Forum Gives ClearDirections on the

Environment

T f an issue was clearly evident- from this year's Forum, it wasthe continued importance of re.gional questions and directions insustainable development and envi,ronmental protection.

The South Pacific Forum Meet-ing was h'eld in Nauru on l0 . I IAugus0. It gathered the Heads andofficials of l5 Pacific island andneighbouring member govern.ments, as well as major donor coun.tries and agencies and the heads ofthe regional intergovernmentalagencies, including SPREP.

The report of the Meeting ofHeads, the Forum Communiqud,refers to a number of concerns andareas of co.operation for membergovernments, and clearly signals

rmportan t concerns on environmen-tal protection and sustainable de-velopment to the rest of the world(see box on page 2).

Some foreign governments dndunscrupulous individuals werecriticised in the Communiqud forth eir disregard for the environ mentand the peoples of the region, par.ticularly in overfishing and toxicwaste dumping. Methods were con.sidered for curtailin g these destruc-tive activities, including interna.tional and regional convsntione, andmore effective registration and sur.veillance measures by governmentsand regional organisations.

The "polluter-pays" principlewas also established as the methodof restitution forpollution from toxic

nuclear sounees, where dendinggwernments would be held rsspon.eible, with absolute and unlimitedstate liability.

All theee pru,poeed actione rein.'force. the spirit of the Earth Sum-mit and eubsequent actiong: thatPacifrc irlanfl countries must be al.lowed to dwelop economidally, butin an envi-mnmen*qlly euetFinablsway. Policiea and projecte that previde short.t€rrr gaine but threatenthe island environment lnd natu-ral resources that exist there muetbe reasaeesed, and more informedand balaneed decisi,ons now bemade.

International actione abo influ.ence the environment of the region,and theee were also addressed.Joint actions through region c.on.ventions, infoqnation aharing and -

dhe actions of regional andintBrna.tional agenciee were reaffirmed agthe merns of dealing with the regional challenges in attaining eue-tainable development for the snallisland etatos of the Pasift.

(srr bo(qr pro?4 Se e

PNG's Minisler for the Environment, Hon. Bany Ziepi, signs theAgreement Establishing SPREP at SpREp Heactquarters on 29September. Onlookers'are (from left to right) Dr Vili Fuavao,Director, SPREP;MP from pNG; Misa Tetefoni Retztaff, \AbstemSamoa; and Ata Moava, French Polynesia, (Phdo; SPREP)

The 1993 Forum Communiqu6and the Environment ... at a glance

[i he Heads of Ciwernment of thet South Pacific Forum issuedstatemente on:

Sustainable Development:. emphaeising that eound envi'

ronnental practicgs were nowan integral part of economic de-velopnent.

o stressingthelinkbetweenpQu-liation, environment and euetain.able dwelopment.

o cdlingforaSouthPacificDecla-ration on Population at an uP'coming ministerial meeting inVanuatu.

Fisheries:o- reafirming strong oppoeition to

drift-net fishing.. calling on remaining Forum

members to srgn and ratify theWelington Convention..

Developing NaturalResources:o noting common problems with

developin g naturgl reeounces.

. noting the need for informationexchange on resource develop'ment, including environmen'tally zustainable dwelopment.

UNCED Foltow-up:o calling on remaining members

to sign and ratify the Conven'tion on Biological Diversity.calling on members to start car'rying out activities in the Con'vention.

e calling on remaining membersto ratify the Vienna Conventionand Montreal Protocols

r welcoming the creation of theUN Commiseion on SustainableDevelopment.

. urging rnembers to promote thesigning of the Law of the SeaConvention.

o calling for international discus.sions leading to an internationaleonvention to pmtect forests.

o urging megtbers to support theGCSDSID9 in 1994, and to berepresented at the highedt pos-

sible level.o reaffirming that global warm-

ing and sea-level rise wereamong the most serious threatsto member countries.

. calling frir appropriate renew'able and efricient energy tech'nologies, economic measures andreforestation to be dweloped andtransferred.

o reaffirmingtheneedforresearchon the impacts of global warm.ing on island countries.

Whding:. supporting the'continued mora'

torium on commercial whaling.o supporting the consideration of. a Southern Oceans Sanctuary

for whales.

Nuclear Testing andPollution:.o weloomingthe extendednuclear

test ban by France, Russia andUSA

. calling for international law toinclurle the'polluter pays"'prin-ciple in all cases of transnationalnuclear pollution.

Ocean Waste Dumping:o calling on memberg to continue

to support the total ban onnuclear wast€ dumping at sea.

o calling on Japan to consult fullywith Forum countriee on pluto-nium shipments through thePacific.

o calling on Japan to prwide in-formation to the Forum on ikuse of plutonium.

Moving and ManagingToxic Wastes:o expressing concern about the

uncontrolled and unmanagedmovement of toxic wastes intoand within the region.

. endorsing consultations and ne-gotiations toconclude a regionaleonvention to prevqnt thesemovements by the 1996 Forum.

Goastal Protection:o requesting a detailed report on

coastal protection options for the1994 Forum.

a8a

Greenpeace Applauds Forum Leaders

T t^" international NGO Green-- peacewelcomedthe attention paid

to the Pacifrc eniironment at the re-cent South Pacific Forum at Nauru.Greenpeaco alsohailed the discuss:ioneon sustainable development and therate that natural rseounqss ars cur'rently being exploited iu the region'

The Forum'e decieion to develoP aregional C,onvention prohibiting theimportation of hazardous wastes into

the region was acclaimed byGreenpeace as a "win' for the Pacilicenvironment and its people.

'The Pacifie has declared to wasteproduc,ers anound the world that thisrsglon is off limits to.otber countrios'waste*, said Bunny McDiarmid,Greenpeace's Pacific. C,o-ordinator.

"It's very encouraging that we canjoin other developing regions in put-ting pressure onto indtrstrialised coun'

trios to doal with their problems athomen, she added.

the Forum is elso committed toending all ocean dumping of radioac-tive and industrial wastes at this yeadsmeeting on the London Convention.Forum membere will onsurs theirpar-ticipation in thg November meeting tomake this commitment a reditY.

(from Grcenpeace, 25 Augttsl)

sos2

SPfr EP's Environment Nowsletter

he 1993 $outh Pacilic Forummeeting in Nauru was the

fourth since I beca.me head ofSPREP, starting with Port Vila in1991. The Communiquds from allthese Forum Leaders' meetingshave one common feature: environ.mental issuee were a primary fo-cus.' This showe that the region isnow more aware of the importandeof our fragile ecosystems for ourvery.eurvival, and that it under.stands that good environmentalinvestment is a sound economic in-vestment, arid vice versa.' So onequestion is: does the work and ac-tivities of SPREP, the spearheadenviionmental organisation in theregion, address the technical issuesin the Cornmuniqud?

The 1993 Communiqu6 has aIong list of environment issues thatwill impact on the well-being of allpeoples iri the region. This. year'slist lengthened to: depletion of theozone layer, climate change andpotential impacts of sea level rise,disappearing biodiversity, import.ing. and disposing of hazardouswastes, ocean dumping of nuclearwastes, assessing appropriatecoastal protection syetems to con'trol the coastal erooion, populationand its linXageg to exploiting re.sources, the region'e preparationf_or the Global Conference on Sus-tainable Development of Small Is.lands Developing States(GCSDSIDS), improving environ-

ment education, and the folhw upto the Earth Summit.

This year's Forurir Meeting en-dorsed PNG's proposalfor a regionalconvention on the control and man-agement of the transboundarymovsment of hazardous wastes.Negotiatiorts will'start early nextyear, with the aim to open the con-vention for signature at the lS6Forum Meeting scheduled for PortMoresbf. SPREP will be involvedin this process, given its erpsrtiseand mandate in this axea.

The Forum leadere acknowl-edged the importance. of theGCSDSIDS and agreed to partici-pate at the highest level in thisconference, scheduledfor April 1994in Barbados. There was a clearconsensus that negptiatione wouldaim for a more focused and action-oriented agenda for the C,onfei€nce.The world focus on their uniqueneeds is a ffrst for small idland de-veloping statee. SPREP is the lead.ing agency in this region'a prepara.tions for the Conference, and willplay a vital role in nqotiations lead-ing up to Barbadoe.

Recognising that much bio.di.versity is disappearing, SPREP,threugh the South Paeific Bio-di-versity Consewatioh Programme(SPBCP), is addreeeing the itsue.The SPBCP, however, also consid.ers that small land areas and coni.llex land tenure mudt blso be ac.counted for. The SPBCP approach

is innovative, and complieg wiibthe principlee of suetainable ddvgl-opment. Ifthis approach suoceeds,it will harre an irirpact on tho worldrgperception of 'coneenation", Thisis an example of the innovationneeded to meet the unique prob-leme of the reg.ion.

' S,. PREP is now also formulatinga comprehensive integrated mgtalzone prcgramme. This includee anaseessmont of appropriate meangof protecting oui coaltal aaar.Coastal arear ars the moet prudue-tive part of nost Pacific blandl.Ttrey also hoet sone of the mostvulnerable ecosystems found in theislands. Coastal erosi,on greatlyconcerns all Pacific blands. Theurgent efrort t6 frnd appnpriate.coastal protection rystenrs for theislands of the Pasifrc continuee.SPREP will organiee a soriss ofworkshopefor world expe'rtr to dis-cues and asoess appropriat€ avail-able systems to match the needeand capacitiee of this rdgim.

Seve,ral npw SPREP prcjdcteaim.to imprwe.the megeqge roachingthe graesroots: the "Oire Wgtld'radio program, and ths intsg_iationof environmental isaues into pn'mary and secondary.schooli cur.rieula are two exanples. Ueing on.vironm ent i Eulact ass&silont (ElA)as a decision-maLingtool andUgk-ing population issusE to attainingsuitainable dwelopment ara alsorecent initihttves by SPREP thataim toachievo auetainabh dsvelop.ment in the Pacific.ViliFtnuooDireckir

The Forum OfFdals liodlrc pnodesthe Meeting of Fmm Hcadei eilIncludes much dlscusslon of thoprogrsmmes of thc ruglonaloeanisatiohi. The Dlnector of SPREPDr Mli. Fuavao (socond from rcndanding) was on hand to oxplahSPREFYS ptqrsnmcs to the r€gion'spoliticalheads.

(Phcro: SPREP)

Sffi EPb Et v*onnwtt t/rlllr/ettrr

Earth Day 1993A regional round-up

T hig year, Earth Day was offi-r ciallycelebratedm 6 June, withtheme of 'Poverty and the Envi-ronmsnt: Breal,ing the ViciousCirrcle". As notcd by IINEP, \t irhumanity'e exceeseo whieh threatenthe plsnst m whictr we live; be theythe sxcessss of grestlorof depriva'tion, they are both degtnrctive."

lbe destruction of the the air,the goa, the forests and the riversmay be attributed to'"&e excesEeg

dr grniety driven toconsume", bethey for industry or agriculture ordiepoeing wastea.

Hoqrwsr, there b another eide.firce in poverty inust eat, so theyrevert to crrtting down precioustrees or depleting reefs or poachingpnd eelling ran:€ enirnalg and birds.Thie issue was covered extensivelyin IJNEPo April isEue of Ou r Plohet(5:2, 1993).

ln the PaclficMany Pacifu organisations a4d

countries cel€brate this day at othertimes ofthe year andin many ways. .

This article ie a round-up of theseactivitiee by gwernments, schoolsandNGOg.

FtjiSPACIIEE celebrated E arth Day

on22 April, with a photo competi.tbn eponsored by KodaL Australira.Over 6,0 entrie in the pmfessional,amateur andjunfoir categories com-p€'ted for cash prlrcn for the bestenvironmental photoe of subjeetsin Fiji. Ilrie NGO uaed the occasionto launch a new tee-shirt - 'EveryDay Earth Day - Handle with Caren.

SPACHEE alsoheld a day-longEarth Day Conference at USPLaucala C:ampus, oonduding withitg furnual General Meeting. Allthese activities werre promoted onthe local 104 FM radio station, aswell aE vafious ppbleme faced byour fragile island environments.

SPACHEE and the Na-tionalTruet of Fiji then co-ordinated the 1993 Na-tbnal Environsrent Week.Ttrie was celebrated on 9- 13 Augustin centres around Fiji: in Labasa,Levula, Lautoke and Suva. Activi-ties inctudedmarches by local schoolchildren; poeter, essay and modelcompetitione; postel and informa-tion exhibitione; and a day-longsypooium at USP I"aucala Carnpuson "Poverty and the Environment:Breating the Vicioue Cycle".

(USP Buldln, 20:14, pA ild 26125, p4, snd'SFACHEE Erwtqmdch, 6:1, p3)

Ed.: SPACHEEIs hcatcdon USPLoil4olo Comprn, dn Suuo.

NauruStudents from Nauru Second-

ary School showed the way on 4June with a clean-up of their envi-ronment - their own school'ggrounds. Other activities includedan intensive ncan-crushing" cam-paign, where four bus loads of stu-dents travelled to strategic posi-tions arouhd the island to collectcans for the schml'e aluminium cancrusher.

Students. also entered essay,poster and bin-decorating competi-tions to promote environmentalawareness around the schml.

(Nauru Bulldin, ZOIS0, p3l

The Nauru Envimnmental As-sociation (NEA) anil Nauru DiveClub were also active, with a clean-up of Mahwa cave on 5 June. Cansand rubbish were collected fromunder the water, inside the caveand from areas ar'ound the cave.

(Nauru Bulelln, 21,S, +5)

Ed.: NEtt is n be its commended

for its prutical displat af wlro;t ogroup of comtnittnd p eoplc can do np rotcc l, our enuir onment.

iffi

The winning srnile Ms TcamaoaKamoriki, flrst place in the Fbet

Competition d KiribditsEnvironment Day.

Plplo: Dr$rllhrylry

KiribatiNational Environment Day was

this'year'e ncurtain raiser" forKiribati's l4th Independence cel-ebratione. It was celebrated at thecapital, Bairihi, Tarawa, on 9June.The Kauoman President, Hon.Taomati luta, offieially opened theday in front of a large crowd, im-ploring that the day should b€comea regular annual went.

A numbei of national competi-tione wereheldin conjunction withEnvironment Day. Tbese emph.asised the importance of protectingand preeenring Kiribati's naturalrecources. Prizes were awarded forbio-aesethetic, theme, song, essay'and poster competitions.

thb Float competition, based onenvironmental ttremes, wag a ma-jor attraction. Competitors werefrom government ministriee, themedia and the national women'sorganisation, Aio Maeo. AinenKirihati fire police band providedthe music for the winning lknt byTeamaea Kamoriki, representingthe Ministry of Home Afiaire andRural Development.

SPREP provided funding forKiribati's Nati,onal Environment

S PR EP's h viron men t N ewsletter

Westem Samoa:

Protecting Apia's Water

A pia is the rapidly growing capi-' ^ tal of Western Samoa. Itspopu.lation relies on surrounding damsand catchment areas for cleandrinking water. Protecting thesesupplies means protecting the wa.ter catchments, especially the for-ests above the streams that fill thedams.

Forests are vital for supplyingblean water. When rain falls onforests, the leaves breaks the fall ofthe raln, and so the rain falls gentlyto earth. Plant roots and fallenleaves further slows the movementof water to the stream.

When trees are cleared, rain fallsdirectly and heavily to the groundsurface and moves quickly to thestrearn. If this rain falls on steepslopes, it also eredes the soil, re-moving many nutrients that wouldotherwise go to plants. The soilsediment in the water then depos-its in dams and fouls water sup.plies.

Many agencies are working top{otect water suppliee in WesternSamoa. The Divisiori of Environ-ment and Coneervation recentlyreplanted trees on the steep slopesin the Fuluasou Water CatchmentArea. People from Tapgtapao andFuluasou villages were employedto weed and plant tr*s 'on thecontours" of the slopes. ' This con-tour planting slows soil erosion byacting as tiny dams that'catch thewater moving down the slope.

Over six months, these peopleptanted fast.growing gatae andtamaligi trees. Gatae alsoputs theimportant soil nutrient nitrogeninto the soil, and so further im.proves soilfertility. Ttre Division is.ehecking tree growth. Birils arestading b return to planted areas,and these birds also eat insebts innearby plantations.

The Division also assisted theDep artmen t of Agriculture, Forests

and Fisheries (DAFF) in a seminarorganised to ehow the importanceof fruit trees in watershed manage.ment. DAFFwillnow manage thiswatershed, and is establishing atree nursery at Fuluasou.

The Suney'Section of Minietryof Lands, Suwey an-d the Enviroir.mentwill soon suryey morc landinthe watershed to frrrther protectApia's water supplies.

Many agencier, with LJNDP fi-nancial support, work together toprotect Apia'e water eupplies. Gov.ernment legielation i8'also playrnga role, with the Municipal WaterSupply BiIl now in ftont of Fono(parliament). Part of fhis bill aimgto control use of Apia'e water sup-plies.

(From Otr DM.lon ol Envlmmrt ndCmrcrrnton. W€csrn Sernr).

eeo

AcronymsADB Asian Dgvelopmeut BankAIDAB Australian International Develop-

ment Assistsnce BureauAOSIS Alliance of Small Island StatesCIIES Convention on lntornational Trade

in Endangered Species of WildFauna ald Flora

CNMI Cominonwealth of NorthernMariana Lslands

EC European CommunityEIA EnvironrnentallmpactAssessmentESCAPEconomic and Social Commission

for Asia and the PacificEWC East West CentorFAO Food and Agriculture Organisation

CJMFFA ForurnFieheri$AgencyFSM Federated States of MicronesiaGEF Global Environment FacilityGCSDSIDS Global Confer€nce on Sustain-

able Developmant in Small IslnndDeveloping States

IMO lnternationalMaritimeOrganisation

IPCC Intergovernmentsl Panel forClirnat€ Ctange

IUCN World Conservation Union

NEMS National Euviroamsntal Manage-ment Strategies

NGO Non.government OrganisationNZ New ZealandPIDP Pacific Islands Development

hogramme (EWC)PNC Papua New GuineaRMI Republic of the Marshall Islands

Title: Saso&awo Pacific lslondsNotinn Fund

ForWhat?l. Exchange programmes and co-operetive

work between Japan and Pacific islandcounlries.

2. Human r€sour@ developmeat and edu.cational prograrnmos.

3, lmproving informalion and communica-tions networking.

Prerequieites:Projecls should: :

l. b€ in ai least 2 Pacifc island countries.

2. haveresults which areapplicabil'inotherPacilic island couatries. a

SOPACSoUA PeciEc Applied OeccietoComnisdon

SPC SouthPacificCoramirrionSPREP South Pacific Regiond Environ-' menthogammottH Univerrity of llaweiiUN Unit€d Netions

(Cortrd on prgs I l)

3. conformwith and encourageregiondini..tiativee.

4. promote underrtanding between rlapr!,Peci6c island ountrier, rnd the reet ofthe world.

Wbo for?NGOs, eduartionaltionr, and regional agenciee.

For rnorc lnfometion, controtlhogram O6cerSasakewa Peacs FoundetionSaeakawa Hall3-f2.12 lvfinato.KuTOI(YO l0rJ"pan ses

SPnEPb Envimnmont Newslctt*

south Pacific sea Level and climate Monitoring Project:

will be circulated monthly fromNIF as nreal-time" data for therecipient country.

o train'key operational stalf in the'Forum island countries in rel'evant professional topice in ocean-ography and climatology, and whowill understand how these influ'ence sea level and climate change.These people can then providesound advice to their govern'ments.

o provide research information onnational, regional and interna'tional climates.

. provide basic information forpolicymakers and planners aboutthe project. Information will be

spread by'visits, siminars andpapers to inform senior officialsand politicians about progtess inthe Project.

Adelaide MeetingWith the last point in mind,

twenty senior policymakers qndplanners met at NTF in Adelaideon 2l-25 June 1993. Participantsincluded Hon. lonatana lonatana,Minister of Labour, Works and Com-munication from Tuvalu, and theAustralian Minister for Pacific Af-fairs, Hon Gordon Bilney, who alsoofficially opened the workshop.During this week, participants alsotravelled to Melbourne to learnmore about the operations of theAustralian Bureau of Meteorologyin the Project.

Thevisit toboth institutione waemost valuable, exposing partici-pants the complexities of climatescience and monitoring. It is hopedthat this greater appreciation ofthese complexitieg and the infor-mation from thie Project will even'tually lead to more appropriate de-velopment policies in Forum coun'tries.

Future TrainingTo fulfill the training $trategy,

twelve sub-regional training work'shops have been planned for theregion. The first round of work-shops will be held in March-April1994. Two further rounds will beconducted in 1994-95, and a finalround in 1995-96.

SPREP's Climate Charrge OIfi'cer, Chalapan Kaluwin, will iden-tifr appropriat€ perconnel from eachsub-region (i.e., 3 persons per coun'try - see bor) to attend the firstround of workshops early in 1994.'Member governments will be noti-fied soon.

The South Pacifrc Climate andSea Level Monitoring Project is nowreaehing into the region. With thedata generated from the moiritor-ing stations and relevant trainingfor national personnel, Forum mem-ber governments will be better ableto deal with the serious effects ofsea level rise, by making more in'formed decisions for national poli'cies and projects. gOS

Participants atthe firstTrainingWorkshop forthe SouthPacific Climateand Sea LevelMonitoringProject.

Photo: NTF

Introducing the Project to the Pacific Region

tT he National Tidal Facility, co-4 ordination centre for the SouthPacifrc Sea Level and Climate Moni'toring Project, recently hosted itsfir8t training worhshop. NTF isbaeed in Adelaide, Austalia, at theFlindere University. To date, NIFhae built and commissioned ninefully-riutomated sea level and cli'mate monitoring stations aroundthe Pacific in the paet year.

Training StrategyApart from building and main'

taining monitoring stations, theProject also has an important infor'mation and training role, aimed atPacific island governments. A train'ing strategy has been developed to:

. improve understanding of thegeneral sea level and climate in'formation from the Project. Data

South Pacific Sea Level and 1Glimate Monitoring Project:

Sub-regional areas for theplanned trainingworkshops.

Sub-region l:FSMPNGSolomon lslanclsVanuatuNauru

(Possible venue: Honiara.)

Sub-region 2:

RMIKiribatiTuvaluFlji

(Possrb/e venue: Nadi, Fiii)

Sub-region 3:

TongaWestem SamoaNiueCook lslands

(Possible venue: WeSem Samoa.)

SPREP's Btvironment Newsletter

The ENSO Applications Gentre

he El.Nifro event, or so-calledEl-Nifro / Southei"n Oscillation

IENSO), is an irregular interactionbetween the ocean and the atmo-sphere that occurs inegularly inthe Pacific.

The effects of the ENSO can becatastrophic. It causes largevaria-tions' in climatic conditions: in thisregion and around the world. Itcauses significant changes to seaand air temperatures, rainfall andthe occurrence of climate extremessuch as tropical cyclones, droughtsand floods. These in turn affect ag-riculture, fishing, and tourisrn,which erodes the stability bf thevulnerable economies of Pacific is-land countries that depend on natu -

ral resources.

Predicting an ENSOENSO has been the subject of

intensive research in recent times,and the scientifrc community hasnow learned much about it. As aresult, limited seasonal forecastsforfuture events are no\d available.It is now possible to predict ENSOevents with sufficient accuracy sothat governments and businessescan plan activities around the ex-pected climatic conditions for thecoming year. This can eave mil-

This sea level and climatemonitoring station in Nauru is thelatest, commissioned in July duringthe recent Forum meeting.(Photo: SPREP)

Leaming About El-Nifto:

lions of dollars for economies in theregion, so reducing the economiclosses caused by ENSO.

The Pacific Basin DevelopmentCouncil (PBDC) and UH are estab-lishing an ENSO Applications Cen-tre. The project aims to furtherdevelop scientific knowledge onENSO, and combine it with tschni-cal expertise to provlde an ENSOwdrning system. It will concen-

' trate on the American Pacifrc terri-tories of American Samoa, Hawaii,CNMI and Guam, the freely associ-ated states (RMI and FSM), andPalau.

Research and EducationResearch and education are the

basis for the project's goals. Re-search will be handled by UH, andincludes regional cli matology etud-ies and modelling, developing fore-cast modele, and etudies onteleconnections. Education will becoordinated by PBDC, involvingworkshops for gorernment ofiiciale,and distribution of regi,onal slirnstepiedictions with interpretations.

. SPREP will be closely involvedin the Centre. Ae a regionalintergovernmental organisation,SPREP is well placed to co-ordinateother country inembers in. thigirroject. Specific involvement willinclude training climate.etaff, im-proving climate data gathering andanalysie, and building up staffandphysical resources of meteorologi-cal services in the region. NevilleK*p, SPREP's Meceorology/Clima-tology Officer, attended the steer-ing corirmittee meeting in Honoluluon 4 October.

This project could provide sig-nificant economic benefits to the,Pacific region, and will be a vdlu-able tool for member governmentsin formulating development plans.There is still much more to learnabout ENSO, but thie is a first stepin overcoming some of the socio-economic problems caused byENSO. ooe

SPREP' &tvlrcamcnt lfr,yrdottrr

The "One World"Project

f here are many dilemmas fac-t ing Pacific island countries asthey strive for economic develop-ment and improved living. stan-dards. Development projects andpolicies that achieve short-term eco-nomic gains are sometimes at oddswith the long:-lgtm survival of thenatural resources that theseprojects and policies use and relyon. People.must become more awareof these long-term costs, and thepossible alternatives in using theselimited natural resources in theregron.

The "One World" radio program,broadcasted by Radio Australia,targets the decision makers andopinion leaders of the Pacific whoinitiate or alfect these policies andprojects. It is also aimed it peoplewho want to make a difference inthe environment and in sustain-able development in the region, es-pecially those in the 22 Pacific is-land members of SPREP.

"One World" reports on andanalyses current issues in the envi-ronment and sustainable develop-ment that are important to the re-gion. The Program is aimed atPacific audiences, always with aPacific perspective. The producersalso pay particular attention to tra-ditional means of protecting theenvironment.

The ProjectThe "One World" Project aims to

make a significant difference'to thelevels of awareness on the environ-ment throughou.t the Pacific.Funded by the Australian Interna-tional Development Assistanee Bu-reau (AIDAB), it will run for threeyears, starting in June 1993.

The Project will:O produce and broadcast a series

of weeky, half-hour radio pro-grams, in English, French andTok Pisin.

O train local environmental spe-cialists from government hgen-cies, NGOg and the media to con-tribute tb the radio program. Itwill also encourage.media pro-ductions ih local languaged,through print, nadio, televisionand electron ic networks bvailablein the region; and,

O establish an elfective informa-tion network usingexisting satel-lite, cornputer and broadcastingtechnologies.

Prittners in the NetworkRadio Australia is managing the

project, in close co-operation withSPREP. The English language pro-gram is produced for Radio Austra-lia by the Melbourne-based produc-tion house Public Radio News(PRIII). The Tok Pisin and Frenchprograms are produced by RadioAustralia staff, also in Melbourne.AII producers and SPREP co-oper-ate closely to produce a quality and

. relevant program for the Pacific.

The producers use regionally-based expertise on the programs,with assistance from SPREP.SPREP and Radio Australia haveestablished a network of Pacific is-land people to provide informationfrom around the region for the pro-

'grams, to receive these programsfor use in their own countries andto exchange information betweenthemselves on common environ-mental issues and problems.

The network uses existing com-muriications such as PEACESAT.The producers and SPREP already"meet" weekly using PEACESAT,anda regular meetingbetween net-wbrk members will start soon.

Regional:

).

SPREP's Environment Newsletter

(Confd on page 9)

PINA Conference Foctises onEnvi ronmental Reporti ng

f,l. nvironmental issues, and their

- reporting, was the subject ofthree workshops during the annual.conference of the Pacijic IslandsNews Association (PINA) held inJuly in Suva.

Adlai Amor, Deputy Director ofWWF's Communications Unit, trav-elled from Switzeiland with awealth of experience in this grow-ing field ofjouinalism. He startedhis career as a reporter and pub-lisher in Philippines, and he drewon this experience to discuss thespecial circumstances and skillsneeded for reporting-on the envi.ronment.

Robert Hoop er, from USA, spokeon television and video as a power-

AdlaiAmor, Deputy DSrec{or of\AA/VF's Communications Unit

(Photo: sPREP)

ful media for addressing environ-mental issues. He also used ex-amples of how to develop environ-mental documentaries, and the wayone documentary could developfrom another, especially at the filmsite while shooting.

Wesley Ward, SPREP's Infor-mation and Publications Oflicer,assisted Adlai by providing back'ground to environmental issues inthe Pacific, and sources of informa-tion for reporters dealing with en-vironmental issues in the region.WWF and SPREP also displayed'publications and videos on environ-mental issues andproblems atvari-ous times during the meeting.

PINA has a wide membership,from junior journalists to editorsand publishers. Over 100 print,radio and'television media peoplewere at USP's Laucala Campus,Fiji, to be part of the 1993 Confer-ence.

The conference agenda also in-cluded seminars on ethics in jour-nalism, the Bougainville crisis andpress freedom in the Pacific.

The 1994 PJNA Conference willbe held in Apia, Western Samoa.SPREP is already involved withplanning for this meeting.

OAA

The "One World"Project

(Cont'd from page 8)

TrainingParticipants in the network,

drawn form government agencies,'non- governm ent organisations andthe media, recently attended a two-week training workshop in basicradio interviewing and productiontechniques, and effective use of themedia @d. see thenerl r.ssue). Theyalso gained a better appreciation ofthe main environmental and devel-opment issues in the region.

There will then be follow-uptraining through visits from RadioAusnalia, PRN and SPREP staff,as well as advice and encourage-ment through regular PEACESATmeetings.

For more information, contact:Wesley Ward,Ioformation and Pub[cations OlficerSPREP

or:

.Judi CooperManager, Business DevelopmentRadio AustraliaPO Box 755Glen Waverley, Vic. 3160.Australia.Tel.: (61 3) 8,EI 2222Fax: (61 3) 881 2346 SSS

i SPREP's Environmcnt Ncwsletter

Environmental Law in the PacificThese projects are developing

NEMS, or its equivalent, in 12 Pa-cific countries: Cook Islands, FSM,Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, RMI,Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga,Tuvalu and Western Samoa. Fiji,PNG and Vanuatu are covered un-der separate pmjects.

Reviews ofenvirotrtt ental laws

Another key objective of theRETA/f.IEMS Projects is to reviewenvironmental legislation in eachparticipating country. In manyPacific island countries, environ-mental legislation is poorly devef-oped, inappropriate or non existent.Environmental management re-sponsibilities and associated legis-lation are also often spread overmany government agencies,' withIittle co-ordination between them. '

The Reviews in the RETA Frojectwere undertaken by four legal con-sultants: Ben Boer, David Farrier,Mere Pulea and Elizabeth Harding.They were funded by ruCN and co-ordinated by IUCN's Environmen-tal Law Centre in Germanv.

These Reviewe have been pub-Iished for Solomon Islands, FSM,Palau, RMI, Cook Islands andTonga. Draft legal reviews havealso been prepared for Kiribati,Tuvalu, Niue, Tokelau and West-ern Samoa.

General findingsEach review is acomprehensive

statement of the environmentallaws in each country. From thereviews completed to date, somebroad observations can be made.

FrTqtly, the reviewe showed thatmuch law already exists for rnan-aging natural reeources in Pacifuisland countries. This law was usu-ally Mted directh from Australia,New Zealand or USA Few qoun-tries have consolidated environmen-tal legislation, although some coun-tries are now uroving towarde thie.

Secondly, existing laws havevarying success in addressing envi-ronmental concerng. In eome caseg,there are difficulties in enforcingenvironmental laws using Fenal-tieb derived from 'Westernn laws.

(Contd on p6go 1 t)

::::, ::: :: :j:.i: :-r'.'r . :ri

RETA.::.

[r;,is,:,ii6w

p acific countriee are now morer aware of the need for sustain-able management of their environ-ments, and for consenring impor-tant ecological areas. The rapidgrowth of SPREP indicates theim-portance which Pacifrc island coun-tries attach to. their environment,as SPREP implements many envi-ronmental managementprogramhes throughout the region.

The NEMSTwo major reg:ional pmjects were

. developed through SPREP to ad-drees theee management concerns:the RE"IA (Regional EnvironmentTechnical Assigtance) and NEMSProjects. Theee important projectshave been implemented with tech-nical and financial assistance from.ADB, ruCN and LJNDP.

SPR EP's Envi ro nm cnt N cws le tt of

Envirottttrental Lawin the Pacifrc

(Confd frun page 10)

In other cases, the laws no not ap-ply to the existing issues.in thatcountry. In all cases, more commu-nity awarenese was needed on whlltwas environmental legislation andwhy it was needed,

Thirdly, mmt Pacific island coun-tries have systems of traditionallaws which often dictate how re-sources are used. and protected.There is greater scope for integrat;ing traditional law effectively intocurrent environmental legislation.It must be developed by Pacific is-land countries and relevant to theunique needs and circumstances ineach country.

The way ahead.The Legal Reviews were dis-

cussed at a major regional environ-mentallaw workshop, held in Apia,Western Samoa, in November 1992.This successful workshop involvedsenior officers from Environmentand Legal agencies from 16 SPREPmember countries andinternationalexperts on environmental law. Par-ticipants recognised the importanceof appropriate environmental lawsin achieving sustainable develop-ment, and called on regional andinternational bodies to assist.

IUCN quickly heeded this call,and furtded the'preparation of in-novative legislation in Solomon Is-lands, the Environment Act. Thislaw reflects the unique needs andcircumstances of, the country, andwas the product of wide consulta-tion in the country. It was pro-duced by Professor Ben Boer, un-der the direction of SPREP and theruCN Environmental Law Centre,and was endorsed bv Solomon Is-lancls Cabinet ih March 1993.

SPREP will work with Pacificisland countriee and relevant re-gional. and internationgl organiza-tions to complete similar initiativesin the at'ea of environmental lawaround the region'

sso

l"

Slgp_Pregg:

SPREP Meeting in FUi

Q PREP's member governments" reviewed progress on theAgreement nsta'btistring SPREP atthe annual SPREP Meeting, heldin September in Suva, Fiji.

The majority of eligible coun-tries have now signed the treaty,with FSM signing at the recentSouth Pacific Forum meeting inNauru. Australia signed at theSPREP Meeting, while PNG signedin the week after the meeting, inApia.

The last Forum showed that po-liticd leaders in the Pacifrc are plac-ing more importance on environ-mental issues, as they allect thelon g-term economic development ofthe region (see frontpage).

The Meetin g examined progressin SPREP projects on these issues,including a number of new initia-tives starting since the last meet-ing in September 1992 in Apia.These included the US$ 10 million,b-year South Pacific BiodivereityConservation Proj ect; preparationsfor the Global C,onference on Sus-tainable Development.in Small Is-land Developing States and otherfollow-up actions from the EarthSummit in Rio last June; a pro-.posed Integrated Coastal Zone Man-agement Project [o protect the natu-.ral resources of fragile coeistlines;ahd the basic development issuesin the Population andEnvironmentProject funded by UNFPA.

NEMS have now been cmpletedfor Cook lelande, FSM, RMI,Solomon Islands and Tonga theMeeting rwiewed progrsas on theNEMS fpr the remaining 8 ooun-tries being aeeisted by SPREF.Theee NEMS are now ueed as thebasis for SPREP'g annual inte-.grated workplan and budget, whidrwas aIBo reviewed- .

SPREP member countrieg dis-cusesd international conventioisdealingwith the environment, andthd statue of these in the Pacific.The conventione include the Cli-mate Change and Biodiversity Cm-ventiono, both eignedby the nqjor-ity of Pacifrc island leadere and offi-ciale at the Earth Summit, and theWorld Heritage Convention.

O ther m atters includsd plana forthe new SPREP headquartere nearApia, Western Somoa.' The SPREP Meeting ran on

Monday - Wednesday, 20 - 22 Sep-tember 1993 at the TradewindsConvention Centre, t.ami, ngarSuva. Aseociated meetin'ge weruheld for the Partiee to the Apia andthe SPREP Conventione on 16 - l7September, and for the IntegratcdCoastal Zone Management Projecton 23 - 24 September.

Ed.: These meethrys will be fuEyreuicwed in tfu rtert issrlc o/Envi-ron"ment Neweletter.

see

UNCED United Nationr Conferenco onEnvironment and Developrnent(U}D

UNDP Unitsd Nations Developmenthogramrne (UN)

UNEP Unitod Nations Environrrient .

hogramme (Ul9UNFPA Unitad Natiou Population F\nd

crN)Unesco United Nations Fducational, Scien-

tific and Cultural Organisation (Ul9UNIIECHUniversity of Technology @l.l0)

Acronyms(Confd from paC.5)

USP

wMo

UoG Uniterriry of Gluara

UPNG Universiw of P6pur New Quinae

USn Unit€d Statsa of AnsricaUSAIDUS A3eacy for htonrtiond llovel-

WRI

wwF

opmalrt

Univereity of the South Pecifio ' .

World MeteoroloSical Oryarilrtio!World Reeourcor IuiitutriSlold Wide Rrnd for Natnre

sae

SPREP's Evircnmt t lLyrdottrr

New Forests Newsletter

Ttre LINDP South Pacifrc For-estry Development Progtamme,based in Suva, F\ir, haa changedthe neme sf its newsletter to Po-cifu Islrrt& Forests and Tlees, tnreflect its changed focus. Theprbgranrme now concentratee onencouraging the eustainableuse ofthe regiolt'e existing natural for-ests.

The most recent iesus, ?93, cov-ered a variety of

'topics: the use of

geographic information systems(GIS) aqd remote sensing to helpmonitor and assees logging in na-tive forests; mangrrove foreets inFSM; the worL of the USAID-fundedProfrtable Environmental Protec-tion (PEP) Project; and informationfrom the Agroforestry InforrhationSenriee on agroforestry on atoUs.

. For more information, contact:hojoct Co-ordiratorSouth Pacifrc Forestry Developmeni

Pio3r"n-eUNDP kiveto BasswArtiiFar: (679) 306 2f2

SOPAC Coastal Reports

SOPAC recently added to itsextensive list of technical reportson specifrc ctastal etudies in theregion. The lat€st of these reports

are the focus of SOPAC Projects no.4, a bi-annual publication thatsummarises SOPAC'g technicalwork.

The Techninal Rtp o r ts evalu atehydrological, engineering and someenvironmental aspects of proposedor completed deyelopment projects.The latest reports deal with awharfin Botuma, Fiji; coastal erosion onGuadalcanal, Solomon Islands; fu-ture development on Efate Island,Vanuatu; and the implications of aeewgrage outfall off Ramtonga,Cook Islands.

Apartfrom their immediate usefor these deVelopment projeck,theee reports could be used as casestudies for similar proposals else-where in the regioru

For more information on SOPACP r oj ec ts and the Technit al R ep o r ts,contact:

SO PAC Technical Secretqriat-kivaQe Mail BagswA, FijiFax: (6?9) 3?0 040

New FisheriesBibliography

Bibliographies are importanttools in finrling useful informationon a special interest area within aparticular subject. The Pacifrc Is-lands Marine Information Sen'ice(PIMRIS) recently released the use-ful ^F!i Flshe ries Biblingraphy, cw -

ering general and specific topics,

including environment, variougsealife, energy sources,. fisheriesmahagement, post-haryest pmcess-ing andmanyother topice forpeopleintereeted in Fiji'e marine re-sourceS.. 'Fo" more information, contact:

PIMRIS CoordinatorUSP LibraryPO Box ll6EStIvA. AJiFax: (6?9) 300 S30

Fisheries TbainingNewsletter

Judging from the firgt isaue oftlne fr shc r ic s E &rc atrr, n an d Tvoin-W Bulletin, there is plenty of ac-tivity in this SPC Special InterestGroup in Fisheries.Education andT!aining.

Hugh Walton ig editor, snd anofficer in the Training Section ofSPC's Marine Resources Prog-ramme basedin Nounea. He etatedthat the Newsletter intends to in-form fisheries pereonnel of trainingand education ppportunities, Gon-nections and issues.

For more infornration, contact:The EditorsTraining Sectibn, Merire Reeources

hograrnmesPcBp D6NOt MEA, New Cdedonia.Fa* (eriazess rg

IVetlands Directory

Wetlands are among the moetvulnerableecoeystems in theworld,especially in the Pacific. Smalllandareas, limited natural resourcee foreconomic developmbnt and rapidlygrowing populationg combinc toplince more.pressure on land andcoastlinee suitable for exploitationand development.

Howev6r, the resources in thesewetlands are bftcn also the baeig forthis develoBment. Mangrove's andlagoons are spawning grounds andnurseries for the reef fieh on which

(Cortrd on pdgn 1A)

SPREP'? &rvimnmoot Newel.nor 12

(Confd fiqm psgs l2)

so many Racific islanders still de.pend for fmd, building materi,alsand firewmd. Other areas providehomes for to wild birds.

The first step in addressing theconsenation needs of these areasis to find out where they are andwhat is in them. Derek Scott of theInternational Waterfowl and Wet-lands Research Bureau (IWRB)worked with the Asian WetlandsBureau (AWB), SPREP and theRamsar Convention Bureau to com-pile A Directory of Wetlrytds inOceania. It covers 25 countries andadministrations : from CNMI, Palauand Solomon Islands to NewCaledonia, French Polynesia, Eas-ter Island and Hawaii.

For more information, contact:

The Director, SPREP;

or;

lnformation and Training SectionAsian Wetlande BureauUniversity of MalayaI-€mbah Pantai59IOO KUAI.ALIJMPURMalaysia

SPREP Publications

SPREP Publications continue toflow from the press. The GlobalConference on the Sustainable De-velopment of Small Island Devel-oping States will be a major eventfor the Pacific in 1994 in Barbados.The Pacific region began its contri-bution with a Regional TechnicalMeeting to outline the Pacific and

[ndian Ocean'regional concerns andactions that were required. theReportof this meeting, heldin PortVila, Vanuatu, on 3l May - 4 June1993, is now available.

Tlre Reporf of another recentmeetin g is also now avail able: Thir dMeeting of the Regional Msri,rreTtntle Conservotion Progrommeand the First Meetirq of tlw re-glorwl Mor.hrc Manmals Conser-uation Programme. This meetingreviewed activicies in both theseprogrammes and recommendednew directions for theh.

The SPREP 1992/93 AnnualReport has also been released inEnglish and French. This is aneasy-tb-read summary of SPREP'oactivities and institutional and fr-nancial arangements in the pastyear, and some future directions.Thbre is also a video. For Our Chil-dren, which can be shown in asso-ciation with the Report. The videooutlines SPREP's mandate and phi-losophy, and activities within itgprogramme areas. This is avail-able in English and Frenih, and inNTSC, SECAIVI and PAL VHS for-mats.

SPREP continues to widen thescope of its educational regourcesmaterials with two new lea{lets inthe EnuironmentaL Case Studi.esseries: no. 6, Not Always o PrettyFoce: Urbanisotion uersus theE n v in rnm.e r fi in Pocifie ishnd coun -

lrles (also in French) by J.-F. Duponand C. Morhange of ORSTOM; andno. ?, Corol Reef Blosting: theNouru Cose Gn English only) by T.Tebano of USP.

These were written with highschml and university-level studentsin mind, and are excellent bach-ground for discussing somie of themajor causes of environmentalproblems in the Pacific today - es-pedially poorly-regulated or plannedurban expansion.

Fact Sheet no. 9, ThaditionollC,onservalbn of Mwbu Rerntncr,c,'by J. Veitayaki of USP, exploeawhy traditi,onal cqreentation meth-ode were suc'cesdrl in eoneervingmarine reeourcee, andhow wecqrlduse these methods now toc@genrethe remaining living marine re-sounces on our redg.

The cnnclusion and eigning ofthe Agreement Establishing SPREPas an autonomouE organisatbn wata momentue time forthe rqion'rnewest intergwernmental cgan.isation. Coverage d this meetingcan be seen on the video SPREPTrmty Meetirg,l4 - fG June l9g{1.Limitedcopiee are available in En.glish and Freneli.

For latest liots for thesepublica'tione and videoe, and othere, con-tact the Director of SPREP. Aee

Stop PressUNEP has now called for

nomirldlons fon

The Gobal 5OO

Roll of HonourforEnvi ronmental Achievement. 8nd

The Gobal 500

Youth Environment AwardFax the Diredor, SPREP

(6S5 - 20 231) for soledion cdterisand nomlnation fonns.

S PR EP's En virc nm cn t Newsl encr

lli:ti:

Title:Nature Consentation: theEole of Netilior}lr'.

Where?Geraldton; WA" Australia.

\4rhen? 15-20 May 1994

Theme:Networhs of peoplc ele ourconservation force, networhs ofvegetatbn are our conservaliante8ource.

Organised by:CSIRO, University ofAuckland (NQ, WWF, andCALM (WA, Austrnlia).

ContactDr D. Saundet'gCSIRO Division of V/ildlife andEcologyPO LMB no.4MIDLAND, WA 6056AuatraliaFax: (619) 2520134

Title:XWII Pacific ScienceCongrb*

Where?Beijing, China.

When? 5-12 June 1995

Theme:Pop ulatian, Resources ond,Enuironment: Prospects andInitiatiues.

Organised by:Pacific Science Association.

Contact:Secretariat, XWil PacificScience Congrdss

c/- Institute of AtmosphdricFhysics

. Chinese Academy of SciencesPO Box 2718BEIJING, IOOOSO' P.R.China

Title:R es our c e an d Env ir onmentolManagemenl Course

Where?Canberra, Australia

When? 20 June - l5 July f994Theme:

E nui r onmentnl m anag e ment ofnatural resources, p orthulailyappraisal.

Organised by:ANUTECH and AustralianNational Univerrity.

Who for?Ministries of Envimnment,Forestry, Agriculture, Develop-ment, Planning, and privateorganisations and NGOe.

For more inforuation:Mr George ColletANUTECH LtdGPO 8ox 4CANBERRA, ACT,260IAusEaliaFar: (616) 249 6876

0Ag

The Pacific Environmental Assessment andManagement Information System (PEAMIS), based atSPREP, leaped forward recently with thi signing of I

' new memorandum of understanding with the Asia /Pacific office of UNEF's Global Resource lnformationDatabase (GRID) Activity Centre. Funding is now.assured for 1994 to implement Phase ll of thisinnovative projec{.

SPREP's Director, Dr. Mli Fuavao, is signing theMOU, with (from lefi) Surendra Shrestra (UNEP/GRIDBangkok) Bismarck Crawley (SPREP) and DanClaasen (UNEP/GEMS Nairobi) looking on.

(Photo: SPREP)

FiJi's State Minister for Lands, UrbanPlanning and the Envlronment, Hon.

Joell Kalou (centre), opened the SecondOrdinary Meeting of thd Parties to the

Apia Gonvention in Suva in September.Representatives from four of the six

Parties to this regional trealy attended.

(Pholo: SPREP)

SPfiEP, &wlronnnnt Ncwcl'tt r t4

, Meetings'94

Date Meeting

January18 - 26 lgth Session of IUCN General Assembly Buenoe Airee

Expert Meetirq lo Assess Froposed Regianal. Pollutinn Apio L. nMoPreventiin P rogrornnte

February? -10 Economic Growth with Clean Production Melbourne

Ministerial Meeting dn Regiorwl Pollutian Apio L. IVIogo .

Preventinn ProgrommeNational Pollutian Aworenc.ss Worhshop Apio L,. Tbtrlgo

March

Meetirq on tlw Re1ional Conuentian ta Preuent and Suuc SPREPCrintrol Trarwbounfu,ry1 Movement of Hotnrdous Wostp

Natianal Pollutint, Aworeness Workslwp Palnu L hilego

Aprilll - 15 Tourism Ecodollars Mackay'

Global Conference on the Susninfrl.e Development Barbcdrls G. Mileeof Small Island Devel,oping States

Notianol Pollution Awareness Workshop Tokelat L. Tblcga

May18 - 28 WMO Meeting for Regional Assgciation V Noumea N.Koop23 - 21 World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction Yokohama N. Koq

JuneWorkshop on Plostic Wostu Disposal Moloysb L.IblcgaRegiorwl Marine TV,rtte Conseruotion Progromme Apio SPBCPSteering Comrnittee Meeting

September5 - f5 International Conference on Population and Development Cairo M. Chung

. lth SPEF;P Meeting Taranto SPREP

October r '

WMO Tropinat Cyclnnc Progrornrne Meeting Nadi N.I{npCITES Conference USA SPBCP

Novemberhnil SPREP Regional Meeting of ? N. I(npMeteoroloSlal, Seruice Directors

@Se

SPR EP's Environment Ncwslcttcr

Venue Officdr

nile "ote

it eir M;dt. """

*"Uiat to changes *itt out notice. Tentative dates, in i0olrn.ei:,,,,:,, , ,:.,',--.-

l5

I

I

\)f/ elcome to this iggue of Ewi-' ' ftinment Newsletter. Firstly,

an apology for this delay h receiv-ing this isoue, but SPREP hae beeninvolved with nany meetings inrrcent months.

Some of theso meetings are re-viewed in thiE iesuo. firio year'sFonrm in Naum highlighted thecontinuing oonoerns of the region'eleadere with the mle of the environ-ment in attaining sustainable de-velopnent by pmtecting the finitenatural resourc€s of Pacific islandcountries. Areport and a summaryof the environmental points fromthe Communiqud fr''Om the ForumI-eaders'_Meeting is in thia issue.

Environment Day, Eqrth Day,Arbor Day. theee are celebrati6nsheld by countriee around the re'gion tohigblight the iniportance ofourlmal environnent. We begrn 4nound-up of national activiiiee in

The Last WoFd ...

1993 to celebrate these days. Fiji,Nauru and Kiribati are covered inthis issue. Pleaee eOnd your artieleto me publicise your activitiee in'the next Environment Newshttcr.

Training workehops have nowcommenced for. the South PacificSea Level ancl Climate MonitoringProject, the first being held at theNational Tidal Facility in Melaide,Auetralia. Areport on this meetingand plans for future meetings arealso in thie issue.

The environmental media is alsoin focus in this issue, with someinformation about the new "OneWorld'project managed by RadioAustralia in close aesociation withSPREP, and activitiesat this year'sPacific leland News Association(PINA) Conference in Suva.

fire regular features continue.EnuiroNews gives short environ-

Troi^ the Edimr

mental storiee from around the re.gion, Enuironmenl Bn,ok Ranicwlooks at new newelettere andotherpublicatione fron varioue regionalsounees, including SPBEP, and thisissue includes the firet list of cun.ferences and workshope for 1904.

Lastb, a reedgr Buryoy wa8distributed in the lart isgue d Ewi-rommcnt Niu;elelnr (no. 83). Thliinfornation from this euwey willbe vital for aesessing the efiective.ness of thie rnajor publication fromSPREP. Have your'say - cumpletethis simple two-page survey andretum it t4 SPREP. If you requireanother sun'ey form, contact theEditor at SPREP. Please, we needyour viewe to improve our publica.tion.

MaIo'A*rpito,WesW Wo,rdEditor ess

Air Mail :

Stamp

PuHtrhcd by:Sor.rth Pacific Rcaional Environmrnt Prograrne lgPREn

P.O. Bor.2l|o, APIA, W..blt SrnrorTolcplnnc: l+685) 21 320

Fer: (+0851 n 231

Printed Matter