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Less than 8 per cent of the population of Asia and the Pacific enjoyed healthy air – within the World Health Organization (WHO) Guideline – in 2015. That means that around 4 billion people, the other 92 per cent of the population, spread unevenly across the region and with the highest numbers living in South and East Asia, are exposed to levels of air pollution that pose significant risks to their health.

Asia-Pacific is at the forefront of global discussions on sustainable development and the melding of environment and economic policies. From access to clean water to biodiversity conservation and sustainable agriculture - community involvement and investment when solving environmental challenges is crucial to managing local resources. In order to move towards and realise sustainable development on a larger scale, proven-successful practices at the grassroots should be contextualized and replicated across Asia-Pacific. As a group of regional experts, the Asia-Pacific Forum for Environment and Development addressed critical issues facing the region and proposed new models for equitable and sustainable development. Two programmes resulted from the forum, the APFED Showcase Programme and the APFED Awards.

Asia-Pacific faces major environmental issues, from climate change and biodiversity conservation to resource resilience and water security. As the greatest consumer of natural resources, the region is experiencing the effects of increased waste and pollution as they take a massive toll on resource availability, livelihoods and quality of life for many families. Addressing the challenges that come with climate change appears enormous and often insurmountable outside of top-down global and regional actions. Yet, local governments and communities in the region are facing these challenges head on by developing and utilizing innovative solutions to climate change and many other environmental issues.

Tonga is one of the many islands that are endowed with unique resources and derives much of its economic, environmental and social well-being directly or indirectly from its environment. Tonga harbours numerous special ecosystems: from the peak of Mt. Talau in Vava'u, to the serenity of Vai Lahi in Niuafo'ou; the vulnerability of the Ha'apai Group to 'Eua's National Forest and to the Fanga'uta Lagoon in Tongatapu.

Local communities and indigenous people make substantial contributions to global conservation efforts and sustainable development. While these communities are often the primary resource stewards who rely on ecosystem to meet food security, livelihood and health needs, their contribution to the achievement of global conservation targets have not yet been fully recognized.

As countries look forward to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in Brazil in June 2012, evidence of certain environmental trends continues to accumulate, including those related to climate change and its impacts, biodiversity loss, and degradation of land and soils. Enormous challenges remain with respect to addressing the underlying causes and impacts of such trends, although positive developments can be reported as well, for instance in the area of renewable energy technology uptake and investment. Key environmental indicators such as those presented in the UNEP Year Book help keep track of the state of the environment by providing a picture of the latest available data and trends.

The inextricable links between climate change and sustainable development have been increasingly recognised over the past decade. In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)1 concluded with very high confidence that climate change would impede the ability of many nations to achieve sustainable development by mid-century and become a security risk that would steadily intensify, particularly under greater warming scenarios. Article 4.8 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) lists several groups of countries that merit particular consideration for assistance to adapt to climate change “especially: (a) small island countries, (b) countries with low-lying coastal areas, c) countries with areas prone to natural disasters.” Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have characteristics which make them particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, sea level rise (SLR) and extreme events, including: relative isolation, small land masses, concentrations of population and infrastructure in coastal areas, limited economic base and dependency on natural resources, combined with limited financial, technical and institutional capacity for adaptation.2

An invasive alien species are known to cause significant economic and environmental damage. Islands are much more vulnerable to the invasion of invasive alien species, and have higher rates of extinction. In the islands of the South Pacific, there are several species Polynesian land birds which are threatened with extinction due to invasive alien species and human interference. Without any intervention from humans, it is likely that these birds will suffer extinction in the next few decades. The island of Atiu in the Cook Islands (South Pacific) supports a range of avian fauna. In 2007 the Rimitara lorikeet (Vini kuhlii), also known locally as the ‘Kura’ was introduced to Atiu, to make a reserve population, as there were only approximatley 1000 left on the island of Rimitara, French Polynesia. There is concern for this species on Atiu due to the existence of the common myna (Acridotheres tristis). The myna is an aggressive invasive which is one of the world’s worst 100 invasive species. It was introduced to the Cook Islands by the government, with the intention to control the coconut-stick insect (Graeffea crouani), but is now a pest itself. A myna control programme on Atiu is being coordinated and controlled by Gerald McCormack (Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust), working through George Mateariki, and using funding from various conservation organisations. Poisioning is being carried out by George in order to reduce myna numbers, and a bounty has been set on the birds or for every right foot so that the locals can help as much as possible. This investigation aimed to estimate the total population size on the island to use as a starting count to determine whether the programme is successful or not. Two methods were used which included roost counts to find an estimate of the population, and a transect method using a Distance programme to estimate the number of birds per hectare as well as the level of abundance in various habitat types. The two methods had overlapping results, giving a total estimated range of 3250 to 8460 birds on the island, although it is more likely to be at the higher end of this estimate at around 6000 to7000 birds. Further investigation will need to determine any change in the population size, any changes in habitat composition as well as the impact on the native species, especially the effect on the Kura and its population size.

Migratory birds are part of the lives of many people around the world: little children who are shown their first swallows' nest by their grandfather city dwellers, who hear the calling of geese overhead, herdsmen, whose animals are followed by wagtails and harriers that feed on flushed insects; fishermen on every sea, whose boats are accompanied by albatrosses, shearwaters or boobies.