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This is the Pacific Islands region’s Strategy for solid waste management, setting the strategic direction for the period 2010-2015. It is supported by a highlevel implementation plan which sets out the key actions that will be taken to deliver the vision of the strategy.

This book is primarily targeted at solid waste officers in Pacific island countries and territories (PICTs) who may have little background in engineering and construction. The objective of this guide is to help those users understand the concept of a landfill and its operation. Also demonstrated are economical and effective ways to upgrade/improve an existing facility, which can be applied to most landfills in PICTs. This book focuses on inland-based waste disposal and does not include landfilling at coastlines, lagoons or wetlands where a different method needs to be developed and applied.

Over two-thirds of the world’s surface is covered by water. Open oceans, semi-enclosed or enclosed seas, coastal areas, estuaries, rivers and lakes are host to highly diverse ecosystems that span all of earth’s climatologic zones. The productivity of these ecosystems has largely shaped development of human society and led to human settlement along coastal margins. Globally, the number of people living within 100 km of the coast increased from ca 2 billion in 1990 to 2.2 billion in 1995, or 39 percent of the world’s population (WRI 2006). The number continues to increase.

This Annual Report notes the major achievements of SPREP in supporting Pacific island countries and territories to address issues relating to: biodiversity and ecosystem management, waste management and pollution and environmental monitoring and governance

The special SPREP Meeting: ÿ Noted the ICR progress report and agreed to provide feedback on the two discussion papers relating to proposed Secretariat actions on ICR recommendations 59, 60, 61 and 79 before the 20th SPREP Meeting; and ÿ Endorsed the establishment of a task force, representative of and open to all Members, to progress the issue of core functions and related ICR recommendations and agreed that the Secretariat would also establish an electronic bulletin board to enable greater participation of all Members.

Aquatic invasive species include a variety of organisms - fish, invertebrates, algae, plants and even pathogens like cholera. Some species arrive attached to ship hulls, and other are released into foreign ports via ballast water. Most species do not survive in the new environment, but some organisms are hardy, aggressive, prolific and successful invaders. They disperse rapidly and dominate native species.

This plan meets the obligations of Samoa under the Protocol Concerning Cooperation in Combating Pollution Emergencies in the South Pacific Region (Noumea Pollution Protocol) of the Convention for the Protection of the Natural Resources and Environment of the South Pacific Region (Noumea Convention). The Noumea Convention Protocols have now been revised to produce the Oil and HNS Protocols. This also meets obligations under the International Convention on Oil Pollution Response, Preparedness and Cooperation 1990 (OPRC 90).

Effective solid waste management has been a major concern for Solomon Islands for a very long time and a number of attempts have been made to develop a National Solid Waste Management Strategy for the country. The concerns about waste have been raised by various stakeholders and community members in the city and the wider provinces. The generation and disposal of wastes has direct and indirect linkages to human welfare and economic development. For instance, potential for contamination of food supplies can have impacts on local markets or revenue from export crops. Moreover, there are numerous health and environmental hazards that arise when wastes are poorly managed and disposed.