Search the SPREP Catalogue

The Regional Technical Support Mechanism (RTSM) and Rapid Response Fund (RRF) is a collaborative undertaking of all Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP) agencies and their associated development partners and donors. It is a true reflection of the Pacific island region, which promotes the spirit of cooperation and collaboration. The establishment of the RTSM and RRF is a step towards a ‘transformative change’ that is taken by the CROP agencies, to efficiently serve the priority and needs of Pacific Island Countries and Territories in relation to climate change adaptation and mitigation The purpose of this Manual is to guide the members of the RTSM Project Committee (PC), the Working Arm of the CEO Subcommittee on Climate Change and Disaster Resilient Development (WARD) and the RTSM Coordinator (RC) on the operations of the RTSM and associated RRF. It sets out the standards of probity, transparency and accountability that contributors and potential contributors to the Fund expect in the governance and operations of both the RTSM and RRF. The Manual includes an RTSM & RRF Policies and Procedures which lists the types of assistance available, and how to request assistance under the RRF. As part of the ‘scaling up of good practices’ approach, the standards as set out in the Manual also provide an example for countries that do not have Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR) country tracks and are interested in replicating such a mechanism to administer and manage climate change funding. The RTSM PC and the WARD may approve amendments to the Manual and associated RTSM and RRF Policies and Procedures.

In the Cook Islands, the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) project focuses on coastal zone management on Mangaia Island. The project is helping to ‘climate-proof’ coastal development, and to develop an integrated coastal management policy and plan for Mangaia

On all islands in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) rainwater is the primary source of freshwater, putting the country at high risk from droughts. The water sector was therefore chosen by the RMI Government to benefit from the PACC project, and the project has been working since 2008 to increase the country’s resilience to drought events. This report details the process undertaken in the PACC demonstration project, to design and implement various measures to enhance Majuro’s water reticulation system.

Invasive alien species such as Spathodea campanulata (African tulip tree) threaten biodiversity in the Pacific islands as well as the economic, social, and cultural wellbeing of Pacific peoples. Despite the potential magnitude of these threats, our scientific understanding of the ecology and management of the African tulip tree is nascent. In this paper, we use data from novel surveys of households and communities to document the direct and direct impacts of African tulip tree in Fiji, focusing on those impacts which may be monetised. We use the same data to describe current management approaches and then describe a state-of-the-science, ‘‘integrated’’ management approach that employs different strategies for trees of different ages and sizes. These two approaches are then compared in a comprehensive cost–benefit analysis. We find strong arguments for pursuing the integrated management approach, which derives monetised benefits of $3.7 for each $1 spent. However, the less costly current approach is also strictly preferred to the baseline, ‘‘do nothing’’ approach, with monetised benefits of $2.7 for each $1 spent. Results of this analysis clearly show that managing African tulip tree is cost effective, even without explicitly considering biodiversity, culture, and other non-monetised benefits of control.

Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) plays a prominent role in the economies and cultures of Pacific Island countries such as Fiji. Unfortunately, taro is highly susceptible to invasion from taro beetles, which burrow into the corms and weaken the plants, rendering them unmarkable and prone to rot. Papuana uninodis Prell, an invasive alien species that is native to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, was first reported on Viti Levu (Fiji's largest island) in 1984. Since that time, taro production on Viti Levu has fallen substantially. In this paper, we employ data from surveys of households and communities to document the impacts of P. uninodis on Viti Levu. We then identify three management approaches-chemical controls, cultural controls, and switching from taro to another staple crop-and conduct a cost-benefit analysis of each. We find strong arguments for pursuing chemical control, which derives a net present value of monetised benefits of about FJ$139,500 per hectare over 50 yr, or >FJ$21 for each FJ$1 spent. Still, any of the three management options is more efficient than no management, even without any attempt to quantify the benefits to biodiversity or forest protection, underscoring the value of actively managing this invasive alien species.

The Pacific POPs release reduction through improved management of solid and hazardous waste project was developed with the aim to improve poor regional waste management, the principal source of unintentionally produced POPs (dioxins and furans) emissions in the Pacific region, and therefore help address the obligation of Stockholm Convention Parties to reduce, minimize and where feasible, eliminate dioxins and furans. An Inception Meeting to increase stakeholder awareness of the project and to build stakeholder engagement is considered a critical component of project management by the Implementing Agency. This meeting was held in November 2013. The Project Inception Report presented here is the corresponding reporting requirement for this meeting specified in the Project Document (ProDoc)that includes a detailed narrative describing: i). the institutional roles and responsibilities of the project partners; ii). stakeholder engagement commitments; iii). progress on project establishment and start up activities; iv). a detailed project management plan; v). a project supervision plan; and vi). a monitoring and evaluation plan suitable for progress tracking purposes.

Reduced emissions of unintentionally produced POPs (uPOPs) is hoped to be achieved under the GEFPAS project through a range of funded initiatives including the provision of quality vocational training of semi-skilled waste employees. It was envisioned that this would involve the development and delivery of a waste management vocational training course at a regional institution. The overall project objectives related to the training were to create a program that would: · Develop a solid waste management vocational training program in conjunction with regional institutions; · Routinely train course participants to become waste management trainers using the ‘trainthe-trainer’ concept; and · Ensure long-term sustainability and continuity of the training program with regional institutions.

This is a brief overview of the work carried out under the Marine Debris Demonstration project to help strengthen the and enhance good waste practices in Samoa The project is a partnership between the Government of Samoa, United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), SPREP and the communities and private sector in Apia. There are four main areas in this project; community and media awareness; improved waste management in the ports of entry into Samoa in particular the Samoa Port and Samoa Airport; waste disposal facilities within the UNSIDS venue and the accommodation providers; and working with the communities to improve waste practices in Apia areas. This short film was produced for The Last Straw - Preventing our Oceans from becoming Dumps side event during the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States. The final documentary on this project will be completed and made available this year.