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The purpose of this guide is to provide simple factsheets on priority invasive alien pests that currently threaten plant health, human health and/or biodiversity in the Pitcairn Islands (Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands), a UK Overseas Territory located in the southern Pacific Ocean. It also identifies the main pathways of introduction so that biosecurity inspections can be targeted. The guide is intended to be used by those working in biosecurity, and by all those interested in preserving the unique environments and biodiversity found in the Pitcairn Islands. The guide will not enable the user to accurately confirm the identity of the species of suspected invasive alien pest included in this guide, and further assistance will be required from a relevant specialist.

This guide is intended to be used by those working in biosecurity and plant health, and by all those interested in preserving the unique environments and biodiversity found in the Caribbean UKOTs. The guide will not enable the user to identify to species all the invasive invertebrate plant pests that they may encounter, but it does provide advice on how to collect and preserve specimens for further study and where to seek assistance.

The development of the first Comprehensive Manual on Port Reception Facilities was agreed at the thirty second session of the Maritime Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in March 1992.

The Cook Islands comprises 15 islands with a total land area of 237 sq km and a maximum height above sea-level of 652 m. The islands are scattered over an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 1.8 million sq km; one of the largest EEZ’s in the South Pacific.

This proposal has been prepared by the Ocean and Islands Programme (OIP) within the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) in collaboration with the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA). It has been prepared in response to an invitation1 from the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to assist the Cook Islands in deriving coastal related information to underpin and inform climate change adaptation decisions for coastal areas of Mangaia Island.

Flooding imposes significant costs on households and businesses located in the lower Vaisigano catchment area. SOPAC, under the European Development Fund (EDF) project Reducing Vulnerability of Pacific ACP States, has worked with the Government of Samoa to develop the Samoa Flood Management and Action Plan, which identifies actions for government agencies, the private sector, NGOs and communities responsible for flood and floodplain management that can assist in reducing flood risks in Samoa, particularly in the lower Vaisigano catchment area located in Apia, which is subject to frequent flooding.

The Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) is currently executing the project Reducing Vulnerability in Pacific ACP States with funding from the European Development Fund (EDF). The project has the objective to reduce Pacific ACP States' vulnerability to natural disasters affecting their coasts through the development of an integrated planning and management system which targets: hazard mitigation and risk assessment; alternative sources of aggregates for construction; and water resources and sanitation. Major activities undertaken through this project with participating countries are: -assessment of aggregate resource supplies to mitigate the impact of unsustainable aggregate mining from the coastline; -development of bathymetric maps, 3D bathymetric and hydrodynamic models spatial databases relating to resource use, exploration and survey, and vulnerability to disasters; and -investigating and raising awareness about coastal processes.