Policy and Action Plan for Waste Management in Tuvalu
Tuvalu’s environment is under pressure: sea-water rise contaminating the soil with salt, direct impact
on waste and sewage systems from rising human density contributing to further damage. The 1987 UN
Brundlandt report has definitely shown the existing link between environment/ecology and
development /economy. Tomorrow’s economy stems from today’s environment. Investing in the
quality of soil, avoiding water pollution, protecting natural resources especially energy sources as well
Under the International Waters Project (IWP) in Tuvalu, a pilot project was established to address
“waste” with the aim of reducing the contamination of groundwater and coastal water by human
and animal waste.
Community-based activities included “low-tech” solutions to addressing environmental
degradation while national level activities involved activities with a more strategic institutional
focus. A Communications and Sanitation Training Programme was designed to investigate the
The Tuvalu Integrated Waste Policy and Action Plan 2017 – 2026 was endorsed by the Government in 2016 as the main national policy framework to guide the management of waste in Tuvalu. It sets down the Long-term Vision of having “A Cleaner and Healthier Tuvalu for today and future generations”
Analysis of waste generation and disposal data collected in September 2019
Date: Wednesday 28th April 2021
Attendance:
1. Mr. Vatumaraga Molisa - Chair and representative for Melanesia Sub Region (Vanuatu)
2. Ms. Sailele Aimaasu – Representative for Polynesian Sub region (Samoa)
3. Ms. Nenenteiti Teariki-Ruatu – Representative for Micronesia Sub Region (Kiribati)
4. Mr. Paul Anderson – PMU, Secretariat
5. Mr. Jochem Zoetelief – UNEP Task Manager
6. Ms. Sabrina Reupena – SPREP
As environmental problems continue to increase at an ever more rapid rate, exacerbated by the major threat of global climate change, the need for widespread remedial action is becoming ever more pressing. Scientific consensus on both the root causes of these problems and the measures required to tackle them is growing, while mass media and public interest has reached fever pitch.
Invasive species are the primary cause of extinction on islands (IUCN Red List 2020, SPREP 2016, SOCO 2017). Invasive species have been formally identified as a threat for 1,531 species in the Pacific islands region to date (IUCN Red List, 2020). Pacific leaders have established two core regional indicators for invasive species management. Efforts for invasive management are ongoing in almost all Pacific island countries and territories.
Pacific islands are hotspots of unique biodiversity. Our ancestral traditions are linked
to nature. However, these traditions, the natural environment, and biodiversity are
threatened by changing global and regional environmental pressures, ecological
degradation, growing human populations, changing demands of our societies, and the
impacts of climate change and sea level rise.
Marine protected areas (MPAs) have gained wide acceptance among coastal planners,
managers, researchers, and scientists as an effective tool that can be utilized to protect
threatened marine and coastal ecosystems. MPAs allow depleted breeding stocks of
important food fish and invertebrate species to regenerate and become re-established,
providing a foundation for sustainable fisheries. Typically, the MPA model comprises a core
no-take conservation area, within which harvest of fish and other consumable resources is
Here, we focus on the production of electricity from renewable sources. As such, we focus on a statistic distinct from SDG 7.2.1 “Renewable energy share in the total final energy consumption”. Data for this Pacific regional indicator are relevant for SDG 7.b.1 “Installed renewable energy-generating capacity in developing countries (in watts per capita)”.
There are active drinking water or freshwater monitoring progra mmes in 11 of 14 Pacific countries and 6 of 7 territories. The primary challenge is the regularity and frequency of sampling, the capacity to process samples accurately in country, and the official response process to the findings. There is no regional data collation for this proposed indicator , to date. Escherichia coli occurs naturally in human and animal intestines and therefore can be used as a proxy for untreated sewage contamination or other pollution.
One of the recommendations emerging from the COP-8 (Decision XIII/8 [6]) promoted a series of regional and/or sub-regional workshops on capacity building for NBSAPs. These will
be held with the aim to discuss national experiences in implementing NBSAPs, the integration of biodiversity concerns into relevant sectors, obstacles, and ways and means
for overcoming these obstacles. It was recommended that these workshops be held (subject to the availability of funding) prior to COP-9, to provide an opportunity to directly support
Natural capital our ecosystems, biodiversity, and natural resources underpins economies, societies and individual well-being. The values of its myriad benefits are, however, often overlooked or poorly understood. They are rarely taken fully into account through economic signals in markets, or in day to day decisions by business and citizens, nor indeed reflected adequately in the accounts of society.
To introduce this collection of studies, a logical first question to ask is why produce a “lessons learned” publication?