiseul. Members of the Padezaka tribe for their cooperation and patience through the process. The Padezaka Protected Area Management Committee acknowledged that the Padezaka Tribal Rain Forest Conservation Area is in the customary land of Padezaka tribe.
Experiences from the Kiribati Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development regarding their medium grant under the EU-ACP BIOPAMA Action Component focusing on management interventions for the Kiritimati Island Conservation Protected Area.
East Rennell (part of the island of Rennell, in Solomon Islands) was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1998. Its listing was a milestone in the development of the World Heritage Convention regime. It was the first listed World Heritage site in the independent Pacific Island States, and the first place anywhere in the world to be inscribed based on its natural heritage values and its protection under customary law.