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Palau, GEF, and NGOs Issue Report on Island Nations Facing Climate Change

"Micronesia Challenge" Key to Conservation Efforts

BALI, INDONESIA — December 11, 2007 — Island nations already are experiencing harmful impacts from climate change, making collaborative strategies such as the year-old Micronesia Challenge crucial to their ability to cope with the increasing threats, according to an update issued by the President of Palau, the CEO of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the presidents of The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International (CI).

From rising sea levels to invasive species, growing threats have left entire societies of island nations hanging in the balance. For example, this year’s drought in the State of Chuuk in the Federated States of Micronesia is resulting in major agricultural losses, with devastating impacts for local communities. 

Unusually high tides have further exacerbated these conditions with wave surges that swept inland to further damage the crops and the freshwater wells.  They are expected to become more frequent as temperatures rise.

“Islands and their coastal areas are a critical source of food, jobs and income for millions of people.  The Micronesia Challenge gives on the ground support to some of the world’s most beautiful and vulnerable nations which must adapt now to the devastating consequences of climate change,” said Monique Barbut, CEO and Chairman of the Global Environment Facility. “Government leaders in the Micronesia region are leading by example, and we applaud the commitment led by Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and the US territories of Guam and Northern Marianas Islands.”

The Micronesia Challenge, launched in 2006, is a vast conservation effort undertaken by island nations and the international community to confront environmental threats amplified by climate change. The leaders of Micronesia are working to effectively conserve 30 percent of near-shore marine resources and 20 percent of forest resources by 2020, with support from development partners and the people of the vast region.

Progress so far includes the Government of Kiribati announcing the Phoenix Islands Protected Area. It covers a Management Area of 184,700 square kilometers, and is the third largest Marine Protected area on Earth, and the only protected coral archipelago.
 
The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International each pledged $3 million US to help fund the ambitious conservation plan, with the GEF pledging an additional $6 million US. The governments of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, The Republic of the Marshall Islands, Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands are the government partners.

“We know people rely on nature for survival.  Now, as climate change becomes a reality, we see that nature is relying on us,” said Stephanie Meeks, acting President and CEO of The Nature Conservancy.  “We must help natural systems adapt to climate change in order to sustain the processes that make life livable. The Micronesia Challenge is helping to protect these islands, thus enabling local people to better adapt to climate change.”

“This region teems with life in the ocean and on these island nations, so protecting such rich biodiversity and the human populations that depend on it is a critical scientific and moral mission of our time,” said CI President Russell A. Mittermeier. “We are proud to join our partners in this important work made possible by the vision and leadership of President Remengesau.”

By conserving their marine resources, coasts and lands, these countries will help their citizens adapt to climate change.  Healthy mangroves and coral reefs provide a buffer from storms and tsunamis. Maintaining their forest cover also decreases the damaging effects of soil run-off into the oceans and the loss of important resources.

In practical terms, conservationists in the region are working to: 

• Help local fisheries plan and use their resources more effectively.
• Design resilient networks of marine protected areas that can help minimize the impacts of coral bleaching.
• Protect and restore mangroves and wetlands, which will also help buffer local people against the impacts of sea level rise.

The Micronesia Challenge area represents nearly 5 percent of the marine area of the Pacific Ocean and 7 percent of its coastlines, with hundreds of threatened species living in the region, many of which are found nowhere else.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.