Sustainable Land Management
SPREP Working with partners to assist
Pacific Island Countries address land degradation, mitigate the
effects of drought and achieve
Sustainable Land Management objectives.
The Pacific region may not have deserts, but many of the islands
are undergoing various forms and extent of land degradation. Broadly
defined, land degradation is any form of deterioration of the natural
potential of land, which in turn leads to ecosystems and peoples
livelihoods being affected. Changing weather patterns, increasing
human populations and a host of other complex interactions between
the socio-economic and bio-physical processes are giving rise to
increasing rates of land degradation across the islands in the
region and impacting on the proper functioning of ecosystems.
Pacific islanders depend a lot on their land and marine resources
with many people still living in and relying on the rural subsistence
economy. Due to the relatively small size of the islands, any disturbances
to the land can also affect the surrounding marine environment
and ultimately on livelihoods of families and communities. In other
arid regions of the world land degradation and extended periods
of drought usually give rise to desertification, or the creation
of deserts. In the context of the tropical Pacific land degradation
would be the appropriate concept and term to use.
Assistance for Countries in the area of Sustainable Land Management
falls within the scope of work and mandate of the SPREP Secretariat
and is closely linked to other areas of work within the SPREP
Programme Strategy including, inter-alia; Climate Change, Pollution
Prevention and Waste Management, Invasive Species and Terrestrial
Conservation. The Secretariat is working closely with other partners
at the national, regional and global level to assist countries
build capacity for Sustainable Land Management. At the regional
level SPREP is a Member of the Land Resources Working Group and
is providing support for countries with the development of their
National Action Plan to combat land degradation and in the design
and implementation of the GEF-Sustainable Land Management Projects.
For more information on SPREP Secretariat's role
with the above initiatives please contact Frank
Wickham (HRD/Training Officer).
