By Republic of the Marshall Islands Foreign Minister Casten Nemra and Environment Minister Christopher Loeak While Covid-19 has now been confirmed in over 200 countries, here in The Republic of the Marshall Islands, we remain one of a diminishing number of countries that have prevented the virus from reaching our shores. The reason? Because our […]
Category: Our region
New kids book calls for nuclear justice on World Ocean Day
In commemorating World Ocean Day, a new children’s book was launched to celebrate the history and journey of nuclear justice in the Marshall Islands. Elimoñdik is the first in a new series of children’s books by author, Brooke Takala, from the Marshall Islands. It is a story told to two young boys, Ahti and Aapo, of […]
New Regional Solarisation Project to Improve Resilience in the Pacific
A regional initiative signed in Suva last week will see Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems installed on buildings of national significance. The Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pacific Office in Fiji and the United Nations Resident Coordinator, MCO Office based in Fiji have endorsed the multi-country project for the Solarisation […]
Pacific islanders confront twin threats of climate change and coronavirus
Kiribati is located in the central Pacific Ocean. People living on an isolated island community in the Pacific Ocean are finding ways to reduce their dependence on expensive imported food while promoting climate resilient farming techniques, thanks to a programme supported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP). Islanders in Kiribati have long recognized that they […]
We need to slow down and reconnect with our Ocean for the future of the planet, says SPC
COVID19 has brought the world to a halt. The devastating impact of the global pandemic on people’s lives and the world’s economy is a jarring and historic turning point for all of us but it is also an opportunity to re-think many of our practices. As we mark World Oceans Day, the current global slowdown […]
World Environment Day 2020 – It’s Time for Nature
Opinion by Sefanaia Nawadra – Head of the UN Environment Programme, Pacific Office Around the globe there are more than one million plant and animal species on the verge of disappearing forever. The planet is not in good shape because of us. Nature is suffering biodiversity and habitat loss, a rapidly heating climate, and toxic […]
Meet the Innovator Protecting our Oceans in Solomon Islands: Dr. Katy Soapi
Katy’s work researching marine Genetic Resources has played an important role in ongoing United Nations negotiations over the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction. Katy is also one of the founders of the Tetepare Descendants’ Association in the Solomon Islands. Tell us about yourself. I grew up on […]
Fiji’s first state of the art greenhouse to be established
A brand new state of the art greenhouse will soon be established at Fiji’s Ministry of Agriculture’s Koronivia Research Station (KRS), the first to be built for the Ministry. This has been made possible through partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFIL), underscoring the importance of enhancing Fiji’s […]
Aiming for a ‘Bluer Pacific’ in post COVID-19 recovery plans
As the Pacific islands assess ways to build back economies severely struck by the COVID-19 crisis, the environmental impacts faced worldwide highlight the opportunity we now have in our hands to build back a ‘Bluer Pacific’. Key to this is, is an environmental component in all post COVID-19 recovery plans across our Pacific islands region. […]
Protecting Fiji’s most important marine areas
The Government of Fiji is committed to a national network of 30 percent Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) by the end of 2020. With the support of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Oceania Regional Office, and other government agencies, and NGO partners, Fiji’s offshore zero draft map was officially presented to the Ministry […]