Climate change has been recognized by Pacific Forum Leaders as one of the most serious threats to the region. The Pacific islands have already experienced, and will continue to experience the adverse effects of climate change and these are expected to worsen over the coming decades. For some low lying atoll countries, climate change may even threaten their very existence, as confirmed by the recently published Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, AR4.
The Secretariat for Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) have commissioned Cardno (Qld) Pty Ltd (Cardno) to undertake a comprehensive review of integrated environmental assessment approaches and procedures in Pacific Island Countries (PICs), and to provide advice on regional priorities for capacity building requirements in this regard.
The UN Development Assistance Framework for the Pacific Subregion (UNDAF) represents the first regionwide response to the UN operational reform process, and is a product of several partnerships in development, including between two UN Country Teams in Fiji and Samoa covering a total of 15 UN agencies, offices and programmes3, and between the UN and the governments of 14 Pacific island countries.
During the course of this century the resilience of many
ecosystems (their ability to adapt naturally) is likely to be
exceeded by an unprecedented combination of change in climate, associated disturbances (e.g., flooding, drought, wildfire, insects, ocean acidification) and in other global change drivers (especially land-use change, pollution and over-exploitation of resources), If greenhouse gas emissions and other changes continue at or above current rates (high confidence).
The CBD, the Ramsar Convention and the CMS recognise impact assessment as an important tool to ensure that development is planned and implemented with biodiversity 'in mind'. The CBD requires parties to apply impact assessment to projects, programmes, plans and policies with a potential negative impact on biodiversity. Considerable progress has been made in strengthening impact assessment as a tool to further the aims of the CBD and related conventions. However, practise shows
that more work is needed.
Map of the Niue Marine Protected Area
Map of Niue's terrestrial protected areas
GIS File displaying the LSMPA of Niue
GIS file displaying the Vailoapu Namoui MPA
Niue State of Environment Report