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Namdrik Atoll covers a total area of 1,119 hectares and consists of two wooded islands with an extensive reef flat lying between them. The atoll is unique because of its large size and also because, unlike many other coral atolls in the region, there are no navigable passes into the central lagoon. The atoll is also unusual because it supports a rich mangrove forest that is home to some 150 species of fish, including the endangered Napoleon or Humphead Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus). It also supports breeding populations of the critically endangered Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and the endangered Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas).

Lake Kutubu Ramsar site. credit - PNG CEPA

Lake Kutubu (Papua New Guinea)

Lake Kutubu is the second largest lake in Papua New Guinea and is located in PNG's remote and isolated Southern Highlands at 800 metres above sea level. The site includes approximately 1,000 hectares of swamp forest. The Lake and its surrounding area support at least one third (38%) of the total orchid genera found in Papua New Guinea. Twenty-seven (25) mammal species have been recorded within the site and over seventy-five (75) bird species have been recorded from the Lake’s watershed, twelve (12) species of which are waterbirds.

2nd Pacific Islands Environment Leadership Awards 2020

The Pacific Islands Environment Leadership Awards (PIELA) are the only Pacific region focused environment awards event, and was established by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme in 2013. The awards recognise, promote and celebrate outstanding contributions of individuals, communities, non-governmental organisations, private enterprises and countries and territories towards achieving an environmentally sustainable and resilient Pacific. Nominations for the 2nd Pacific Island Environmental Leadership Awards are now extended to 6 January 2020.

Phoenix Islands Protected Area (Kiribati)

The Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) is located in the Republic of Kiribati, constitutes 11.34% of Kiribati’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and has a total area of 408,250 square kilometres. It is one of the largest marine protected areas, and one of the largest protected areas of any type (land or sea) on Earth. There are 514 species of reef fish, including several new species. Five of the eight islands in PIPA are currently designated as Important Bird Areas (IBAs) by Birdlife International. There are currently 19 species of seabirds living on the islands. Many other seabirds migrate through PIPA, including shearwaters and mottled petrels from Australia and New Zealand.

Upper Navua Conservation Area (Fiji)

The Upper Navua Conservation Area (UNCA) encompasses the Upper Navua river gorge and approximately 58% of the entire catchment area. Lush highland rainforest surrounds the entire drainage and provides a host of botanical cures that are utilized by the indigenous peoples of the area. The forest, river and associated biodiversity provide the necessary supplies and food required for daily living and a wide range of ecosystem services to the entire catchment area including flood control for lower areas. The site is nationally and internationally exceptional in terms of both fauna and flora.

Marovo Lagoon (Solomon Islands)

Marovo Lagoon is a large saltwater lagoon located in the New Georgia Islands and is part of the Solomon Islands. It covers an area of 700 square kilometres and is protected by a double barrier reef system. The Marovo Lagoon World Heritage Area is located in the Marovo Lagoon. Sightings of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) have been confirmed in the lagoon. There are many islands in the lagoon, some of which are inhabited. The people speak the Marovo language and live mainly by subsistence agriculture and are skilled at fishing. The lagoon is a popular destination for diving.

Huvalu Forest Conservation Area (Niue)

The Huvalu Forest Conservation Area and is situated on the eastern part of the island. The Conservation Area was established in 1992 and covers an area of approximately 54 square kilometres (5,400 ha) surrounding the largest area of primary forest in Niue. It also includes an area of reef platform about 15 to 20 metres from the high tide mark. The conservation area is divided into three sub-areas according to local traditional practices. The core of the area (around 100 hectares in size) is tapu (taboo), a most sacred site where hunting, logging and even research is prohibited.

Takitumu CA_Cook Islands © Cook Islands_NES

Takitumu Conservation Area (Cook Islands)

The Takitumu Conservation Area is located on the south-eastern side of inland Rarotonga and covers 155 hectares of upland forest, scrub and fernland. The conservation area has played a major role in protecting one of the world’s rarest landbirds, the Rarotongan flycatcher or Kakerori (Pomarea dimidiata) which has now been successfully transferred to the island of Atiu. The Conservation Area also provides birdwatchers with a chance to see and hear other native birdlife, including the unique i’oi (Rarotonga starling) and kukupa (fruit dove).

10th Pacific Islands Conference On Nature Conservation and Protected Areas

There have been nine Nature Conservation and Protected Areas Conferences in the Pacific since 1975 with the last conference being held in Fiji in November 2013. The 10th Conference is to be held 20- 24 April 2020, prior to the end of the United Nations Decade for Biodiversity 2011-2020. This gives the Pacific an important opportunity to review progress on the achievement of global conservation targets the Aichi targets and to influence the global vision for conservation beyond 2020. Nature conservation programmes in the Pacific Island countries and territories are guided by this regional conservation conference that has met every four to five years since 1975.

Funafuti CA, Tuvalu. Credit - V. Jungblut

Supported by BIOPAMA

The Pacific Islands Protected Area Portal (PIPAP) is currently supported through assistance from the BIOPAMA programme an initiative of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States financed by the European Union’s 11th European Development Fund. BIOPAMA is jointly implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (EC-JRC). In the Pacific region, BIOPAMA is implemented by IUCN’s Oceania Regional Office (IUCN ORO) in partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

Funafuti Conservation Area (Tuvalu)

The Funafuti Conservation Area covers 33 square kilometres of reef, lagoon and islets on the western side of Funafuti atoll in Tuvalu. The marine environment of the conservation area includes reef, lagoon, channel and ocean; and are home to many species of fish, corals, algae and invertebrates. The islets are nesting sites for the critically endangered green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) and a breeding colony of black noddy (Anous minutus), Coconut crabs (Birgus latro) also live on the islets.

Rock Islands Southern Lagoon (Palau)

The Rock Islands Southern Lagoon (RISL) covers an area of 859 square kilometres and includes 445 limestone islands and 52 marine lakes surrounded by a lagoon with fringing reefs, patch reefs, and shallow water marine areas. Its lagoon is filled with hundreds of gem like “Rock Islands.” These limestone islands habitats are diverse and include marine lakes, caves, arches, tunnels, coves, forests, and wetlands, each with unique species. The RISL’s resilient reefs make it a critical area for the protection of biodiversity.

Lake Lanoto’o National Park (Samoa)

The national park is located in the central highlands of the main island of Upolu and consists of three small crater lakes, Lake Lanoto’o, Lanoata’ata and Lanoanea. The national park covers an area of 8,500 hectares, located in the uplands of the island of Upolu amongst tropical rainforest and offers stunning views and great bird watching.

PIPAP: Connecting People, Places and Knowledge

In the Pacific region, protected areas encompass more than just national parks and other areas established by central governments. Protected areas can include locally designated and managed areas affording some level of protection to natural resources and the environment. Although such areas may not be recognised by international rankings such as the Protected Areas Categories of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) nor be displayed in international databases such as the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), such areas and instruments of protection are nonetheless an important part of Pacific island cultures, livelihoods and perspective.

Country-Based Protected Area Partnerships
Country-based and locally-based protected area partnerships are gradually becoming more wide-spread throughout the Pacific Islands. This is partly…
Culture, Communication and Social Marketing
Communicating science and management within the local culture and finding innovative ways to encourage people to alter their behaviour are possibly…
Progress Towards Protected Area Targets
Protected Area targets have been set globally, regionally, and sometimes at a country level. The global targets for all countries that are…
Invasive Species
Most protected areas in the world are affected to some degree by invasive species. The spread of plants and animals across the world has been…
Management Plan Development
Presented here are examples of management plans for various kinds of protected areas from strict nature reserves to local village fisheries…
Integrated Ecosystem-Based Management
Ecosystem-based management (EBM) is a place-based approach to natural resource use that aims to restore and protect the health, function and…