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Published in August 1996 by:

South Pacific Regional Environment ProgrammeP.O. Box 240Apia, Western Samoa

Layout and Edited by:

Fatu Tauafiafi, SPREP

Front Cover:

One of the most widely used posters during the very successful �Yearof the Sea Turtle� campaign in 1995. The poster was translated intofive languages (based on country requests). These included Tokelauan,Tongan, Samoan, French, English and Bislama. The version on thecover is Bislama.

Printed by:

Commercial Printers Ltd.Apia, Western SamoaPrinted on recycled paper

© South Pacific Regional Environment Programme 1996

The South Pacific Regional Environment Programme authorises thereproduction of this material, whole or in part, provided appropriateacknowledgement is given.

Original text: English

Acknowledgement:

This Annual Report was produced with the assistance of all SPREP staff.Special acknowledgement to Mrs. Adele Keil for the graphic designs withinthis report.

SPREP Library Cataloguing-In-Publication Data

South Pacific Regional Environment Programme 1995 / 96 Annual Report. - Apia : SPREP, 1996.

43p . ; 29 cm

ISBN: 982-04-0154-2

1. South Pacific Regional Environment ProgrammeI. Title

341.246

3

Foreword

In a year that covered a wide spectrum of events for

SPREP, two events stand out as perhaps the most

significant - the entry into force of the SPREP Agreement

and the end of the Fuavao era.

The Agreement Establishing theSouth Pacific Regional EnvironmentProgramme (the SPREP Agree-ment), which was opened for sig-nature on 16 June 1993, enteredinto force just over two years later,on 30 August 1995, following thetenth ratification by a membergovernment. Since then five moregovernments (of the eighteen eli-gible to do so) have either ratifiedor acceded to the Agreement. Thisrelatively short time span comparesmore than favourably with theperiod taken (fifteen and four yearsrespectively) for two of the region�smajor environmental treaties - theApia and SPREP Conventions - toenter into force and is further evi-dence of the region�s increasingconcern and involvement withenvironmental issues.

The SPREP Agreement is now theorganisation�s cornerstone. It cre-ates the legal basis for an autono-mous, intergovernmental, regionalorganisation and defines theorganisation�s purposes as well asthe respective functions of theSPREP Meeting and the Secre-tariat. Its entry into force is a trib-ute to the member governments ofSPREP and the determination andcommitment with which they en-tered into the complex and some-times sensitive negotiations leadingto the successful conclusion of thislandmark treaty.

The departure of SPREP�s firstDirector, Dr. Vili Fuavao in April,after more than six years as head ofthe organisation, brings to an endan era which saw the transition ofSPREP from a small programmelocated within the South PacificCommission in New Caledonia toits present, independent status withheadquarters in Western Samoa.Vili was a principal driving forcebehind this historic process. Wewish him well in his new career.

The Eighth SPREP Meeting washosted by the Secretariat in Apia,Western Samoa, in October, to-gether with biennial Meetings ofthe Parties to the Apia and SPREPConventions. The Eighth Meetingwas the first assembly of SPREP�sgoverning council s ince thereal isat ion of autonomy wasachieved and was notable for thehigh level of attendance which in-cluded participation by the PrimeMinister of Tuvalu and Minister of En-vironment from French Polynesia.With most organisational issuesnow settled, the Eighth Meetingwas able to devote more time thanin previous years to the consider-ation of topics of direct environ-mental concern to the region.These included adoption of re-gional strategies for implementa-tion of the outcomes of the Barba-dos Conference on SustainableDevelopment of Small Island

Developing States, on NatureConservation, on the GlobalEnvironment Faci l i ty (GEF),on the Global Programme ofAction for the Protection of theMarine Environment AgainstLand-Based Activities and on theInternational Coral Reef Initiative.The Meeting also approvedSPREP�s Work Programme andBudget for 1996 and appointed acommittee to oversee the processof recruiting a new Director. In asignificant move, member govern-ments agreed in principle to theannual SPREP Meeting revertingto a biennial basis commencing in1998.

Highlights of SPREP�s workingyear were the continuation of itscoordination, advisory and assis-tance roles in relation to a range ofglobal activities, in addition tothose mentioned above, includingthe International Coral Reef Initia-tive, Framework Convention onClimate Change and the Biodiver-sity Convention. Contact was es-tablished with the secretariat of theBasel Convention in Geneva topromote legal and technical linksconcerning the Waigani Treatywhich was signed at the 1995 SouthPacific Forum and for whichSPREP will act as secretariat onentry into force. A GEF ScopingWorkshop convened in Fiji in asso-ciation with the World Bank and

4

the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme, produced a strategyfor a regional approach to the Glo-bal Environment Facility whichwas subsequently endorsed by theSouth Pacific Forum and a regionalstate of the environment report wasproduced for the Commission onSustainable Development whichmet in New York. On the regionalfront, a meeting of Directors ofMeteorological Services was con-vened in Apia to promote coopera-tion in regional meteorology whilework continued with the establish-ment of conservation areas underthe South Pacific Biodiversity Con-servation Programme, on climatechange activities, environmentalimpact assessment, environmentaleducation, population and sustain-able development, pollution pre-

gion-wide public relations exerciseaimed at the conservation of thisendangered species. Building onthis experience, the Secretariat isnow planning a campaign for 1997to be called the Pacific Year of theCoral Reef.

Three things make SPREP work:

its members;

its donors; and

its staff.

In that regard, SPREP memberscontinued their strong support andencouragement throughout theyear, with particular financial ef-forts by Australia, France, NewZealand and the United States inonce more providing substantial as-sistance towards programme activi-ties over and above their normalcontributions to our administra-tive budget. The Secretariat looksforward to the not-too-distant fu-ture when all necessary SPREPAgreement ratification and acces-sion formalities are completed so asto remove present, temporarymembership distinctions. TheGovernments of Canada and Japanalso continued to work with uswhile we welcomed first-time gov-ernment involvement with Den-mark and Republic of China (Tai-wan). These sources comple-mented continuing assistance froma range of other traditional donorsto whom we also express thanks -UNDP, UNEP, GEF, UNFPA,UNESCO, IMO, WMO, CFTC,IUCN, WWF and the EU.

SPREP is indebted once more toall its donors which continue todisplay their confidence by con-tributing almost 90% of our totalannual funding. More about theactivities generously funded bydonors is contained within thisAnnual Report.

While on the subject of membergovernments, it would be remissnot to make mention of thesignificant and continuing roleplayed by our host - WesternSamoa. Following entry into force

of the SPREP Agreement, twoconsequential agreements wereconcluded between Western Samoaand the Secretariat: a HeadquartersAgreement establishing the basisfor SPREP�s presence in thiscountry and a rent-free, sixty-yearlease of a superb site for a newSPREP Headquarters next door tothe Robert Louis StevensonMuseum at Vailima, just outsideApia. Fa�afetai tele lava to theGovernment and people of WesternSamoa for their generosity andcommitment to SPREP. Workbegan during the year on detailedplans for the new headquarters, andfunding options are being pursued.

Finally, a tribute must be paid tothe staff of SPREP for another yearof tireless and creative work onbehalf of our organisation. Toilingin far-from-ideal conditions, andoften under hectic circumstances,they continue to evidence dedica-tion and resolution in helpingmember governments address ur-gent environmental problems andissues. Their professionalism andteamwork is highly appreciated bySPREP management.

The Ninth SPREP Meeting to beheld during November 1996 willbe the most significant such gath-ering in five years. Being convenedat Ministerial level, it will, amongother matters, review progress withimplementing the current 1991-95SPREP Action Plan and considerand adopt a revised Plan for1996-2000, as well as appoint anew Director. Both these taskscarry momentous and far-reach-ing implications for the future ofSPREP. The Secretariat encour-ages the participation of Minis-ters from all its members so as toensure the widest possible consul-tations and agreement on thesevital issues.

vention and waste managementand information technology. A fea-ture of these activities was the con-tinuing emphasis on in-countryworkshops and training in order tobuild national capacities. This as-pect is also the direct focus ofSPREP�s UNDP-funded Capac-ity 21 Project which aims tobuild national capacit ies toimplement National Environ-mental Management Strategies.This Project has seen the place-ment of full-time, sub-regionalcoordinators in the FederatedStates of Micronesia, Vanuatuand Western Samoa.

Perhaps the most publicised ofSPREP�s activities during the yearwas The Year of the Sea Turtle cam-paign which focused a strong, re-

SPREP is indebted oncemore to all its donors whichcontinue to display theirconfidence by contributingalmost 90% of our totalannual funding

SPREP Annual Report 1995/96 Foreword

Don StewartActing Director

CONTENTS

Foreword ------------------------------------------------------------ 3

Area served by SPREP ------------------------------------------------6

Introduction --------------------------------------------------------- 7

What is SPREP? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7

What are SPREP�s aims? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8

What are SPREP�s objectives? ----------------------------------------------------------------- 8

What does SPREP do? -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8

A short history ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9

How is SPREP structured? -------------------------------------------------------------------- 10

The SPREP Agreement ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10

The SPREP Action Plan ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 10

The Corporate Plan----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10

The SPREP Meeting---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10

The Secretariat ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11

Divisions ------------------------------------------------------------ 12

Conservation of Natural Resources ---------------------------------------------------------- 12

Environmental Management and Planning ------------------------------------------------ 16

Environmental Education, Information and Coordination ----------------------------- 21

Finance and Administration ------------------------------------------------------------------ 26

In-Country Activities ------------------------------------------------------------- 29

Funding and Expenditure -------------------------------------------------------- 35

Relations with other Organisations ----------------------------------------------- 38

SPREP Secretariat Staff ------------------------------------------------------------ 40

Vili Fuavao - a salute ------------------------------------------------------------ 41

Looking to the Future------------------------------------------------------------- 42

Common Acronyms ------------------------------------------------- 43

7

American Samoa

Australia

Cook Islands

Federated States of Micronesia

Fiji

France

French Polynesia

Guam

Kiribati

Republic of the Marshall Islands

Nauru

New Caledonia

New Zealand

Niue

Northern Mariana Islands

Palau

Papua New Guinea

Pitcairn

Solomon Islands

Tokelau

Tonga

Tuvalu

United States of America

Vanuatu

Wallis and Futuna

Western Samoa

SPREP is the intergovernmental organisation responsible for environ-

mental matters in the South Pacific region. Its members are the gov-

ernments and administrations of twenty-two Pacific island countries

and four developed countries with direct interests in the region.

What is SPREP?

8

What are SPREP�sobjectives?

SPREP was established by itsmembers to promote cooperationin the South Pacific region and toprovide assistance in order to pro-tect and improve its environmentand to ensure sustainable develop-ment for present and future genera-tions.

SPREP�s objectives, set out in its1994-96 Corporate Plan, include:

co-ordinating regional ac-tivities that address the en-vironment;

monitoring and assessingthe region�s state of the en-vironment, including the

environments by preven-tion and management;

strengthening national andregional capabilities and in-stitutional arrangements;

increasing and improvingeducational, training andpublic awareness activities;and

promoting integrated legal,planning and managementmechanisms.

What does SPREPdo?

Under the 1991-95 SPREP ActionPlan, which is the framework fora regional approach to environmen-tal issues in the Pacific islands,SPREP is required to:

monitor the status of thePacific environment, andthe effects of problems onhuman environments andnatural ecosystems;

improve national and re-gional capabilities, linksand funding to carry outthe Action Plan.

provide integrated legal,planning and managementmethods to protect and usenatural resources in an eco-logically sound way;

provide training, educationand public awareness forimproving the environ-ment;

encourage developmentthat maintains or improvesthe environment;

protect the land and sea eco-systems, and their naturalinhabitants that need help;

reduce pollution on land,in fresh and sea water, andin the air; and

encourage the use ofEnvironmental ImpactAssessment and othermethods to stop or lessen theeffects of humans on theirenvironment.

impacts of human activitieson the region�s ecosystems,and encouraging develop-ment that maintains orenhances environmentalqualities;

promoting and developingprogrammes, including re-search, to protect the at-mosphere as well as terres-trial, freshwater, coastal andmarine ecosystems andspecies, while ensuringecologically sustainable useof these resources;

reducing pollution in air,land, freshwater and marine

SPREP Annual Report 1995/96: Introduction

What are SPREP�s aims?

Promote regional cooperation inenvironmental matters

Assist members to protect andimprove their shared environment

Help members work towardssustainable development forpresent and future generations.

9

To complete these activities, SPREP�sannual work programme containsnine elements:

1. Conservation of BiologicalDiversity;

2. Global Climate Changeand Sea Level Rise;

3. Environmental Planningand Management;

4. Coastal Management andPlanning;

5. Managing Pollution;

6. Managing Pollution Emer-gencies;

7. Environmental Educationand Training;

8. Environmental Informa-tion; and

9. Regional EnvironmentalConcerns.

Details of specific activities carriedout in 1995/96 in each of these el-ements are found in the section onDivisional Activities.

A short history.....

SPREP originated in 1969 when aRegional Symposium on the Conser-vation of Nature recommended theappointment of a regional ecologi-cal adviser to the South PacificCommission (SPC), which eventu-ated in 1973. In 1978, SPC, theUnited Nations EnvironmentProgramme (UNEP), the SouthPacific Bureau for Economic Co-operation (now the Forum Secre-tariat) and the United Nations Eco-nomic and Social Commission forAsia and the Pacific (ESCAP) thenagreed on the need for a compre-hensive environment programmefor the region.

Proposals were submitted to theSouth Pacific Forum (the annualmeeting of Heads of Governmentof Pacific countries) and the SouthPacific Conference (the annual gath-ering of representatives of all theregion�s countries and territories).These resulted in the formal estab-

lishment of SPREP as a joint ini-tiative of the Forum and SPC in1980, with funding from UNEPand ESCAP. SPREP reported tothe South Pacific Forum and theSouth Pacific Conference, with anexecutive provided by a co-ordinating group with representa-tives from these four organisations,chaired by the Forum. This newprogramme was administered fromSPC�s headquarters in Noumea,New Caledonia.

In 1982, a Conference on the HumanEnvironment in the South Pacific,held in Rarotonga, Cook Islands,decided to set up SPREP as a sepa-rate entity within SPC, and pro-duced an Action Plan for Managingthe Natural Resources of the SouthPacific Region (�the Action Plan�)to guide its future activities. Thisdocument, revised in 1991 and tobe revised again in 1996, remainsthe principle focus of SPREP�s ac-tivities.

In 1986, the Convention for theProtection of the Natural Resourcesand Environment of the South Pa-cific Region (�the SPREP Conven-tion�) was adopted at a SPREPmeeting in Noumea and enteredinto force in 1990. The Conven-tion aims to protect and managethe natural land and marine re-sources of the region, and containstwo protocols - on waste dumpingand on co-operation to combatpollution emergencies.

In 1986, to enable member coun-tries to become more active in set-ting priorities for and managingSPREP, the first Intergovernmen-tal Meeting (now known as theSPREP Meeting) was convened. Atfirst, this was held every two years(in 1986, 1988 and 1990), and thenannually from 1990. Also in 1986,the co-ordinating group was re-placed by a steering committee offive member representatives: onefrom each of Polynesia, Melanesiaand Micronesia; one from France/UK/USA; and one from Austra-lia/New Zealand. The group metat least once a year to assist and

provide direction to the SPREPSecretariat in implementing itswork programme.

In 1990, the steering committeewas abolished when the SPREPMeeting became an annual event.At that time, member countriesfirst considered according SPREPthe full and formal legal status of anautonomous body, and asked SPCto devolve secretariat functions andadministrative autonomy toSPREP. This move was strength-ened when the South Pacific Fo-rum established a committee tostudy and report on strengtheningSPREP�s capacity.


On 31 August 1995,SPREP officially becameautonomous, when Niuebecame the tenth countryto ratify the Agreement.

After considering the Action Planand financial and legal implica-tions, the 1991 SPREP Meeting -held at a ministerial level - agreedthat SPREP should become au-tonomous. Ministers also acceptedWestern Samoa�s offer to host thenew regional organisation, andSPREP moved its headquartersfrom Noumea to Apia in 1992.

To formalise and legalise its newstatus as an independent intergov-ernmental organisation, SPREP�smembers signed on 16 June, 1993the Agreement Establishing SPREPin Apia Western Samoa.

On 31 August 1995, SPREP offi-cially became autonomous, whenNiue became the tenth country toratify the Agreement.

�This is an historic occasion for theregion and SPREP. This was a pro-cess begun by member countries in1990, culminating in the formal,legal establishment of SPREP as anautonomous intergovernmentalorganisation.� said Dr. Vili Fuavao,SPREP�s Director at the time.

10

How is SPREP structured?

The SPREPAgreement

The Agreement which entered intoforce on 31 August 1995, providesthe legal basis for SPREP�s exist-ence as an autonomous regionalorganisation. It also defines thepurposes of SPREP and the SPREPMeeting and sets out the functionsof the Secretariat.

The SPREP ActionPlan

The current (1991-95) Action Plan,adopted by the 1991 SPREP Meet-ing, established nine programmeareas, each with its own goals andobjectives, and provided guidelinesfor implementing programmes.

The Action Plan is now being re-vised for consideration and adop-tion by the Ninth SPREP Meetingin November 1996, which will beat ministerial level.

The CorporatePlan

As outlined earlier, the CorporatePlan, adopted by the 1994 SPREPMeeting, describes how SPREP willfulfill its mandate and its legal obli-gations to its members in 1994-96.

The Corporate Plan:

details the mission, objectivesand guidelines of SPREP ac-cording to the major issuesand events it faces, or is likelyto face, during that time;

re -de f ines SPREP�sorganisational structure,and its responsibilities,tasks and performance in-dicators; and

describes the process fol-lowed for developing andimplementing SPREP�swork programme.

The organisation�s objectives arebased on the Action Plan.

The Corporate Plan establishes fourfunctional divisions, which are di-rected and guided by a small man-agement team. These divisions,effective from October 1994, areintended to ensure that projects areeffectively developed, managed andco-ordinated within the scope ofthe Action Plan.

This Annual Report details thework carried out by the four divi-sions:

Conservation of Natural Re-sources;

Environmental Education,Information and Coordina-tion ;

Environmental Manage-ment and Planning; and

Finance and Administration.

The SPREP Meeting

As SPREP�s governing body, theSPREP Meeting brings togetherrepresentatives from all memberstates and territories. This annualmeeting reviews the previousyear�s activities, adopts a workprogramme and budget for the fol-lowing year and considers policy,institutional, administrative, fi-nancial, staffing and other mattersaffecting the organisation.

The Eighth SPREP Meeting, heldin Apia, Western Samoa, in Octo-ber 1995, dealt with a wide rangeof issues. It:

evaluated progress on 1994work programme activities;

adopted a work programmeand budget for 1996;

received the Director�sAnnual Report and hisoverview of SPREP for1994/95;

approved the Review ofTerms and Conditions ofEmployment of SPOCCOrganisations;

noted the implications formanaging the region�s re-sources arising from deci-sions of world leaders at the1994 Barbados Conference onthe Sustainable Development

Conservation of Natural Resources

Environmental Education, Information and Coordination

Environmental Management and Planning

Finance and Administration

Divisions:

SPREP Meeting

SPREP Secretariat

Director

Deputy Director

Corporate PlanAction Plan


11

Photo Bismark

Photo 9

Photo Ber-nard

Photo 10

Two of SPREP�s professionalofficers recruited from

within SPREP membercountries are:

Mr. Bernard Moutou (Top)from France and

Environmental InformationData Analyst Officer, Mr.

Bismark Crawley (Bottom)from Western Samoa.

of Small Island Developing States,establishing a regional mechanismto implement outcomes from thatconference;

appointed a Selection AdvisoryCommittee to initiate recruitmentprocedures for the next Directorof SPREP;

approved a process for the designof a SPREP Headquarters com-plex;

noted developments and reaf-firmed its agreement for SPREPto act as the Secretariat of theWaigani Convention;

endorsed regional cooperation ofmeteorological services and en-couraged the Secretariat to con-tinue its efforts in the field of re-gional meteorology;

endorsed a regional Wetlands Ac-tion Plan;

adopted a Pacific RegionalStrategy for the GEF;

endorsed regional input tothe proposed globalprogramme of action forprotecting the marine envi-ronment from land-basedactivities;

gave strong support forSPREP�s continued workin coastal management andplanning, particularly inte-grated coastal management,and encouraged the Secre-tariat to pursue funding forthis vital regional activity;

adopted a regional imple-mentation strategy for theIntegrated Coral Reef Initia-t ive;

expressed its appreciation ofthe ongoing work of theSecretariat in relation to theFCCC;

noted the high quality ofmaterial produced in sup-port of the �Year of the SeaTurtle� campaign and calledfor continuation of theSecretariat�s efforts in thearea; and

endorsed the report on theConvention on BiologicalDiversity.

The full report of the EighthSPREP Meeting is available fromthe Secretariat.

The Ninth SPREP Meeting will beheld, on 25-28 November 1996 inTonga.

The Secretariat

Under the Agreement Establishing

SPREP, the Secretariat is requiredto:

promote, undertake and co-ordinate implementation ofthe Action Plan;

carry out research and stud-ies related to the ActionPlan;

advise and assist memberswith activities in the ActionPlan;

provide a means of regularconsultation among mem-bers;

establish and co-ordinateworking arrangementswith national, regional andinternational organisations;

gather and disseminate in-formation for membercountries and other inter-ested parties;

promote and develop train-ing, public awareness andeducation on environmen-tal issues;

help member countries toacquire, interpret and evalu-ate scientific and technicaldata; and

seek financial and technicalresources for membercountries and SPREP.

The Secretariat is also responsiblefor co-ordinating and implement-ing functions related to the Apiaand SPREP Conventions.

The Secretariat is managed by aDirector, assisted by a DeputyDirector, aided by a team of pro-fessional staff recruited mainlyfrom member countries, andsupported by administrative staffrecruited in Western Samoa.

The Secretariat now has four func-tional divisions, directed andguided by the Director andDeputy Director. Each division isheaded by a designated profes-sional officer.

The work and staffing of each di-vision over the past year is detailedin the next section.


Conservationof Natural Resources

The Division for the Conservation of Natural Resources has three dis-

tinct but inter-related programme areas:

1 . S o u t h P a c i f i c 2. Natural Resource

This programme covers a widerange of resource conservation is-sues not dealt with by the SPBCP.It is mainly concerned with imple-menting the Action Strategy for theConservation of Natural Resourcesin the South Pacific. It also receivesfunding from the SPBCP and othersources, for projects to conservesome of the region�s endangeredspecies.

3. Coastal Managementand Planning

The programme assists membercountries to manage and plan forthe multiple use, ecologically sus-tainable development and conser-vation of coastal areas and habitats.

Divisional StaffReti, Muliagatele Iosefatu

Head of Division andProject Manager, SPBCP

Miller, SueBiodiversity Officer (Species)

Cornforth, RogerBiodiversity Officer

(Conservation Areas)Apis-Overhoff, Lucille

Wetlands and MangrovesOfficer

Tilling, AndrewBiodiversity Officer (Socio-

economics)Poihega, Faatupu

SPBCP SecretaryTupua, Ruta

Divisional Assistant

ConservationBiodiversity ConservationProgramme (SPBCP)

The SPBCP is a f ive-yearprogramme to identify, establishand initially manage a series oflarge, diverse conservation areas inwhich human activities are guidedso as to protect important ecologi-cal features.

The SPBCP covers fourteen mem-ber countries: Cook Islands, Fiji,FSM, Kiribati, Marshall Islands,Naur u, Niue, Palau, SolomonIslands, Tonga, Tokelau, Tuvalu,Vanuatu and Western Samoa. It isjointly funded by GEF and thegovernment of Australia, adminis-tered by UNDP and executed bySPREP.

13

Objectives and strategies

b assist efforts by the local communities andgovernments to protect the biological diver-sity of the South Pacific, for the peoples of theregion and the world, for now and the future;

b assist in establishing and initially managingconservation areas that will be managed by lo-cal communities, NGOs and governmentagencies;

b protect the rich natural heritage of the regionby conserving and sustainably managing itsnatural resources and biodiversity;

b identify and address the most urgent threatsto the region�s biodiversity and protect theregion�s plants, animals and ecosystems forfuture generations;

b develop and advocate appropriate funding tosupport conservation and sustainable resourcemanagement activities;

b strengthen local expertise and technical abil-

ity in planning and carrying outconservation programmes;

b strengthen national capabilities toformulate and implement coastalmanagement and planningprogrammes;

b coordinate coastal managementand planning activities in the re-gion, especially those dealingwith projected sea level rise;

b develop and undertake coastalmanagement and planning activi-ties; and

b assist member countries to takeall appropriate measures to re-duce and control pollution andcoastal erosion in the area coveredby the SPREP Convention.

Biodiversity

The Division�s objectives are to:

1 . South Pacific

C o n s e r v a t i o n A r e a

As of June 1996, sixteen Conser-vation Area Projects (CAPs) havebeen identified, established andsupported in thirteen countries ofthe region. These projects are inCook Islands, Fiji, FSM, Kiribati,Nauru, Niue, Palau, Solomon Is-lands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Tokelau,Vanuatu and Western Samoa. Ofthese sixteen projects, eight aremarine conservation areas.

Assistance to country officials inthe preparation of long term plansfor the development of the CAPshas been the focus of activities dur-ing this period. A number of theseplans have since been completed

Officers have also been appointedand supported to have overall re-sponsibility for the day-to-day op-eration of the CAPs. A major re-sponsibility for these officers is thetraining of local people in resourcemanagement and planning thusenhancing their capacity to takeover full responsibility for theprojects in the future.

E s t a b l i s h m e n t

and are being implemented. Otherprojects were identified late duringthe period, plans for which are cur-rently under preparation.

The SPBCP has a strong commu-nity focus, hence projects which areowned and managed by the localcommunities are strongly encour-aged. To this end, ConservationArea Coordinating Committees(CACCs) comprising representa-tives from local communities,relevant government agencies,NGOs and other interested partieshave been set up in many of theprojects with support from theProgramme. Conservation Area

Divisional activities

SPREP Annual Report 1995/96: Conservation of Natural Resources

Sustainable IncomeGenerating Activities

Another important component ofthe SPBCP is assistance to localcommunities in the development

(SPBCP).ProgrammeConservation

14

of sustainable income generatingactivities which allow for the pro-tection of biodiversity while at thesame time providing some financialreturns to the local communities.A number of CAPs have also ben-efited from eco-tourism and othernature based activities, and a fewmore are looking into possibilitiesincluding whale watching, catchand release sports fishing, sustain-able harvesting of indigenous nuts,agroforestry and alley cropping. Itis interesting to note here that theKoroyanitu Conservation Areaproject in Fiji won the award forthe best eco-tourism project in theSouth Pacific last year and couldvery well provide a model for otherprojects to follow.

The development of income gener-ating activities within the CAPsprovides a major challenge for theProgramme. If successful, theCAPs could demonstrate that de-velopment and conservation can,in fact, be compatible.

Species Conservation

The SPBCP also provides supportfor the conservation of threatenedand endangered species in the Pa-cific region. Financial support wasprovided for the implementationof regional strategies for the conser-vation of marine mammals, marineturtles and avifauna. Details ofthese projects are provided in thesection on Natural Resource Con-servation.

Community Awareness andTraining

Community awareness and train-ing has been a key activity for theProgramme during 1995/1996.Two regional training workshopswere conducted for CACCmembers in Fiji (for countries ofPolynesia and Melanesia) andPalau (for countries of Micronesia)and one regional training work-shop for Conservation Area Offic-ers was held in Vanuatu. Studytours were also organised forCACC members from projects inFiji, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands.A number of in-country work-shops involving local communities

were also conducted in projects inFSM, Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Fijiand Western Samoa. Visits bySPBCP staff to a number of projectsprovided valuable opportunitiesfor project personnel to discussother issues relating to the manage-ment of the projects.

This programme covered four basicareas:

Regional Marine TurtleConservation (RMTCP)

Species conservation work contin-ued to focus on the implementa-tion of the �Year of the Sea Turtle�campaign in 1995/96. This initia-tive is the Pacific island�s first re-gion-wide conservation campaignand has significantly increasedawareness of the need to conservesea turtles in Pacific island coun-tries. Two regional highlights in-cluded a three country tour (Tonga,Western Samoa, American Samoa)by the Wan Smolbag TheatreGroup from Vanuatu and satellitetagging of turtles to follow migra-tion routes.

The �Year of the Sea Turtle� corecampaign network numbered 43agencies covering 24 countries andterritories, and 13 NGOs. A fur-ther 39 government agencies andNGOs were on a regular informa-tion and resource mailing list.Campaign resources, includingposters, stickers and videos provedpopular for use in these countryand NGO campaigns. In all, morethan 100,000 units of campaignmaterials were distributed to agen-cies participating in the campaign.As a direct result of the Pacific is-land regional turtle campaign, theIndian Ocean region countrieshave declared 1998 as their �Year ofthe Sea Turtle�.

In April 1996, the campaign was re-viewed as highly successful by thecountries, territories and NGOspar t ic ipat ing in SPREP�s Re-gional Marine Turtle ConservationProgramme (RMTCP). This re-view also looked at logistical con-

straints and problems in campaign-ing in the Pacific Islands with aview to developing future conser-vation campaigns in the region.

In completing the campaign, par-ticipating agencies recommendedfurther urgent action aimed at en-suring long term survival of turtleresources to meet the cultural, eco-nomic and nutritional needs of thepeoples of the Pacific islands.

These actions are embodied in thenew 1997-2001 RMTCP StrategicPlan, which provides a clear visionfor turtle resources in the Pacificisland region:

�We see a future where generationsof Pacific island people will havechoices about how they use andinteract with sea turtles. Thisdream will come true if we takeaction now to ensure that the seaturtle population recovers to be-come healthy, robust and stable.Turtles will be fulfilling their eco-logical role and be harvested byPacific islanders on a sustainablebasis to meet their cultural, eco-nomic and nutritional needs.�

Regional AvifaunaConservation

Funding from the SPBCP contin-ued to provide support for avifaunawork in Pacific island countriesduring 1995/96. In Niue, a fieldguide to the birds of Niue was pro-duced as well as a research reporton the status of birds, peka (bat)and rodents. Western Samoa com-pleted its work on the Manumea(tooth billed pigeon) and possiblesupport for follow-up work is be-ing considered in 1996. Efforts tolink bird conservation work withthe SPBCP Conservation AreaProgramme paid off with the devel-opment of the Takitimu Conserva-tion Area in the Cook Islandswhich in part, focuses on endan-gered birds. Avifauna conservationis increasingly becoming a compo-nent of SPBCP Conservation Areawork programmes including thosein Huvalu (Niue), Arnavon (SolomonIslands) and Vatthe (Vanuatu). Apartnership with Birdlife Interna-tional is also being developed to aid

Conservation2. Natural Resource


15

in the implementation of bird con-servation work including exchangeof information and the Endan-gered Bird Area database.

Regional Marine MammalConservation

Baseline Marine Mammal Reviewand Field Guide will be publishedin the latter half of 1996 withfunding from UNEP. Support toTonga�s development of whalewatching tourism has beenfinalised and the first workshopaimed at guides and operators willbe held in August 1996 (selectedguides and operators from otherPacific islands will also be involvedin the workshop). SPREP contin-ued to respond to requests for infor-mation and advice on marinemammals throughout 1995/96.

Other work

During 1995/96 SPREP continuedto provide advice and input to theimplementation of the 1994-1998Action Strategy for the Conserva-tion of Nature in the South PacificRegion. As part of this programme,SPREP provided an advisor forPacific island parties participatingin the Convention on BiologicalDiversity�s Second Conference ofthe Parties and the first meeting ofthe Convention�s Scientific Advi-sory Body on Technical and Tech-nological Advice. Pacific Island Par-ties, and other small island states aspart of the Alliance of Small IslandStates (AOSIS), made a significantcontribution to the developmentof the Convention�s Marine andCoastal Programme during thesemeetings. Work has now begun onproviding advisory informationand guidelines on access to geneticresource, intellectual propertyrights and biosafety in preparationfor Pacific island input into theThird Conference of the Parties tothis Convention. SPREP has alsoprovided an advisor to the recentRamsar Conference of the Partiesand gave the keynote address forthe Oceania Day.

3. Coastal Managementand Planning

Current and future activities include:

Coastal Management Profiles

This project aims to document in-formation on Pacific island govern-ment agencies and NGOs thathave coastal management relatedresponsibilities.

Coastal ManagementTraining Directory

This project is preparing a CoastalManagement Training and Educa-tion Directory. The document willbe made available both in hardcopy and on disk and will be up-dated regularly as funding permits.

Coral Reef Survey andMonitoring Training

A �train the trainers� workshop washeld in Saipan, Commonwealth ofNorthern Mariana Islands (CNMI),in November 1995. Follow-uptraining workshops will be held inPNG and Palau in early 1997.

The project supported member gov-ernments in preparing, reviewingand implementing coastal manage-ment plans, as well as carrying outfeasibility assessments for integratedcoastal management programmes.

Planned activities for 1996/1997 in-clude projects to demonstrate themanagement of:

b mangroves as renewableresources;

b the sustainable use ofcoastal resources;

b coordinating research,monitoring and manage-ment activities; and

b information exchange inthe Pacific island region.

An integrated coastal managementand planning programme to pro-mote the sustainable use of coastalareas and resources was supportedby the last SPREP Meeting. It willprovide:

b assistance for integratedcoastal management in allmember countries; and

b three national projects dem-onstrating integrated coastalmanagement practices.

This programme is now being as-sessed by funding sources.

1997 Pacific Year of the CoralReef

A Pacific Regional Workshop(Suva, 27 November - 1 December1995) was called to give direction toICRI at the regional and local lev-els by developing an ICRI PacificRegional Strategy. The Strategynominated SPREP to host theICRI Coordinator for the Pacificregion and recommended 1997 tobe the Pacific Year of the Coral Reef.The Secretariat is now actively as-sisting implementation of the Strat-egy.

Regional Wetlands ActionPlan (RWAP)

The draft RWAP, first circulated atthe ICRI Pacific Regional Work-shop in Suva, Fiji last year, hasbeen endorsed by SPREP membercountries and will be published.There will be follow up in-countryactivities based on the RWAP.


A note from the Head ofDivision.....

1995, has been another successful year for the Division.The SPBCP is on track with two additional conser-vation areas identified and established bringing to 16the number of projects established with supportfrom the SPBCP, since 1993.

The �Year of the Sea Turtle� campaign attractedworld-wide attention to the efforts of the Pacific is-land countries to protect one of the region�s cultur-ally important but now threatened marine species.

The Coastal Management and Planning Programmeprovided the much needed basic training for govern-ment officials in the planning and management ofcoastal protection and development. This training willneed to be put into practice if governments are to en-sure the long-term sustainable use of coastal areas andresources.

A big congratulations and thank you to all our sup-porters and collaborators for making 1995/96 yetanother successful year. I look forward to workingwith you again to make 1996/97 an even more suc-cessful year for you and for us.

Iosefatu (Joe) Reti

1. Climate Change

This programme focuses onstrengthening the understandingof climate change in the regionthrough understanding the science,developing impacts and responseoptions to climate change, improv-ing the awareness of decision-mak-ers and the public, assisting coun-tries with international negotia-tions related to climate change andbuilding the region�s capacity toplan and adapt to climate and sealevel change.

2. Environmental ImpactAssessment

This seeks to establish a sound ba-sis for integrating EnvironmentalImpact Assessment proceduresinto national planning and tostrengthen capacity for environ-mental assessment and State of theEnvironment Reporting in the re-gion.

Structure and goals

The Division for Environmental Management and Planning has four

distinct but inter-related programme areas:

Miles, GeraldHead of Division andSustainable Development

OfficerTongamoa,Taiamoni

Population andEnvironment Officer

Kaluwin,ChalapanClimate Change Officer

Koop, NevilleMeteorology/Climatology

OfficerOnorio, Komeri

Environment ImpactAssessment Officer

Crawley, BismarckEnvironmental Information

Data Analyst OfficerIoane, Fiu Petelo

GIS/Database AssistantOfficer

Munro, AndrewWaste Management and

Pollution Prevention OfficerLe�apai, Lagi

Divisional AssistantPatelesio, Sia

Divisional Assistant

Divisional Staff

This programme promotes sustain-able development in the wake ofthe Rio and Barbados Conferences,and assists member countries to in-corporate population and environ-mental considerations into theirnational planning.

4. Waste Management,Pollution Prevention andEmergencies

This assists countries in preventing,reducing and managing pollutionand wastes, including the develop-ment and maintenance of nationaland regional pollution emergencyresponse and planning capabilities.

EnvironmentalManagement and Planning

3. Population andSustainable Development

17

Goals and Objectives

The overall goal of this Division is to ensure planning and development activities are environmentally sustainable.To achieve this goal, the Division�s objectives are to:

countries. Training programmeson sea level and climate changewere carried out, with participantsfrom 14 countries. Installation ofsea level change monitoring sta-tions has been completed in elevencountries, with data on oceanogra-phy, sea level rise and weather dis-tributed to member governmentsand international organisations.

The Third Meeting of Directors ofMeteorological Services was held inApia, Western Samoa and coveredissues such as training, technical as-sistance, cooperation and collabo-ration between member govern-ments and the development of ElNino Southern Oscillation (ENSO)climate prediction capabilities.

Sea level rise vulnerability assess-ments were completed in WesternSamoa and Fiji, bringing the totalnumber of assessments to five since1992. Climate impacts and re-sponse strategies are also being de-veloped for Fiji and Tuvalu.


1 . Climate Change andSea Level Rise

Activities included climate and sealevel change monitoring and train-ing, vulnerability assessments, re-view of climate data managementand the provision of technical assis-tance to member countries at inter-national meetings.

A review and inventory of the Cli-mate Computer Project (CLICOM)has been completed and furthertechnical assistance in collabora-tion with the World Meteorologi-cal Organisation (WMO) is underdevelopment. Fact sheets, a reporton a new weather receiving satellitesystem and monthly data from theSea Level and Climate MonitoringProject were published. A quarterlybulletin newsletter is now pro-duced by SPREP.

Training needs for climate changeand sea level rise were identified,CLICOM and meteorological ap-plications were assessed and train-ing programmes developed for 14

b assist member countries to understand andavoid or mitigate the potentially adverseeffects of global climate change and to con-tribute to international efforts to l imithuman- induced c l imate change ;

b provide the tools and techniques, includingEIA, to assist countries further assess their na-tional state of the environment and that of theregion;

b assess the impacts of human activities on theregion�s ecosystems and the effects of these im-pacts on the quality of the human environ-ment;

b develop and coordinate implementation of acomprehensive framework of action to man-

age wastes and prevent pollutionin the region;

b carr y out training activitiesrelated to waste managementand pollution emergencies;

b prepare national waste manage-ment strategies and assess the sizeof the region�s waste problem;and

b assist countries in understandingand responding to significant re-gional and global environmentconcerns (e.g. population) andrelated agreements (e.g. Agenda21 and Barbados Programme ofAction).

The Atmosphere Radiation Measure-ment Project (ARM) commenced in1995. Activities include publishingpamphlets and posters, running na-tional and sub-regional workshopsto explain the project to localpeople. SPREP is assisting the U.S.Department of Energy and the gov-ernments of Papua New Guinea,Nauru and Kiribati to identify sitesfor data-gathering equipment andto help Pacific scientists interpretand use the data for planning pur-poses.

The South Pacific Sea Level Monitor-ing Project has commenced a train-ing strategy to include attachmentsfrom Pacific Island Countries of upto 4-6 weeks at the National TidalFacility, Flinders University, SouthAustralia. The first such grouptraining will focus on data andmanagement, geodesy/surveying,maintenance and electronics, andcoastal planning and management.

18

Further activities dealing withchanging sea levels will include newsites to be assessed for suitability forsea level monitoring stations andworkshops on climate change im-pacts, planning and adaptation.Data will also be accumulated onthe actual sea level change.

Global Environment Facility (GEF)funding of approximately USD$ 3million is expected for climatechange activities related to theimplementation of the UnitedNations Framework Convention onClimate Change (UNFCCC).The two GEF funded projects are CC:Train and the Pacific Island ClimateChange Assistance Programme(PICCAP).

CC: Train funding will include cli-mate change activities for Cook Is-lands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Is-lands, Nauru, Solomon Islands,Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Western Sa-moa under the UNFCCC. Theprogramme has a training focus andaims to enhance the capacity of theregion to implement theUNFCCC.

Pacific Island Climate Change Assis-tance Programme (PICCAP) fund-ing has been approved by GEF andis awaiting formal approval of thefinal project document. The ac-t ivit ies supported by PICCAPwill facilitate the implementationof national communications obli-gations under the UNFCCC.

PICCAP will be implemented inthe Cook Islands, Federated States ofMicronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, MarshallIslands, Nauru, Solomon Islands,Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Western Samoa.

2. Environmental ImpactAssessment

EIA Expert System Software -known as Calyx EA - was demon-strated in Kiribati with the viewtowards possible regional adapta-tion. Based on the results of thedemonstration, guidance from theEighth SPREP Meeting, and in-house reviews, a pilot installationof Calyx EA is under consider-ation.

EIA activities in the current yearincluded:

b the Epau Micro Hydro-Electric Power Project inVanuatu;

b wharf developments atAnibare and Gabab chan-nels in Nauru; and

b the Neiafu Master Plan forVava�u in Tonga.

EIA Guidelines for Mine Develop-ment and Tailings Disposal forMine Development at TropicalCoastal Mines were completed anddistributed.

Two other EIA guidelines are cur-rently with the printers, these are:

b Guidelines for the Environ-mental Management ofFish Processing Plants; and

b Environmental Guidelinesfor Dredging in FunafutiLagoon, Tuvalu.

The Pacific Environment and Natu-ral Resource Information Centre(PENRIC) is part of a global net-work aimed at strengthening sys-tems for State of the Environment

Reporting and provides SPREPwith GIS capabilities for environ-mental assessment. The Centresupported activities in conservingbiodiversity and population issues,with projects in Fiji, FSM, Kiribatiand Niue. A pilot national GISunit was also established in Fiji�sEnvironment Department.

Activities for the coming year in-clude developing fur ther na-tional and local projects to sup-port other SPREP programmes,completing a database of environ-mental consultants available to the re-gion and coordinating the 1995 re-gional State of the Environment Re-port. It is hoped that by the year2000, PENRIC will have establisheda system for producing annual Stateof the Environment reports with em-phasis on cost effective and robust ap-proaches to data compilation andanalysis.3. Population andSustainable Development

The Population and Environmentproject addresses the integration ofpopulation to environmental man-agement as a key factor in sustain-able development. Activities havebeen directed towards the nationalcapacity of environment depart-ments or units, assisting the coor-dination of national positions onintegrated population and environ-ment policy, assisting research andimproved data collection and analy-sis, and community developmenttraining and awareness programmes.Emphasis is placed on ensuringlimited resources target the ex-pressed needs of countries ratherthan attempting to impose activi-ties that may not be seen by coun-

Curriculum Writingworkshop

Dr. Kaluwin, SPREP�sClimate Change Officerand coordinator of the�Curriculum WritingWorkshop on Climateand Climate Change� inWestern Samoa, May 1996- A strategic regionalapproach to coordinateawareness on ClimateChange. Also present (l-r)are Western Samoa�sMinister of Education,Hon. Fiame NaomiMataafa; Rev. Onesemo;Acting Director of SPREP,Mr. Don Stewart and MrAdam Lees for AusAID.

SPREP Annual Report 1995/96: Environmental Management and Planning

19

tries as a priority. Some of the ac-tivities supported by financial andtechnical assistance under thisproject include:

b Technical advice concerningintegrated national popula-tion and environment policyin Marshall Islands, Tokelau,Tonga and subsequently forWestern Samoa;

b National in-service trainingworkshops for primaryteachers in Vanuatu;

b Public awareness campaignin Kosrae in the form of anEducation Week. Theweek�s theme was �Educa-tion for All� and one of themain focuses for the weekwas population and the en-vironment;

b Curriculum writing work-shop for Micronesia held inPalau aimed at producing amodule unit on the link-ages between populationand the env i ronmentwhich can become part ofthe existing national schoolcurriculum;

b A regional GIS workshopheld at USP to introducePOPMAP as a planningtool;

b A short-term fellowship inJanuary-February 1996 fora group of national plan-ners and environment offic-ers at the University of theSouth Pacific;

b A community develop-ment training manual onparticipatory approaches tointegrated population andenvironment planninghas been produced. Thisis intended as a handbookfor training trainers at thecommunity level; and

b Socio-economic review of aproposed Tuna canner yin Kosrae.

The project is approaching the endof its first cycle and much remainsto be done.

To fol low-up Barbados andUNCED, the Advisory Commit-

tee, established by the Forum in1994 to coordinate and facilitate theimplementation of the BarbadosProgramme of Action in this re-gion, met for the first time, inApia, in October 1995. As a re-sult , a report on activit ies toimp lement the BarbadosProgramme of Action was com-pleted and presented to the 1996session of the UN Commission onSustainable Development (CSD).This was well received by the CSDin April this year. The AdvisoryCommittee agreed to convene asappropriate in accordance with thereview of the Barbados Conferenceoutcomes. The Special Session ofthe UN General Assembly and re-lated session of the CSD in 1997,provide opportunities to advancethe implementation of the Barba-dos Programme of Action and re-lated regional priorities at the inter-national level.

Significant progress has also beenmade to implement the PacificStrategy for the Global Environ-ment Facility (GEF) drafted by theGEF Training and Scoping Work-shop, in August 1995. Assistance tothe region of approximately USD3 million over three years for cli-mate change activities has been ap-proved. Project developmentfunds to prepare a Strategic Ac-tion Plan for the protection of in-ternational waters are being re-quested.

the opportunity to define wherethat effort should be focused.

4. Pollution Preventionand Waste Management

Implementation of the South Pa-cific Regional Waste Minimisation,Management and Pollution Pre-vention Programme commencedin 1995. The programme has twocomponents - terrestrial and ma-rine. The terrestrial componenttargets solid waste managementand minimisation, chemicals man-agement, waste water managementand land use planning. The marinecomponent was drafted with the as-sistance of the International Mari-time Organisation (IMO) and targetsinternational marine conventionsand marine pollution response capa-bilities. Implementation of theProgramme to date has concen-trated on demonstration projectsunder the terrestrial component ofthe Programme. Funding is beingsought to implement other itemsof the terrestrial component andthe marine component. TheProgramme also provides technicalsupport in response to country re-quests for assistance with wastemanagement and pollution preven-tion activities and pollution emer-gencies.

Implementation of two Agenda 21derived chemicals managementprojects is also being undertaken.The National Chemicals Profilesand Pollutant Release and TransferRegisters (PRTR) projects are bothsupported by UNITAR and theAustralian EPA with additionalsupport to the PRTR project beingprovided by the OECD. In addi-tion, the International Register ofPotentially Toxic Chemicals data-base has been supplied to SPREPmember countries with assistancebeing available from SPREP andUNEP. These are helping to bet-ter equip countries to undertakethe complex tasks associatedwith environmentally appropri-ate chemicals management.

The Global Programme of Action forthe Protection of the Marine Environ-ment from Land-Based Activities wassigned in December, 1995 and imple-mentation is expected to commence


In the coming year, work to iden-tify significant trade and environ-ment linkages will be completedalong with training material to as-sist countries mobilise financialresources for environmental invest-ments. The implementation of in-ternational environment agree-ments will continue to require con-siderable attention. The SpecialSession of the UN General Assem-bly will largely determine the pri-orities for this work over the nextfive years. Greater effort will berequired to address the integrationof environment and developmentissues in the region as the pressureincreases to improve economicgrowth in the Pacific. The currentrevision of the SPREP Action Plan1996-2000 provides countries with

20

Gerald Miles

shortly. The Programme is being co-ordinated by UNEP with the in-volvement of many other interna-tional organisations and SPREP willbe involved in its implementation inthe South Pacific region. TheProgramme recognises that the ma-jority of marine pollution is derivedfrom the land and targets many land-based pollutants including sewerage,sedimentation, non-degradable solidwastes and persistent organic pollut-ants. It promises to be of great ben-efit in combating pollution of theSouth Pacific Ocean.

The Waigani Convention to Ban theImportation into Forum IslandCountries of Hazardous and Radio-active Wastes and to Control theTransboundary Movement and Man-agement of Hazardous Wastes withinthe South Pacific Region was signedin Port Moresby in 1995. It willcome into force upon ratificationor accession by ten countries.Upon entry into force, SPREP willact as the Secretariat. The Conven-tion, which relates to the BaselConvention, was drafted in responseto a perception that the increasinggeneration of hazardous and radio-active wastes world wide posed athreat to the human health and en-vironment of the South Pacific Re-gion, and addresses these issues. Toassist its implementation, SPREPhas signed a Memorandum of Un-derstanding with the Secretariat of

A note from the Head of Division.....

To make progress in addressing the critical environmentissues of climate change, pollution, population and en-vironmental assessment as well as the internationalpolicy matters, Divisional activities have focused largelyon training, policy development and curriculum develop-ment. This reflects a region-wide need for capacitybuilding in environmental management, technicalback-stopping on specific issues at national, regionaland international levels, and an �environmentallyaware� public. Further work of the Division willstrengthen this capacity. Training and awareness raisingwill continue, particularly in the areas of climate change,environmental assessment and the development of sys-tems for State of Environment Reporting. Emphasis willalso be placed on promoting practical solutions andtools for effective planning and management. This willinclude demonstration projects in waste management.

This steady strengthening of environmental manage-ment and planning capacity will certainly be challengedas pressure increases to improve economic performancein the Pacific. Therefore it will be necessary forSPREP�s work in this area to reach beyond its tradi-tional partners and to influence all sectors of de-velopment in the region, both public and private.

Informationcurrently being

stored in databaseshas allowed

SPREP�s PENRICunit to produce this

very accuraterepresentation ofspecific membercountry�s state of

environment.


the Basel Convention. This en-sures cooperation between the Sec-retariats of the two Conventionsand allows SPREP to utilise manyof the resources of the Basel Secre-tariat.

Structure and goals

The Division for Environmental Education, Information and Coor-

dination has four distinct but inter-related programme areas:

1 . Environmental Policy/ Strategy Coordination

The Capacity 21 Project com-menced in August 1994 to imple-ment the institutional strengthen-ing activities identified in the Na-tional Environmental ManagementStrategies (NEMS).

2. Institutional

This includes legal activities andAustralian Volunteer Abroad (AVA)attachments. Legal activities sup-port national environmental legis-lation and assist with regional andinternational conventions. Legalactivities are also integrated into theCapacity 21 Project.

SPREP works with the AustralianOverseas Service Bureau to placeAVAs in environment units aroundthe region to strengthen the tech-nical capabilities of these units.

3. Environmental Education

This programme develops a widerange of formal and non-formalcurriculum resources and providestraining activities for teachers,NGOs, church leaders and the me-dia, all aimed at raising environ-mental awareness.

4. Information and

Wendt, NevaHead of Division and

Project Manager, Capacity 21Salesa-Uesele, Gisa Gaufa

Environmental EducationOfficer

Moutou, BernardLegal Officer

Dosung, LucasLibrary and Information

Centre CoordinatorBentin, Satui

Senior Library AssistantTauafiafi, Fatu

Information andPublications Officer

Williams, AlexComputer/Information

Technology OfficerIeremia,Wanda

Sustainable DevelopmentNetwork Assistant

Wilson,CraigProgramme Officer

Valasi, UsugafonoDivisional Assistant

Kilepoa, SusanaDivisional Assistant

Divisional Staff

Strengthening Computer Technology

This covers diverse activities whichinclude the production of publicinformation and educational mate-rial, promotion of regional activi-ties and awareness through variousmedia, as well as translating appro-priate material into local languages.

This programme also includesSPREP�s Library/Information Cen-tre, which provides environmentalinformation for SPREP and for Pa-cific island countries, as well astraining in library skills for en-vironment units.

The Computer Information Tech-nology section provides technicalsupport in computing for theSPREP Secretariat and provideselectronic mail facilities through itsrole as the host for the SustainableDevelopment Network (SDN) inWestern Samoa.

Environmental Education,Information and Coordination

22

Objectives


The project targets six countries:Solomon Islands and Vanuatu(Melanesia), Federated States ofMicronesia and Kiribati (Micronesia)and Cook Islands and Western Sa-moa (Polynesia). Additional activi-ties aim to strengthen the capacityof environment units in some ofthe smaller Pacific islands.

Capacity 21 work programme ac-tivities tailored to suit the specificneeds of the target countries, in-clude:

b development of nationalframeworks for sustainabledevelopment;

b reviews of policies and pro-cedures of developmentbanks and other lendinginstitutions, reviews of de-velopment planning proce-dures and reviews of exten-sion services;

b national and regional sus-tainable development meet-ings involving planners andfinancial institutions;

b training activities to ensureecologically sustainable de-velopment;

b development of environ-mental legislation; and

b community involvement innatural resource monitor-ing and protection.

A local officer has been employedin each sub-region to work withthe SPREP-based Project Managerin implementing the project�s ac-tivities in their areas.

Over the last year, Capacity 21 hasestablished a collaborative relation-ship with a number of regional andinternational organisations andprogrammes which include the

The objectives of the Division are to:

b strengthen the capacity of formal and informalinstitutions in member countries to achievesustainable development in a form suited to thePacific islands;

b strengthen national legislation affecting sus-tainable development;

b assist member governments to benefit frommembership in regional and international con-ventions;

b increase awareness and understanding of theregion�s environment and cultural heritage topromote positive community attitudes to-wards environmental activities and decision-making in the region;

b provide specific environmentalinformation in SPREP�s man-dated role as a regional informa-tion clearing house;

b provide computer informationtechnology services to SPREPstaff to ensure that theorganisation�s computing andtelecommunications facilitieskeep pace with its needs; and

b provide information to supportsustainable development, espe-cially through electronic mail andother communication systems.

1 . Environmental Policy/Strategy Coordination

Capacity 21 is a SPREP/UNDPproject, with the full title of AProgramme of Capacity Building forSustainable Development in theSouth Pacific: Building on NEMS.The Project aims to implementprinciples of Agenda 21 which camefrom the 1992 Earth Summit inRio de Janiero.

The project aims to:

b create and strengthen na-tional frameworks for sus-tainable development;

b assist sustainable develop-ment planning and financ-ing;

b improve national extensionand legal capabilities; and

b increase capacity of locallandholders to manage andmonitor their land and searesources.

SPREP Annual Report 1995/96: Environmental Education, Information and Coordination

23

Pacific Sustainable DevelopmentNetworking Programme (PSDNP),the Association of Development Fi-nancing Institutions in the Pacific(ADFIP), the Asian DevelopmentBank (ADB), the European Centrefor Development Policy Manage-ment (ECDPM), Economic andSocial Commission for Asia andthe Pacific (ESCAP) Pacific Opera-tions Centre (POC), UNDP/De-partment of Environment andConservation, PNG BiodiversityConservation and Natural Re-source Management Program,New Zealand ODA and theUnited Nations EnvironmentProgramme (UNEP) Environmen-tal Law and InstitutionsProgramme Activity Centre (ELI/PAC).

Capacity 21 activities in Melanesiaundertaken through the work ofthe Capacity 21 Programme Of-ficer (Melanesia) included:

b establishment of a NationalTask Force in Vanuatu toguide implementation ofCapacity 21 activities lead-ing up to a National Con-ference on Sustainable De-velopment held in May,1996;

b development of sustainabledevelopment guidelines in-corporating ni-Vanuatu as-pects of sustainable devel-opment;

b review of policies and loanappraisal methods in devel-opment banks and otherfinancial institutions inVanuatu, June 1995;

b review of sectoral policiesand the development planand convening a VanuatuNational Workshop onSustainable Developmentand Planning, March 1996;

b review of extensionprogrammes of agricul-ture, forestry and fisheriesin the Solomon Islands in-volving outer islands; and

b community workshop on�Sustainable Development:Traditional Medicine and

Non-timber Products� inHoniara, October 1995.

Capacity 21 activities in Micronesia,undertaken through the work of theCapacity 21 Programme Officer(Micronesia) included:

b overseeing of Capacity 21activities in Federated Statesof Micronesia by thePresident�s Council on En-vironmental Managementand Sustainable Develop-ment (SD Council);

b awareness raising activitiesand conferences on sustain-able development in KosraeState, October 1995 andPohnpei State, May 1996;

b review of policies and pro-cedures of developmentbank and other financial in-stitutions in Pohnpei, June1995;

b review of sectoral policiesand the development plan-ning process in FSM, July1995;

b collaboration with the FirstFSM Economic Summit,assistance with State partici-pation and provision of re-source persons;

b convening a FSM NationalWorkshop on SustainableDevelopment and Planning,April 1996; and

b collaboration with UNEP�sELI/PAC to provide assis-tance to Kiribati with devel-opment of draft Environ-mental Legislation and a re-lated national workshop,April 1996.

Capacity 21 activities undertakenin Polynesia included:

b review of extension servicesand training of extensionofficers in agriculture, for-estry and fisheries in rela-tion to sustainable develop-ment activities undertakenin Cook Islands, September1995;

b review of policies and pro-cedures of development

bank and financial institu-tions in Cook Islands, June1995;

b review of current practicesfor prevention and resolu-tion of natural resource dis-putes in Cook Islands withresults presented to an En-vironmental Law Work-shop convened in October1995;

b continued assistance to theNEMS Task Team in West-ern Samoa to develop na-tional policies on WasteManagement, Land Use,Population and Water Man-agement;

b review of policies and loanappraisal methods of devel-opment bank and other fi-nancial institutions in West-ern Samoa undertaken inJune, 1995;

b review of national develop-ment plan and sectoral poli-cies in Western Samoa, July1995; and

b convened National Work-shop on Sustainable Devel-opment: Planning and Fi-nancing, December, 1995.

Capacity 21 undertook a numberof regional activities including:

b collaboration with the As-sociation of DevelopmentFinancing Institutions inthe Pacific (ADFIP) in its10th Annual Conferenceon the theme of �Sustain-able Development: Financ-ing and Planning�, July1995; and

b collaboration with thePacific Sustainable De-velopment NetworkingProgramme (PSDNP) ina series of Desktop Pub-l ishing Workshops toproduce Sustainable De-velopment awarenessraising material in Van-uatu, Western Samoa andFij i .


24

2. Institutional Strengthening

SPREP provides Secretariat ser-vices for two regional conventions,the Convention for the Conserva-tion of Nature in the South Pacific(Apia Convention) and the Conven-tion for the Protection of the NaturalResources and Environment of theSouth Pacific Region (SPREP Con-vention), and two related protocols.

A regional convention aimed atcontrolling movements of hazard-ous waste in the region, theWaigani Convention, has been es-tablished with the collaborativeassistance of SPREP. It was offi-cially opened for signature duringthe 1995 Forum meeting held inPapua New Guinea. SPREP hasbeen designated as the Secretariatfor this convention, when it entersinto force.

SPREP coordinates Pacific islandactivities for a number of interna-tional conventions, including the:

b London Convention;

b Framework Convention onClimate Change;

b Convention on BiologicalDiversity;

b Montreal Protocol;

b Basel Convention;

b CITES;

b Ramsar Convention; and

b World Heritage Conven-tion.

SPREP is now producing a series ofeducational pamphlets on theseconventions and their significanceto the Pacific islands. These alsoprovide information on the conse-quences and benefits of member-ship in these international conven-tions.

The legal services sector has alsoworked with UNEP�s Environ-menta l Law and Ins t i tu t i onsProgramme Activity Centre ontraining attachment for legal offic-ers from the region, to enhance na-tional skills in environmental lawand to undertake assistance in thedevelopment of legislation and as-sisted national legal training, in as-sociation with Capacity 21.

The Australian Overseas ServiceBureau, SPREP and member gov-ernments have worked together toplace a number of AVAs in coun-tries to provide technical supportfor environment units. WesternSamoa was assisted during the pastyear, and negotiations are now un-der way for further AVA place-ments in other member countries.

3. Environmental Educationand Training

The Environmental EducationProgramme continues to run train-ing and production workshops oncurriculum development, teachertraining, multi-media, public aware-ness and material production. Thistraining, funded mostly by AusAID,is aimed at addressing each country�spertinent environment issues by tar-geting the population at largethrough the media, NGOs, churchesand the formal education system.The first participating countries inthe AusAID/SPREP Environmen-tal Education project were Kiribati,Solomon Islands and Western Sa-moa. In 1996, Cook Islands, Van-uatu and Marshall Islands are takingpart. Funding negotiations are un-derway to obtain additional re-sources for this important area ofSPREP�s work.

activities.

Radio is an important communica-tions medium in the Pacific islands.The One World Project, with SPREP,Radio Australia and Public NewsService, sought to improve environ-mental radio reporting. Theproject produced audio tapes andtranscripts of a weekly environ-ment programme, in English,French and Tok Pisin, for re-broad-casting by local radio stations andfor use in newspapers.

Although the One World pro-gramme has now come to an end,there are still links which are beingutilised to continue the theme itcreated when it first began. SPREPdeveloped a project to broaden sup-port for environmental communi-cations and information processingthrough a Pacific EnvironmentalInformation Network (PEIN)project, in cooperation withUNESCO and SPC, for whichfunding is being sought.

The media is vital for disseminat-ing environmental information tothe public. The annual Pacific Is-land News Association (PINA) Con-ference is an important opportu-nity for presenting environmentalissues for newspaper, radio and tele-vision and journalists. SPREP hasacknowledged the importance ofthis by attending the annual PINAConference and by assisting withworkshops on environmental re-porting. SPREP also remained inregular contact with regional andinternational print, radio and tele-vision media to publicise SPREPactivities and regional environmen-tal concerns.

The SPREP Library/InformationCentre (SLIC) was established in1994, with sorting and cataloguingbeing the main initial activities.The collection is now computer-ised, with nearly 4,000 books and200 journal titles entered andshelved. During the year, the Cen-tre received and processed around25 information requests weekly.The Centre has also set up over 25exchange agreements betweenSPREP and other libraries with en-vironmental collections, to save ac-

Computer Technology

The information and publicationssection coordinates translation, pub-lishing and communications forSPREP�s core activities andprogrammes. These include the ed-iting of reports, writing press re-leases on activities involving SPREP,developing campaigns, writing andediting extension materials, com-pleting radio interviews, and writingand editing video scripts.

During the year, SPREP publica-tions and other resource materialswere distributed widely in the re-gion, and sold to a diverse audienceoutside the region. The wide inter-est shown in the publications area,both regionally and internationally,has highlighted an encouragingawareness of the organisation and its


4. Information and

25

quisition costs.

In 1995/96, SLIC has extended itsin-house activities and is seeking todevelop a network of informationcentres in the region. This has ini-tially involved training and techni-cal assistance in the establishmentof environment libraries in theSolomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji,Cook Islands, Marshall IslandsKiribati and Western Samoa.

Computers are vital in the dailyrunning of SPREP. On-going sup-port was provided during this pe-riod to an increasing number ofstaff and computers to maintain anoperational computing environ-ment. These and other activitiesincluded:

Internal Computer Network

Improving communication sys-tems within the SPREP Headquar-ters has been of paramount impor-tance to the Computer and Informa-tion Technology needs of SPREP.

While the UNDP-funded PacificSustainable Development Net-working Programme executed bythe South Pacific Commission fa-cilitated access to informationabroad on the Internet, improve-ment of the current internal flowof information was required.Thus, in an effort to maximize in-dividual and group productivity,the SPREP computer network wasinstalled in mid-1996. Financial re-ports and databases can now bemade electronically available toSPREP officers. These benefits ofadvanced information access willaccrue to SPREP Projects.

Western Samoa SustainableDevelopment Network

In February1995, the Pacific SDNProject established an electronicmail hub for Western Samoa, basedat SPREP, using the Pactok System.Within eighteen months the net-work has expanded from nine to

A note from the Head of Division.....

This year has been one of increasing activity for theEnvironmental Education, Information and Coor-dination Division. Member governments have con-tinued to stress the importance of environmental edu-cation activities, not only within the formal schooland tertiary institution sectors but also in education,training and awareness raising activities targeting thecommunity. Donor funding has continued to besought in recognition of the potential future advan-tages of having an environmentally aware school agepopulation as well as an aware community. The re-sources required for development and translation ofmaterial into local languages already exist at the na-tional level and SPREP continues to provide addi-tional assistance and to seek further funding tobroaden the scope of this important area of work.

SPREP�s information needs are also increasing sub-stantially as are those of our member governments.Our ability to serve those needs through the Infor-mation Technology sector, Publications and Infor-mation sector and Library/Information Sector of theDivision are currently being put to the test as thetechnical programme areas within SPREP grow andrequire higher levels of sophistication in informationtechnology. Recognition of the need to better assistour member governments with interpretation ofsome of the highly technical information that is in-creasingly a part of environmental management, ispresenting our Division with a challenge - how to dis-seminate information in a reader-friendly format.

Environmental Policy/Strategy Coordination as-pects of the work of the Division are covered mostlyunder the Capacity 21 Project which is currentlyseeking funds to reach out to other countries withinthe region, in a possible Phase II. The importance ofcapacity building for our member governments iswell recognised as is the value of extending out toensure that sustainable development objectives arecovered in all sectors. Continued work with plannersand financial institutions is one target area for futureenvironmental policy/strategy coordination activi-ties. Legal aspects of the Division�s work, boththrough provision of assistance with national envi-ronmental legislation and with countries� obligationsunder international and regional environmental con-ventions, is another form of institutional strength-ening which is increasing.

fifty one sites.

With uncertainty over future fund-ing, the Western Samoa UserGroup met with the PSDNP Sec-retariat in January 1996 to discussprocedures and a technical upgradeproposed by the PSDNP Secre-tariat. The Action Plan endorsedby the User Group envisages a fullyself funding network by the year1998, with the User Group gradu-ally undertaking the administra-tion responsibilities and costs cur-rently met by SPC and SPREP. Toimplement this strategy, a Sustain-able Deve lopment NetworkWorking Group has been estab-lished to provide sound feedback tothe SDN Coordinator.

Also discussed was a proposal bySPREP and PSDNP to upgrade thePactok system to meet the increas-ingly sophisticated needs of theuser group. While discussions andexperiments with Internet ServiceProviders and software manufac-turers are still being conducted, themove to on-line interactive servicesfor the Western Samoa SustainableDevelopment Network is immi-

Assistant ComputerInformation TechnologyPosition

nent.

With the SPREP operationslargely dependent on computer in-formation systems, the need for as-sistance to the Computer Special-ist and Information TechnologyOfficer has been recognised. Cur-rently SPREP�s Computer Infor-mation Technology work is con-ducted by the Computer Informa-tion Technology Officer and theSDN Officer. In recognition of theincreasing demands placed on thisimportant area of SPREP�s work,it is proposed to create a positionof Assistant Computer Informa-tion Technology Officer, withfunding secured from AusAID.


Neva Wendt

Structure and goals

The Finance and Administration Division comprises two units.

1 . Finance

This unit�s goals are to monitor, control and implement SPREP�s finan-cial obligations and needs according to SPREP�s Financial Regulations,the financial requirements of donors and member countries and inter-nationally accepted accounting principles.

2. Administration.

This unit is responsible for providing �core� administration services andassisting management in monitoring and implementing obligations andrequirements in SPREP�s Staff Regulations and its internal policies andprocedures.

Jones, NukuHead of Division and

Finance ManagerDevoe, Daniel

AccountantHadley, Malama

Administration OfficerAh Tong, Salafai

Assistant AccountantFauatea, Luapene

Accounts ClerkChong Wong, Puni

Accounts ClerkFereti, Asofa

Accounts ClerkSilulu, Lupe

Registry ClerkReid, Quandovita

Registry AssistantMatafeo, Faaafu T.

Office AssistantMatau, Saunoa

Conference AssistantTupai, Monica

ReceptionistTaei, Faalepo

HandymanFonoti, Faamanu

DriverTuala, Talanoa

DriverLeaula, Tologauvale

Teaperson Tootoo, Amosa

CleanerLeota, Iakopo

CleanerRusia, Esera

GardenerHunt, Elia

Night Watchman

Divisional Staff

Finance andAdministration

27

Objectives

b provide financial and administrative supportand advice to management and staff, accordingto SPREP�s regulations, local conditions andthe SPREP work programme;

b safeguard SPREP�s financial resources by adopt-ing sound financial and accounting principlesand practices;

Sysems have been established tomeet these objectives. These weremonitored and refined during theyear, leading to improvementswhich included:

Monica

Photo 39

Mrs. MonicaTupa�iSPREP�sReceptionist.

b provide financial information tomember countries and donororganisations on the funds pro-vided to SPREP;

b ensure that SPREP�s Staff Regula-tions and internal policies are ap-plied appropriately; and

b provide adequate security and ap-propriate insurance cover for allSPREP assets and property.


Systems have been established to meet

The Division�s objectives are to:

b review and acquisition ofadditional accountingsoftware complementaryto SPREP�s existing soft-ware;

b construction of a new Pub-lication storage room;

b installation of a new genera-tor together with its ownstorage area;

b converting the former pub-lications storage room to adisplay area;

b facilitating an �In-House�work area for SPREP�stravel agent; and

b refurbishing general officespace.


The Division will continue tomonitor its systems in the comingyear, and will change these wherenecessary.

28

As with the other Divisions, this was the first com-plete year of operations for the Finance and Admin-istration Division since the divisional structure be-came effective. It was a busy period for us, as theSecretariat continued its hectic pace of activities.Demands on the Division�s services from staff andmanagement saw us always committed to a full workschedule.

I am very pleased with the manner in which staff inthe Division worked during the year. In a workingenvironment in which pressure and urgency arenever far away, staff were committed and dedicatedto the tasks at hand, often going beyond what wouldnormally be expected from them in order to com-plete their assigned tasks. The Division is very for-tunate to have staff of such high quality and calibre,and as Head of the Division, I would like to take thisopportunity to thank them for the fine work and forthe effort they put into their respective jobs duringthe past year.

The coming year looks to be just as busy as ever - ayear for consolidating and improving the proceduresand systems that have been implemented to ensurethat work flows smoothly through the organisation.

A note from the Head ofDivision.....

Photo41Esera

SPREP�shardworkingGardener,Mr. EseraRusia withthe tools ofhis trade.

The Division provided the normalservices expected from Finance andAdministration, including: pay-ment of commitments entered intoby SPREP; payment of staff pay-roll and staff entitlements; provi-sion of monthly financial reportsto staff and management; providingfinancial and administrative assis-tance to management; liaising withdonors on financial matters; provi-sion of financial reports to donors;preparation of annual financialstatements; coordination and com-

pilation of the annual workprogramme and budget workingpapers, together with other financeand administration working papersrequired for the annual SPREPMeeting; provision of travel relatedservices to staff; monitoring statio-nery stock levels; maintaining aneffective registry system; maintain-ing office equipment, furniture andfittings, buildings and grounds ingood working order; and facilitat-ing improvements and extensions to

SPREP offices.

SPREP Annual Report 1995/96: Finance and Administration

Nuku Jones

29

American Samoa

b funded a participant toattend the Directors ofMeteorological ServicesMeeting;

b participated in the IPCCMeeting on the Impactsof Climate Change andScience;

b provided capacity buildingthrough country attach-ment (Mr. Vai Aiavao fromEPA) to SPREP Secretariatin the Capacity 21 project;

b funded a participant to at-tend the sub-regional work-shop �Using GIS to Inte-grate Population and theEnvironment� ;

b funded Wan Smolbag the-atre �Year of the Sea Turtle�tour of American Samoa,December 1995; and

b part-funded the Great SeaTurtle Migration Initiative.

Cook Islands

b funded a local consultant toprepare a review of Exten-sion Services in Fisheries,Forestry and Agriculturethrough the Capacity 21project;

b established and trained staffof the Conservation De-partment in library estab-lishment and management;

b assisted the ConservationService in conducting aMedia Production Training

During the year, from 1 June 1995 to 31 May 1996, SPREP

implemented the following projects or activities in member countries

and territories that:

Workshop for the journal-ists and broadcasters from18-19 September 1995;

b carried out the Commu-nity Development Work-shop on a participatory ap-proach to integrate popula-tion and environmentalmanagement at the coun-try level;


b provided satellite receivingequipment;

b provided training for twostaff from the Meteorologi-cal Service in �SatelliteMeteorology�;

b assisted with application togain WMO membership;

b sponsored participant toattend the WMO congress;

b under the Capacity 21project, convened a work-shop on EnvironmentalLegislation and natural re-source dispute resolution;

b provided assistance for En-vironment legislation withUNEP ELI/PAC;

b undertook Capacity 21Project activities in accor-dance with a two year workplan tailored to suit CookIsland needs and involvingnatural resource monitor-ing on Northern andSouthern island groups;

b coordinated and ran the re-gional meeting on the

�State of the EnvironmentReporting/Database� ;

b funded a participant toattend the sub regionalworkshop, �Using GIS toIntegrate Population andthe Environment� ;

b funded the establishment ofthe Takitimu ConservationArea in Rarotonga;

b funded the participation ofDOC officials at SPBCPtraining workshops;

b funded two participants atTurtle Conservation Meet-ing in Nadi, April 1996;

b provided �Year of the SeaTurtle� campaign supportand materials, includingCook Islands translation ofvideo; and

b funded participant to CoralReef Meeting at Suva, Fiji,on November 1995.

Federated Statesof Micronesia

b responded to informationand publication requests viathe Capacity 21 ProgrammeOfficer (Micronesia);

b provided EnvironmentalImpact Assessment (EIA)awareness training as part ofCapacity 21 �NationalWorkshop on Sustainable De-velopment and Planning �;

b provided a review of an EIAof the proposed Tuna Can-nery at Kosrae;

In Country Activities

30

b funded SPBCP staff mem-ber from the Koroyanituproject to take part in theregional �ConservationArea Staff Training Work-shop� in Vanuatu;

b funded Fiji �Year of the SeaTurtle� campaign and pro-vided material;

b funded the development ofa National Turtle Conser-vation Strategy for Fiji;

b funded government andNGO participation inturtle meeting;

b funded participants toSPBCP training workshopsin Nadi, Fiji;

b funded study tour by land-owners to Vanuatu; and

b supported turtle taggingprogramme.

French Polynesia

b supported turtle taggingprogramme;

b funded participation toturtle meeting;

b provided �Year of the SeaTurtle� campaign supportand materials;

b funded a participant toattend the Directors ofMeteorological ServicesMeeting; and

b assisted environmentallegislation elaboration.

Guam

b provided �Year of the SeaTurtle� campaign supportand materials.

Kiribati

b participated in IPCC Scienceand Impacts of ClimateChange;

b provided training for Meteo-rological staff in SatelliteMeteorology;

b under Capacity 21 providedresource person to the FirstFSM Economic Summit,November 1995 and fundedthe State participation to as-sist with the incorporationof sustainable developmentobjectives;

b undertook review of policiesand procedures of develop-ment bank and other finan-cial institutions under Ca-pacity 21 during June 1995;

b convened the NationalWorkshop on SustainableDevelopment and Plan-ning, Pohnpei 16-18 April1996 under Capacity 21;and

b coordinated and ran theregional meeting on the�State of the EnvironmentReporting/Database� .

Fiji

b carried out the Commu-nity Development Work-shop on a participatoryapproach to integratepopulation and environ-mental management onthe country level;


b provided �GIS ARC Infor-mation� training for Fijinationals at the USP GISCentre, in Suva, Fiji;

b hosted the workshop �UsingGIS to Integrate Populationand the Environment�;

b coordinated and ran theregional meeting on the�State of the EnvironmentReporting/Database� ;

b funded MeteorologicalService staff on �TropicalCyclone� awareness mis-sion to Samoa;

b completed the SPBCPPPD for the KoroyanituCAP;

b assisted Pohnpei Sarawiduring the �Reduce - Reuse- Recycle� theme for EarthDay 1996;

b raised public awareness onthe links between popula-tion and environmentalconcerns. Supported promo-tional media materials e.g.posters, sponsor schoolcompetitions (including es-say and poster competi-tion) addressing popula-tion/environment issues atthe Year 9 - 12 level;


b assisted in the FSM requestto the WMO for satellitereceiving equipment;

b provided funding for thePohnpei Watershed Project;

b assisted Kosrae to draft theirSPBCP Concept Documentwhich was subsequently ap-proved by the relevant com-munities (Utwa -Walung)and government who haspassed this to SPBCP forTMAG approval;

b funded a project officer totake part in the regionalSPBCP training workshopsin Vanuatu and Palau;

b advanced Pohnpei SPBCPproject - PRA work under-taken and catchment man-agement plan approved;

b funded a ConservationArea Support Officer(CASO) to take part in theregional SPBCP trainingworkshop;


b continued employment ofCapacity 21 ProgrammeOfficer (Micronesia);

b undertook review of Na-tional Development Planand Sectoral policies in July1995 under Capacity 21;

SPREP Annual Report 1995/96: In-country Activities

31

b provided satellite receivingequipment;

b provided assistance withlogframe workshop on En-vironment with EU;

b funded local consultant toprepare a review of exten-sion services in Fisheries andAgriculture under the Ca-pacity 21 Project;

b established an environmen-tal library in Ministry ofEnvironment and SocialDevelopment;

b trained local staff in librarydatabase and management;

b provided library cataloguingtools;

b assisted in the elaboration ofan Environment Bill;

b initiated and funded theNorth Tarawa Conserva-tion Area, approved itsPPD;

b established the Conserva-tion Area CoordinatingCommittee (CACC);

b funded the ConservationArea Support Officer(CASO) to take part in theSPBCP regional trainingworkshop;


b funded participant to turtlemeeting;

b under the Capacity 21Project, funded a nationalcounterpart for the ADBtechnical assistance on �In-stitutional Strengthening ofthe Environment Unit,Kiribati�;

b convened an EnvironmentalLegislation Workshop as ajoint Capacity 21/UNEPEnvironmental Law andInstitution ProgrammeActivity Centre (ELI/PAC)activity;

b funded participant to Coral

Reef and Turtle meetings;and

b assisted preparation of con-servation area plan for CookIslet and Christmas Island.

Marshall Islands

b established an environmen-tal library and trained localenvironmental staff in li-brary management;

b provided guidelines andtools for library cataloguingand management;

b assisted national populationpolicy workshop on inte-grating Population/Envi-ronmental linkages into na-tional population policy;

b developed a curriculummandate on population andenvironment issues forschool students betweenYears 9-12 level;


b provided funding for partici-pant to attend the Meteoro-logical Service Directorsmeeting;

b funded participant to IPCCScience and Impacts of Cli-mate Change; and

b funded 3 participants toCACC workshop in Palau.

Nauru

b completed an EIA of PortDevelopments at Anibareand Gabab;

b provided assistance to draftthe Nauru National Envi-ronmental ManagementStrategy (NEMS) and StateOf Environment (SOE) Re-port;

b coordinated the ARMproject and worked with theNauru Government to in-stall the second site of thisproject;

b funded the EnvironmentOfficer in the Departmentof Island Development andIndustry through Capacity21;


b funded a participant toCASO workshop in Van-uatu; and

b assisted preparation of a con-servation area proposal toSPREP.

New Caledonia

b provided funding for partici-pant to attend the Meteoro-logical Service Director�sMeeting;

b provided SPREP�s LegalCounsel to lecture onSPREP activities within theregion;

b funded New Caledonia�s�Year of the Sea Turtle� cam-paign;

b provided �Year of the SeaTurtle� campaign supportand materials; and

b supported turtle taggingprogramme.

Niue

b initiated a Population andEnvironment AwarenessCampaign;

b funded a TV documentaryon Population and Environ-ment issues in Niue;


GIS workshop in Suva

Photo 45

Participants from thePolynesian sub-regionattending the GIS ARCInformation workshopheld at USP�s GIS Centre,Suva, Fiji.

32

b assisted in application formembership to WMO;

b sponsored participant toWMO congress;

b provided assistance fordrafting EnvironmentalLegislation;


b funded Niue�s �Year of theSea Turtle� campaignproject;

b funded preparation of NiueField Guide for Birds;

b provided advice for Niue�saccession to the Conven-tion on Biological Diver-sity;

b established the conserva-tion area at Huvalu; and

b funded par t ic ipant toSPBCP workshops.

Palau

b initiated the developmentof a curriculum module onpopulation/environmentissues for school studentsbetween Years 9-12 level;

b funded participant to theMeteorological Service Di-rectors Meeting;

b assisted in the recompletionof the draft NgaremeduuConservation Area PPDfor the SPBCP;


b funded participant to theTurtle and Coral Reef meet-ings.

Papua New Guinea


b coordinated the ARMProject with the WeatherService and Manus Provin-

cial Government on estab-lishing first ARM Site inMomote Airport, PNG.

Solomon Islands

b assisted in establishing en-vironmental library;

b provided cataloguing toolsand trained local staff inlibrary management;

b supported the turtle taggingprogramme in Solomon Is-lands;

b commenced preparationsfor a contaminated siteclean-up at an abandonedpesticide store in conjunc-tion with the World HealthOrganisation (WHO);

b coordinated the Commu-nity Development Work-shop on a Participatory ap-proach to integrate Popula-tion and Environmentalmanagement;

b funded weather satellite re-ceiving equipment;

b provided training for Me-teorological staff on SatelliteMeteorology;

b completed the SPBCPKomarindi ConservationArea Project PPD;

b established the CACC;

b appointed and funded theCASO for Arnavon CAP;

b funded a study tour bylandowners to Fiji and Van-uatu;

b provided funding and tech-nical assistance to theArnavon CA;

b produced a video on theArnavon CA;

b funded the participation ofthe CASO to the SPBCPtraining workshop in Van-uatu;


b funded Solomon Islands��Year of the Sea Turtle�campaign project;

b reviewed, through Capac-ity 21, the extensionprogrammes of agriculture,forestry, and land agenciesto recommend ways to in-corporate sustainable devel-opment objectives;

b convened the workshop on�Sustainable Development,Traditional Medicine andNon-timber Products,� Oc-tober 1995 under Capacity21;

b convened Provincial work-shop on Traditional Medi-cine, May 1995 under Ca-pacity 21;

b provided desktop publish-ing training for NGO train-ing officer through partici-pation in the Vanuatu Sus-tainable Development Net-work/Capacity 21 DesktopPublishing Workshop, Au-gust/September 1995;

b provided financial assis-tance for employment ofDSE Training Officer toundertake Capacity 21 ac-tivities;

b coordinated and ran thesub-regional workshop us-ing �GIS to integrate popula-tion and the environment�;and

b funded participant to Turtleand Coral Reef meetings.

Tokelau

b assisted with the drafting ofNational PopulationPolicy;


b provided funding assistancefor preparation of a conser-vation area proposed toSPREP; and

b funded participant to CASOworkshop in Vanuatu.


33

Tonga

b funded the establishment ofthe Haapai marine conser-vation area;

b funded participant toSPBCP training work-shops;

b funded participants toTurtle and Coral Reef meet-ings;

b provided funding forCASO;

b assisted in developing awhale watching project inTonga;

b completed a Strategic Envi-ronmental Assessment(SEA) of the Neiafu MasterPlan;

b responded to informationand publication requests;

b provided in-service trainingfor secondary teachers onintegrated population andenvironment issues;

b carried out a GIS NeedsAnalysis to identify GIS ca-pability and Data;

b provided satellite equip-ment;

b provided training for Me-teorological staff on SatelliteMeteorology;

b assisted with application forWMO membership;

b sponsored a participant toWMO Congress;

b coordinated and ran the subregional workshop using�GIS to integrate populationand the environment�; and

b coordinated and ran the re-gional meeting on the�State of the EnvironmentReporting/Database.

Tuvalu

b assisted with the elabora-tion of Environmental leg-islation;

b completed Funafuti Con-servation Area PPD whichwas sponsored by govern-ment;

b established a CACC;

b funded participant to Turtleand Coral Reef meetings;

b coordinated and ran the subregional workshop using�GIS to integrate populationand the environment�; and

b coordinated and ran the re-gional meeting on the�State of the EnvironmentReporting /Database�.

Vanuatu

b provided EIA awarenesstraining as part of the Ca-pacity 21 National Work-shop on Sustainable Devel-opment and Planning;

b provided library catalogu-ing tools and assisted in es-tablishing an environmen-tal library in the Environ-ment Unit;

b coordinated a National En-vironment EducationWorkshop for primaryteachers training on teach-ing materials and approachto teaching Population andEnvironment issues;

b funded a participant to at-tend the MeteorologicalService Directors Meeting;

b assisted with the elabora-tion of Environment Legis-lation;

b provided expertise on Ca-pacity 21 initiativesthrough the National Con-ference on Sustainable De-velopment;

b completed the Vatthe Con-servation Area PPD;

b provided on-going assis-tance to project implemen-tation;

b hosted the regional work-shop on staff trainingwhich included both

CASO and Project manag-ers;

b funded participant to Turtleand Coral Reef meetings;


b supported Wan Smolbag�sNGO �Year of the SeaTurtle� campaign;

b supported the turtle taggingprogramme in Vanuatu;

b convened National Confer-ence on Sustainable Devel-opment, May 1996 underCapacity 21;

b convened National Work-shop on Sustainable Devel-opment and Planning,March 1996 under Capac-ity 21;

b employed Capac i t y 21P rog ramme Off i ce r(Melanesia) ;

b convened regular meetingof Capacity 21 Task Forceto guide implementation ofCapacity 21 activities;

b reviewed policies and pro-cedures of developmentbank and other financialinstitutions, June 1995 un-der Capacity 21;

b convened as a jointundertaking between theSPC Pacific SustainableDevelopment NetworkingProgramme (PSDNP) andCapacity 21 DesktopPublishing Workshop,August 1995;

b coordinated and ran the re-gional meeting on the�State of the EnvironmentReporting /Database�;

b produced a video for theVatthe CA;

b funded participants toSPBCP workshop in Nadi,Fiji; and

b funded the study tour bylandowners.


34

Wallis and Futuna

b funded a participant to at-tend the MeteorologicalService Directors Meeting;

b assisted with the elabora-tion of Environment Leg-islation; and

b provided �Year of the SeaTurtle� campaign supportand materials.

Western Samoa

b provided EIA awarenesstraining as part of the Ca-pacity 21 National Work-shop on Sustainable Devel-opment Planning and Fi-nance;

b established and set-up envi-ronmental library in DEC;

b trained local staff in librarydatabase and library man-agement;

b provided library catalogu-ing tools and software;

b hosted library tours forschools, local organisationsand general public;

b provided a weather satellitesystem;

b convened the Meteorologi-cal Services Director�sMeeting;

b organised the UNEP ELI/PAC DEC assessment mis-sion;

b under the Capacity 21Project, assisted policy de-velopment activities onWaste Management, LandUse, Water and Populationpolicies through regularmeetings of the NEMSTask Team;

b convened a joint work-shop between SPC, SDNand Capacity 21 on Desk-top Publishing;

b provided a resource personin the National Women�sCommittee seminar heldin Savaii and Apia;

b reviewed policies and pro-cedures of developmentbank and other financialinstitutions, June 1995 un-der Capacity 21;

b reviewed National Devel-opment Plan and SectoralPolicies, July 1995 underCapacity 21;

b funded participant to theregional meeting on the�State of the EnvironmentReporting /Database� heldin Fiji;

b coordinated and ran thesub-regional workshop us-ing �GIS to integrate popu-lation and the environ-ment� ;

b provided funding for theestablishment of theSaanapu/Sataoa CA;

b provided funding for thepreparation of the PPD forthe Uafato CA;

b funded the CASO for theSaanapu/Sataoa CA;

b funded participant toSPBCP training work-shops;

b funded participant toTurtle and Coral Reefmeetings;


b funded Western Samoa�s�Year of the Sea Turtle�campaign project;

b supported the turtle tag-ging programme in West-ern Samoa;

b collaborated with SPCand Western Samoa UserGroup in efforts to developand sustain the SDNA net-work;

b drafted and submittedproposals for upgradingthe current Pactokfidotechnology/Softwareto provide interactive online services;

b provided technical assis-tance to Pactok E-mailsites;

b accessed and disseminatedrequested informationthrough the Internet to ap-propriate bodies;

b provided advanced trainingto Sustainable Develop-ment Network Memberson research methodsthrough the APC bulletinboards; and

b trained IRETA PEACESAToperators how to conducton-line information searchesvia the Internet.


Gisa�s workshop

Photo 33

Mrs Gisa Salesa-UeseleSPREP�s Education Officerconducting one of the many

in-country workshops duringthe year.

29%

27%8%

8%

5%

5%4%

2%6% 4%

2%

Diagram 1

Proportion of Funding from donors for 1995

Table 1

Total Funding for 1995

Funding provided to SPREP during

1995 is tabled below. A total of

USD $7,327,289 was available, com-

pris ing funds actually received

during the year, or funds carried

over from previous years.

UNDP 2,174,743 29%

AusAID 1,976,875 27%

NZ 586,860 8%

Primary Function-members 563,245 8%

UNEP 392,622 5%

Multiple Donors 364,536 5%

UNFPA 325,645 4%

Primary Function-other 279,959 4%

CORA 119,123 2%

Republic of China (Taiwan) 110,000 2%

Other Donors 433,681 6%

Donor USD %

Total Funds 7,327,289

1995 Fundingand Expenditure

SPREP Funding

36

Primary Functions13%

Project Implementation

and Management87%

Funding received during the period was higher than in previous years, with 23% more received than in 1994.

SPREP continued to enjoy support from its major donors, while also receiving one-off funding support. Duringthe period, funds were provided from over 30 different donor sources, the major sources are as listed in Table 1 inthe previous page.

Funding is classified into the following functions:

i) Project Implementation & Management

Extra-budgetary funding received from donors to fund the implementation and managementof particular projects.

ii) Primary Functions

Funding provided to SPREP to fund its �core� or primary activities. These funds were providedby member countries and from miscellaneous sources.

Table 2

Funding for 1995, classified by Function

87%

Primary Functions 919,140 13%

Function USD %

Total Funds 7,327,289

Project Implementationand Management 6,408,149

SPREP Annual Report 1995/96: Funding and Expenditure

Most of the funding received during the period was from donors and was provided for Project Implementa-tion and Management, with a small proportion for Primary Function. 87% was for Project Implementationand Management and 13% for Primary Function and other costs.

Contributions received from members to cover Primary Function activities and costs contributed to only asmall part of the total funds received during the period. These are included on Table 1 as �Primary Function- members�.

37

Conservation Of Natural Resources

33%

Environmental management &

Planning28%

Management and Others25%

Envrionmental Education,

Information and Coordination

14%

Finance & Administration

<1%

SPREP Expenditure

USD $4,684,028 was expended by the Secretariat during 1995 on SPREP�swork programme. The following table and diagram provide an over-view of this expenditure, classified by Division.

SPREP Annual Report 1995/96: Funding and Expenditure

Table 3

Expenditure in 1995, classified by Division

The level of expenditure during the period was much higher than in previous years: 33% being incurred inthe Conservation of Natural Resources division, 28% in the Environmental Management & Planning divi-sion, 25% in Management & Other costs (which includes SPREP�s Primary Function activities).

Information and Coordination

Division USD %

Total Expenses 4,684,028

639,516

These projects contributed to 65% of all expenditure during 1995.

Conservation of Natural Resources South Pacific Biodiversity Conservation Programme

Environmental Education,

Environmental Management and Planning PMI/Population and Environment Project UNFPA

Environmental Management and Planning Funding of Climate Change Officer AusAID

Environmental Management and Planning EIA in National Planning Project AusAID

Management and Others SPREP Primary Function activities Primary

Management and Others Funding of various SPREP staff positions NZ

Division Project Donor

Information and Coordination Capacity 21 UNDP

Function

GEF/Australia/UNDP

14%

Conservation of Natural Resources 1,543,569 33%

Environmental Management and Planning 1,323,656 28%

Management and Others 1,170,681 25%Environmental Education,

Finance and Administration 6,606 < 1 %

Contributions from international donor organisations are a significant

part of SPREP�s annual budget, as are contributions from member and

non-member governments.

UNFPA provided assistance toSPREP, funding a project aimed atIntegrating Population and Environ-ment Issues. A series of workshopsand related activities are now beingconducted throughout the region.

UNEP continued its ongoing sup-port to SPREP via the PENRICproject, which is now into its fifthyear. This project provided SPREPwith GIS capabilities for environ-mental assessment. The Centresupported activities in conservingbiodiversity and population issues,with projects conducted in Fiji,FSM, Kiribati and Niue.

Canada and Japan, both non-member governments, continuedto contribute towards projects incoastal management, and marineturtle conservation. In associationwith other regional organisations,discussions continued with Canadaon the funding of a future regionalprogramme.

Funding was also received duringthe year from the Republic ofChina (Taiwan), the Common-wealth Fund for Technical Co-operation, the Los Alamos Na-tional Laboratories, and the WorldMeteorological Organisation(WMO).

SPREP gratefully acknowledges thegenerous and invaluable assistanceprovided by these donors.

A major contributor is UNDP,which substantially assisted withthe institutional strengthening ofSPREP in its first years in Apia,through the Planning and Imple-mentation of Pacific Regional Envi-ronment Programme. During thesame period, UNDP providedsimilar support through SPREP toenvironment units of member gov-ernments, via the National Envi-ronmental Management StrategiesProject.

Continuing this tradition of sup-port, the Administrator of UNDPand the Director of SPREP signedan agreement for SPREP to imple-ment the Capacity 21 project inBarbados in 1994. The project aimsto follow up and implement deci-sions of the 1992 Earth Summit.

The Global Environment Facil-ity, administered jointly by theWorld Bank, UNEP and UNDP,co-funds the South Pacific Biodi-versity Conservation Programme,SPREP�s largest single project, withAustralia.

Australia, New Zealand andFrance, as member governments,continued to contribute generouslytowards a wide range of programmeactivities, as well as making volun-tary member contributions to-wards the Secretariat�s operatingcosts in the Primary Function.Some of the extra-budgetary assis-tance funded vital programme staffpositions.

Donors

Relations withother Organisations

39

As well as these donor governments and organisations, many

regional and international institutions assist SPREP by provid-

ing technical expertise, in-kind contributions or sub-contract

and consultancy arrangements.

Collaborating institutions and consultants

SPREP has received considerableassistance from regional institutesand technical agencies for a longtime. These include the Universi-ties of the South Pacific, PapuaNew Guinea, Guam and Hawaii,the Community College ofMicronesia, the East-West Centerin Honolulu, the Laboratoired'étude et du surveillance del'environnement in Tahiti, andORSTOM and the Universitéfrançais du Pacifique Sud inNoumea.

Other institutions which supportSPREP include the University ofSydney, Macquarie University,University of Wollongong andJames Cook University, in Australia,and the University of Aucklandand Waikato University in NewZealand.

SPREP also works closely withother regional intergovernmentalorganisations in the South PacificOrganisations Coordinating Com-mittee, including the South PacificCommission in Noumea and theForum Secretariat in Suva, as well

The award winning Koroyanitu ConservationArea in Fiji. This and other Conservation Areas

in the region are under the management of theSouth Pacific Biodiversity Conservation Project,

SPREP�s largest single project. This is fundedjointly by the Global Environment Facility

(administered by UNDP, UNEP and the WorldBank) and Australia.

as the South Pacific Applied Geo-science Commission in Suva, theForum Fisheries Agency inHoniara and the Pacific Islands De-velopment Program in Honolulu.

Through memoranda of under-standing, SPREP undertakes jointprojects with several international,governmental and non-governmen-tal organisations, including IUCNin Geneva, The Nature Conser-vancy in Honolulu, the Depart-ment of Conservation in NewZealand and the Australian NatureConservation Agency.

Many individuals from the regionundertake consultancy work forSPREP in specialist areas notreadily available in the Secretariat.This useful practice is contributingto a growing expertise in environ-mental issues now available in thePacific islands region.

SPREP thanks all its collaboratinginstitutions and consultants fortheir efforts and assistance duringthe year.

SPREP Annual Report 1995/96: Relations with Other Organisations

Photo 51 a (slide)

40

New Recruits

Nine new staff were recruited: Mrs.Malama Hadley as AdministrationOfficer, Mr. Andrew Munro asWaste Management and PollutionOfficer, Mr. Fatu Tauafiafi as Infor-mation and Publications Officer,Mr. Craig Wilson as Project Officer,Mrs. Susana Kilepoa and Ms. LagiLe�apai as Divisional Assistants, Mr.Puni Chong Wong as AccountsClerk and Mrs. Lucille Apis-Over-hoff as Wetlands and MangrovesOfficer.

Promoted

Two Divisional Assistants were pro-moted: Ms. Apiseta Eti to PersonalAssistant to Deputy Director andMs. Saunoa Mata�u to ConferenceAssistant.

Temporary

Three staff were recruited on atemporary basis, Mrs. MausaliPu�epu�ema�i and Mrs. TumemaFuimaono as Accounts Clerks aswell as Mr. Aso Sione as AssistantHandyman.

Departed

SPREP lost the valued services ofthe following individuals duringthe year:

b Director, Dr. Vili Fuavao,who has been at the fore-front of the organisationduring the past six and halfyears. He now takes over asHead of the FAO Sub-Re-gional Office in Apia;

b Information and Publica-tions Officer, Mr. WesleyWard, who has returned toAustralia;

b Coastal Management Of-ficer, Dr. Andrew Smith,now working in Palau;

b Programme Officer (Socio-economic) Dr. AndrewTilling, who has returnedto New Zealand;

b Assistant Coastal Manage-ment Officer, Mr. AsipeliPalaki, who has returned toTonga;

b Conference Assistant Ms.Maria Cavanagh, who hasreturned to New Zealand;

b Accounts Clerk, Ms. MiriamaSavelio, who has returnedto New Zealand;

b Administation Officer Mr.Eneliko Seiuli, who has de-parted to pursue other ca-reer opportunities;

b Personal Assistant to theDeputy Director, Mrs.Fa�apio Sagaga, who left tojoin her family in theSolomon Islands; and

b Cleaner Mr. Iakopo Leota,who left to pursue othercareer opportunities.

SPREP now has 53 Professionaland Administrative staff.

During the period under review, the Secretariat had:

SPREP Secretariat Staff

Stewart, DonaldActing Director

Heads ofDivisionReti, Muliagatele

IosefatuHead of

Conservation ofNatural Resources

Wendt, NevaHead of

EnvironmentalEducation,Information andCoordination

Miles, GeraldHead of

EnvironmentalManagement andPlanning

Jones, NukuHead of Finance

and Administration

PersonalAssistantsKamu, Dorothy

Personal assistant toDirector

Eti, ApisetaPersonal assistant to

Deputy Director

Management

41

Vili Fuavao - a salute

Dr Vili Fuavao left SPREP at the end of April 1996 after heading SPREP

since 1990. He was the first Director of SPREP and played an enormous

role in its recent development.

Vi l i was bor n in Tonga andreceived al l his pr imary edu-cat ion in the Kingdom. Movingto the United States for secondaryschooling, he obtained a B.A. inmathematics and chemistry fromChadron State College in Nebraskain 1977, followed by an M.Sc. anda Ph.D both in chemistry fromNew Mexico State University. Fol-lowing post-doctoral research inCalifornia, the United Kingdom,Australia and New Zealand, hejoined the staff of the University ofthe South Pacific in Suva in 1984and taught there until he was ap-pointed Coordinator of SPREP -then a programme within the SouthPacific Commission in Noumea - in1990. His vision and dedicationplayed major roles in promotingand planning the metamorphose ofthe organisation to its current sta-tus as an independent, regional,inter-governmental organisationwith 53 staff at its headquartersin Western Samoa.

Vili Fuavao andDon Stewart inApia, WesternSamoa. Vili hadjust performed hislast opening addressas Director ofSPREP.

Photo 53

SPREP and its staff owe an enor-mous debt to Vili for his commit-ment to the organization and itsmembers and for his perseverancein achieving its independence. Heis truly the father of the presentSPREP. Without his special com-bination of idealism and practical-ity, and his skills in leadership anddiplomacy, it is doubtful if suchearly progress would have beenachieved with the establishment ofthe region�s newest inter-govern-mental organisation.

Vili is now Sub-regional Represen-tative for the Pacific Islands for theFood and Agriculture Organiza-tion of the United Nations (FAO)and is in the process of establishingyet another new regional headquar-ters in Apia - this time for FAO. Weconvey to him our thanks for a jobextraordinarily well done inSPREP and send our very bestwishes to him and to his wife,Sonia, and children Peter, Joe andTaisa, for the future.

Back Row (l-r) Alex Williams, Fatu Tauafiafi, Esera Rusia, Satui Bentin, Amosa Tootoo, Faalepo Taei, Asofa Fereti, Daniel Devoe, Petelo Ioane, Puni Chong Wong, Lucas Dosung, Andrew Munro.Third Row (l-r) Roger Cornforth, Sue Miller, Faatupu Poihega, Saunoa Mata�u, Fono Valasi,Lucille Apis-Overhoff, Dorothy Kamu, Quandovita Reid, Leigh Pu�epu�ema�i, Tumema Fuimaono, Ruta Tupua.Second Row (l-r) Aso Sione, Taiamoni Tongamoa,Malama Hadley, Don Stewart, Vili Fuavao, Neva Wendt, Iosefatu Reti.Sitting (l-r) Monica Tupa�i, Faaafu Matafeo, Apiseta Eti, Tologauvale Leaula, Lupe Silulu.

Absent: Bernard Moutou, Bismark Crawley, Chalapan Kaluwin, Elia Hunt, Faamanu Fonoti, Gerald Miles,Gisa Salesa-Uesele, Komeri Onorio, Lagi Le�apai, Neville Koop, Nuku Jones, Salafai Ah Tong,Sia Patelesio,Talanoa Tuala, Susana Kilepoa and Wanda Ieremia.

42

During 1996, SPREP member governments, together with other concerned

parties and secretariat staff, will undertake the vital task of evaluating

progress with implementing the provisions of the 1991-1995 Action Plan

for Managing the Environment of the South Pacific Region, more com-

monly known as the SPREP Action Plan.

This is the document, adopted atMinisterial-level during the FourthSPREP Meeting in 1991, which de-fines the �strategies and objectivesfor the conservation and enhance-ment of the South Pacific environ-ment taking into account the needfor ecologically sustainable devel-opment.� It �provides a frame-work for a regional approach to ad-dress environmental issues of theSouth Pacific region, complement-ing the unique needs and concernsof the countries and people in theregion and enhancing their own en-vironmental capabilities� and man-dates SPREP to address a range ofnine priority programmes over afive year period. From this review,a revised Action Plan for the period1996-2000 will be drafted for con-sideration and adoption by Minis-ters at the Ninth SPREP Meetingin November 1996.

There have been enormous global,regional and national changes,political, economic and envi-

ronmental, since the current Ac-tion Plan was adopted in 1991. Wecan be sure that changes will con-tinue. Some can reasonably be fore-shadowed, others will take us bysurprise as they sometimes have inthe past.

In light of such changes, the chal-lenge for authors of the new ActionPlan will be to foresee a clear visionfor SPREP not just as it might bein the year 2000, but what it shouldbe when inherited by the next gen-eration. To achieve this will not beeasy, yet it is the task we must setourselves if our continued existenceis to have any purpose.

The keys will be flexibility andadaptation. We must also focusvery clearly on what our prioritiesare, particularly in view of the like-lihood of declining donor commit-ments in the future. We must, asone of these priorities, foster thebuilding of national capacities asquickly and effectively as possible

so that countries are able to tackletheir own environmental prob-lems. It may mean that in the longterm SPREP should become en-tirely a facilitating and coordinat-ing organisation with all projectsimplemented by countries them-selves.

We look forward to as broad a rangeof consultations as possible in thecoming months in order to addressthese issues and to an informed andconstructive debate at the NinthSPREP Meeting with outcomesthat will take us as confidently aspossible into the next century ofchange.

Don StewartActing Director

A Final Word

Looking totheFuture . . .

43

NEMS N at iona l Env i ronmen t a lManagement Strategies

NGO Non-government Organisation

NZODA New Zealand OverseasDevelopment Assistance

PEACESAT Pan-Pacif ic Educat ion andCommunicat ion Experimentsby Satellite

PEIN Pacific Environment InformationNetwork

PENRIC Pacific Environment and NaturalResource Information Centre

PICCAP Pacific Island Climate ChangeAssistance Programme

PNG Papua New Guinea

PPD Project Preparation Document

PRTR Pollutant Release and TransferRegisters

PSDNP Pacific Sustainable DevelopmentNetworking Project

RMTCP Regional Marine Turtle Conserva-tion Programme

SDN Sustainable Development Network

SLIC SPREP Library/Information Centre

SOPAC South Pacific Applied GeoscienceCommission

SPBCP South Pacific Biodiversity Conser-vation Programme

SPC South Pacific Commission

SPREP South Pacific Regional Environ-ment Programme

UNDP United Nations DevelopmentProgramme

UNEP United Nations EnvironmentProgramme

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scien-tific and Cultural Organisation

UNFCCC United Nations FrameworkConvention on Climate Change

UNFPA United Nations Population Fund

USP University of the South Pacific

WMO World Meteorological Organisation

WWF World Wide Fund for Nature

ANCA Australia Nature Conservation Agency

ADB Asian Development Bank

AOSIS Alliance of Small Island States

ARM Atmospheric Radiation Measurement

AusAID Australian Agency for InternationalDevelopment

AVA Australian Volunteers Abroad

CACC Conservation Area CoordinatingCommittee

CAP Conservation Area Project

CASO Conservation Area Support Officer

CFTC Commonwealth Fund for TechnicalCooperation

CITES Convention on International Trade inEndangered Species of Wild Fauna andFlora

CLICOM Climate Computer Project

CORA Canadian Ocean Research Associates

CSD Commission on Sustainable Develop-ment

DEC Department of Environment andConservation

EIA Environmental Impact Assessment

ELI/PAC Environmental Law and Institutions/Programme Activity Centre

ENSO El Nino Southern Oscillation

ESCAP Economic and Social Commission forAsia and the Pacific

EU European Union

FCCC Framework Convention on ClimateChange

FFA Forum Fisheries Agency

FSM Federated States of Micronesia

GEF Global Environment Facility

GIS Geographical Information Systems

ICRI International Coral Reef Initiative

IMO International Maritime Organisation

INC Intergovernmental NegotiatingCommittee

IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange

IUCN World Conservation Union

Common Acronyms

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