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Asbestos has a number of uses in building construction, mainly insulation. It can be found in lagging and fire retardant materials. All forms of asbestos are confirmed cancer causing materials, mostly affecting the respiratory system. Diseases caused by asbestos may not show for 10 to 50 years after exposure. The most dominant usage of asbestos in the Pacific, is in asbestos cement sheeting used for building materials, and to a much lesser extent, insulation around boilers and associated pipes. Asbestos release occurs when the material has been damaged or when buildings are being demolished. Asbestos disposal is mostly through uncontrolled dumping at illegal dumping sites across small Pacific Island Countries and also in controlled burial sites, generally without the proper measures in place. This is not suitable and proper management is needed when disposing of asbestos, to protect people from further exposure to asbestos fibres.

Natural decomposition processes in landfills emit "landfill gas." Approximately half of that landfill gas is methane, the second leading greenhouse gas emitted in the United States. Landfill methane emissions are of national concern because they are the largest source (approximately 33 percent) of anthropogenic methane emissions in the United States.

The Guidelines for the Assessment of Wastes or Other Matter that May be Considered for Dumping, referred to in short as the "Generic Guidelines'; as well as the Specific Guidelines for Assessment of Bulky items primarily comprising steel, etc., addressed in this document are intended for use by national authorities responsible for regulating dumping of wastes and embody a mechanism to guide national authorities in evaluating applications for dumping of wastes in a manner consistent with the provisions of the London Convention 1972 or the 1996 Protocol thereto. Annex 2 to the 1996 Protocol places emphasis on progressively reducing the need to use the sea for dumping of wastes. Furthermore, it recognizes that avoidance of pollution demands rigorous controls on the emission and dispersion of contaminating substances and the use of scientifically based procedures for selecting appropriate options for waste disposal. When applying these Guidelines uncertainties in relation to assessments of impacts on the marine environment will need to be considered and a precautionary approach applied in addressing these uncertainties. They should be applied with a view that acceptance of dumping under certain circumstances does not remove the obligation to make further attempts to reduce the necessity for dumping

Integrated waste management systems should possess elements of reduction, collection, recycling, and disposal. One of the significant challenges for waste managers is prioritising and apportioning their budget between these elements to get the best outcome. The costs of different elements varies enormously between countries and even within countries (atoll vs high island; urban vs rural). In general, the PICTs have lower labour costs and higher technology costs than their more developed neighbours. This is important to remember when comparing over-seas systems and developments.

Economic instruments are market-based incentives or disincentives that aim to change behaviour or consumption patterns. Incentives will reward desirable changes whereas charges can be placed on goods or services to attempt to include the environmental and / or economic costs of waste management in the ultimate price the consumer pays at purchase (polluter pays).

Because of increasing service demand, government subsidies and foreign aids are not enough for PIF countries to cover its SWM service cost. Efficient and equitable user fee collection is essential for the sustainable SWM service delivery. Many countries piggy-back user fee on electricity bill or water bill.

Tonga's main island and home of 50% of the population, Tongatapn, faced a significant waste disposal crisis. An AusAID- funded project has shown how an integrated approach can maximize the opportunities to improving the entire system. While the project is still only 50% complete, preliminary indications show it to be a model of methodology for these types of major system up-grades.

This paper is concerned with integrating adaptation to climate change with local development in the context of a climate change mitigation project for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. It is argued that integration will enhance locally appropriate and sustainable outcomes necessary for effective forest conservation in the context of rural Vanuatu. Concurrently, a community- based approach to assessing vulnerability is proposed whereby locally pertinent manifestations of climate- related exposure and adaptive capacity form the baseline of adaptive decision-making for integrated forest conservation and development. The approach is illustrated by a discussion of vulnerability and local development needs in the Tangoa Island community, South Santo, Vanuatu - a community particularly affected by tropical cyclones. Although effective adaptive strategies have evolved over time in Tangoa, these are unlikely to withstand the likely changes in magnitude and (perhaps) frequency of cyclones into the future with climate change. This is due to evolving non-climate stresses that largely intersect with locally defined development needs. Opportunities exist to reduce vulnerability to climate change by development pathways that address particular non-climate stresses. This provides a practical and tangible way of engendering community-based adaptation that would otherwise be unlikely in rural Vanuatu. The approach has application in other rural developing communities, both in Vanuatu and other developing countries.

What is the nature of vulnerability and resilience to climate change at the community scale in Pacific island countries (PICs)? What approaches to climate change adaptation are most appropriate at this scale? These questions are examined in the context of rural Vanuatu, a Melanesian least developed country particularly susceptible to changes in climate variability and extremes. Fieldwork on the islands of Santo. Efate and Mota Lava interpreted vulnerability by beginning with local perceptions and experiences of dealing with climate risks. Vulnerability to climate arises from a context of rapid social change. Predominantly 'non-climate' factors such as population growth, land issues, changing traditional governance and eroding traditional knowledge are linked to changing agricultural practices, natural resource degradation, and increasing reliance on imports. These factors and processes affect the ways and degree to which communities are able to cope with climate stresses such as tropical cyclones, drought and heavy rain. However, research findings challenge the common notion that Pacific Island communities are inherently vulnerable; each community engages endogenous mechanisms of resilience. Aspects of this resilience may be threatened however especially where resilience depends on flexibility and self sufficiency, and particularly given increasing climatic uncertainty in the future, hi this context therefore, 'adaptation to climate change' requires communities to adapt to both changing climatic and social situations.

The proposal to have the East Coast Escarpment designated as one of Nauru's five conservation areas to date stemmed from the government's desire to promote sustainable use of the country's terrestrial and marine biodiversity as a foundation for sustainable development. The other Conservation areas as shown in Map 1 have been recommended as an addition to the East Coast Escarpment Conservation Area. This desire of government is well supported by the local communities who have shown almost universal support for the need to promote sustainable development and conservation of Nauru's biological diversity. This was further well documented in the Nauru Australia Cooperation Rehabilitation and Development Feasibility Study ( Overview Report 1994 ).The East Coast Escarpment has also been identified in the Nauru National Environment Management Strategy (in press) as perhaps having the highest priority for the sustainable use and conservation of the nation's biological resources.