• Ocean and Islands Programme
  • Issues
  • Concerns
  • Response
• Community Lifelines Programme
  • Issues
  • Concerns
  • Response
• Community Risk Programme
  • Issues
  • Concerns
  • Response

Ocean and Islands Programme

Issues

• Management of ocean, coastal and land-based resources.
• Sustainability of ocean, coastal and island ecosystems.

Concerns

• Lack of financial resources to develop data collection, management, analysis, and archiving through the PALARIS, national GIS programme, which aims to assist in the decision-making process and monitoring of sustainable development activities.
• Deficient long-term monitoring of environmental changes.
• Insufficient data collection mechanisms for national planning purposes.
• Lack of coordination of legislative frameworks to address sustainable development planning and management.
• Need for a holistic approach to the preservation of marine, terrestrial and cultural resources from over-harvesting and unsustainable development practices.
• Minimal financial, technical, and human resources to address sustainable development issues adequately.
• Need for a regional integrated approach to coastal management and oceans.
• Need for assistance in defining and effectively managing Palau’s exclusive economic zones and extended continental shelf areas.
• Coral bleaching and coastal erosion.
• Sedimentation and siltation of marine habitats due to road development, forest burning, upland clearing, coral dredging, land development, ship groundings, and water pollution.
• Growing number of introduced invasive species that damage crops and natural habitats.

Response

• Establishment and maintenance of a regional deep-sea minerals database.
• The Certificate of Earth Science and Marine Geology [CESMG] builds the capacity of island member nationals in the areas of applied geoscience and forms the basis, for some, to pursue higher education in degree courses in geoscience.
• Monitoring of the physical and chemical change in ecosystems of island member countries embraces the philosophy of Global Ocean Observing Systems [GOOS], which advocates public access to long-term oceanographic data and information. The recently established regional alliance of GOOS, the Pacific Islands – Global Ocean Observing System [PI-GOOS], seeks to ensure that relevant applications for ocean observations and resulting products from global, regional and national long-term observing systems are developed and made available to Pacific Island end-users in order that they can make better decisions for sustainable development.
• The South Pacific Sea Level and Climate Monitoring Project provides tide gauge and other data, and related products, collected over the past fifteen years. SOPAC provides an important maintenance and operations role for project equipment installations.
• SOPAC also offers assistance in the area of Ocean Governance, by offering professional development programmes for strengthening legal and negotiation skills of advocates for maritime boundary delimitation, the implementation of Part XIII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea [UNCLOS] through the provision of technical skills and policy advice, and the coordination of issues related to the law of the sea in their member country regions.

Community Lifelines Programme

Issues

• Provision of foundations for healthy, productive and sustainable communities and economy [energy, water and sanitation, and ICT]

Concerns

• Large-scale developments and population growth are increasing the burden on water resources, particularly in the Koror area.
• Lack of effective watershed management mechanisms.
• Need to expand water delivery system, ensure efficiency, minimise leakages and prevent water contamination.
• Depletion from the fresh-water lens may cause salt-water intrusion.
• Lack of public awareness on the long-term benefits of efficient water consumption practices.
• Inadequate pollution and waste management mechanisms to address Palau’s requirements.
• Need to evaluate the capacity of existing waste and water infrastructures to meet the demands of the growing population.
• Economic barriers to renewable energy initiatives.
• Lack of technology transfer.

Response

• The continual assessment of wind development and energy resources, the provision of technical assistance and training of staff in this area, and the provision and maintenance of a database which will assist the decision making and capacity building of concerned and relevant human resources;
• The development of energy resources that incorporate new and related technologies, the improvement of community access to and awareness of these energy resources, in order to ensure sustainable management;
• The development of cost effective and suitable technology such as Geographic Information Systems [GIS] and Remote Sensing on spatial data for the region that is accessible for relevant stakeholders, regionally and internationally; the development of intranet and internet technologies; relevant support to the government departments concerned, and ensuring the accuracy of available data;
• The provision of technical advice on water and sanitation in the region, its proper management and awareness of waste management; the development of strategies that will reduce member islands’ vulnerability to drought;
• The review of existing policy and legislation in water, energy and relevant information and communication technologies that relate to SOPAC work programmes; representation of Pacific concerns at global forums, and the coordination of regional action plans in these areas.

Community Risk Programme

Issues

• Management of community vulnerability to natural hazards and risks, which can have devastating impacts economically, socially and environmentally.

Concerns

• The effects of climate change and sea level rise on Palau’s social, economic and natural environments.
• Frequent El Niño/La Niña conditions such as drought, coral bleaching and storms.
• Need for the development and implementation of a regional early warning system for disaster management and mitigation.
• Need for a regional study on the impacts of global warming trends on island economies.

Response

• The provision of support where appropriate for Palau Islands’ representation at international training programmes, workshops and conferences.
• The provision of high-level advocacy to promote the mainstreaming of risk management through the application of CHARM.
• Conducting CHARM national training courses and workshops
• The provision of post disaster technical or institutional support following the impact of disasters.
• The environmental vulnerability index – a tool that assesses the vulnerability of the countries of the world to assist national stakeholders in decision-making and to influence policy to reduce vulnerabilities of Pacific communities.