Pollution and the growing volumes of solid and hazardous wastes are major threats to the environments and sustainable development of the Pacific islands and their protected areas. Globalisation is accelerating the transition of Pacific communities towards consumer economies, with increasing urbanisation, migration, and participation in international trade. This is resulting in an escalation in the generation of solid and liquid wastes, and these increase the risk of coastal and marine pollution. The lack of controls on imported chemicals and the lack of capacity for managing pollutants threaten to undermine the quality and health of vulnerable ecosystems on which Pacific islanders depend.
Below are a few key resources on marine and terrestrioal waste
Stay up to date with the latest developments in Hazardous Waste Management, Liquid Waste Management, Marine and Terrestrial Pollution, and Solid Waste Management by visiting the Waste Management and Pollution Control Division at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
'The Future is Now: Science for Sustainable Development' - Global Sustainable Development Report 2019
Despite considerable efforts these past four years, we are not on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. We must dramatically step up the pace of implementation as we enter a decisive decade for people and the planet.
5 Gyres Institute
The 5 Gyres Institute has led the effort to research aquatic plastic pollution and to find solutions for regaining a plastic-free ocean.
Change in Terrestrial Human Footprint Drives Continued Loss of Intact Ecosystems
Human pressure mapping is important for understanding humanity’s role in shaping Earth’s patterns and processes. We provide the latest maps of the terrestrial human footprint and provide an assessment of change in human pressure across Earth.
Cleaner Pacific 2025: Pacific Regional Waster and Pollution Management Strategy
Waste management and pollution control remains one of the most pressing environmental issues facing the Pacific region.
Extent and reproduction of coastal species on plastic debris in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre
We show that the high seas are colonized by a diverse array of coastal species, which survive and reproduce in the open ocean, contributing strongly to its foating community composition.
Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities
The Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA) is the only global intergovernmental mechanism directly addressing the connectivity between terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosys
IMPACTS OF PLASTIC POLLUTION ON FRESHWATER AQUATIC, TERRESTRIAL AND AVIAN MIGRATORY SPECIES IN THE ASIA AND PACIFIC REGION
This report is the result of a collaboration between the Convention on Migratory Species and the UN Environment Programme as part of the CounterMEASURE II plastic pollution programme, generously funded by the Government of Japan, to assess the impact of plastic pollution in the Asia-Pacific regio
International Pellet Watch
Global monitoring of POPs by using beached plastic resin pellets.
National Ballast Water Management Strategies
National Ballast Water Management Strategies
NOAA Marine Debris Program
Vision
The NOAA Marine Debris Program envisions the global ocean and its coasts free from the impacts of marine debris.
Ocean Cleanup
Ambitious technologies to rid the oceans of plastic.
Pacific Regional Action Plan - Marine Litter 2018-2025
The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA), has prepared this Pacific Marine Litter Ac
Pacific Waste Education Handbook
Welcome to the Pacific Waste Education Handbook, created for educators and community facilitators to reduce waste in the Pacific.
Reporting and retrieval of lost fishing gear: recommendations for developing effective programmes
Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear, also referred to as ALDFG or ghost gear, is the most harmful form of marine plastic litter for marine animals and habitats: it can impede safe navigation, damage beaches and reefs, and lead to economic losses for fisheries and other marine-depe
The environmental effects of mining waste disposal at Lihir Gold Mine, Papua New Guinea
Mining in developing countries remains controversial since a huge impact on the cultural climate, the physical environs and the socio-economic status of the local people can result.
The Republic of the Marshall Islands - State of Environment Report 2016
This report updates the 1992 State of Environment report with the latest findings from the Marshall Islands. Environmental reporting is defined as a requirement for RMI in the ‘Office of Environmental Planning and Policy Coordination (OEPPC) Act 2003’.
Vanuatu National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan [NBSAP] 2018-2030
Vanuatu signed and ratified the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) joining other 190 CBD parties to protect our global biodiversity. Vanuatu’s first National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) was developed and endorsed in November 1999.
Video - Plastic Paradise (English Version) - Long
Every year, the amount of plastic waste entering aquatic ecosystems is estimated between 9-14 million tons and this projection could nearly triple to 23-37 million tons per year by 2040.
Where to Pick up Ocean Plastic
Where to Pick up Ocean Plastic
THE BEST PLACES TO PICK UP OCEAN PLASTIC AREN’T THE BIG GARBAGE PATCHES
