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PacWaste (Pacific Hazardous Waste) is a four year (2013-2017), €7.85 million, project funded by the European Union and implemented by Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to improve regional hazardous waste management in 14 Pacific island countries plus Timor Leste, in the priority areas of healthcare waste, asbestos, E-waste and integrated atoll solid waste management. Asbestos-containing wastes and materials are a major issue for many Pacific Island countries with a history of use of asbestos-containing building materials in construction. All forms of asbestos are carcinogenic to humans and inhalation of asbestos fibres that have become airborne can cause serious lung disease or cancer.

PacWaste is working across 14 Pacific island countries and TimorLeste to improve the management of healthcare waste. Healthcare waste is hazardous because it has the potential to be infectious or harmful to humans and the environment. In Nauru, PacWaste conducted a healthcare waste management baseline survey in April 2014, through which information was collected on current waste management processes at the country’s only hospital – Republic of Nauru Hospital.

The Pacific islands maintain resource access rights and management responsibilities over 30 million square kilometers of ocean ? equivalent to the combined land areas of Canada, China and the United States of America. The total population of the Pacific islands is only 6.7 million people and only 2.6 million if the largely inland population of Papua New Guinea is excluded. There are at least 11 square kilometers of ocean for each and every Pacific Islander. Jurisdictionally, the sea is nearly 200 times more significant to the average Pacific Islander than it is to the average global citizen.1 This quote encapsulates the paramount importance of the oceans and its resources to pacific island countries and territories (PICTs). For many PICTs the ocean is their only significant natural resource and the good governance and sustainable management of their ocean resources is the key to their economic and social well?being.

The Little Fire Ant may be small but it has a very long scientific name - Wasmannia auropunctata. It is about 1.5 mm with a light to golden brown colour. Its home is Central and South America but it has travelled far to the Pacific islands and now lives in eight of our island countries - French Polynesia, Guam, Hawaii, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna.

AIM This challenge aims to help your class learn more about invasive species in your country and how they travel across the Pacific region. CHALLENGE On an A4 or A3 sheet of paper, children can write or draw about an invasive species but their entry must portray the following:   Name of the invasive species they have selected.   Information about the invasive species.   What country the invasive species came from originally and where it was before it came to your country.   How did it come to your country? For example, by plane or by boat?   Share information about where else in the Pacific islands you can find this invasive species. To help you learn more about the invasive species you could invite an expert to talk to your class on the key points above. This activity will show that your class has learnt about different invasive species, where they come from, where and how they have spread.

Invasive species fact sheet on 10 things to help prevent the spread of invasive species.

Every living thing in our Pacific islands environment is called biodiversity. Trees, fish, birds, mushrooms, forests and mangroves are all part of biodiversity.

Invasive species can be spread deliberately by people for food, as pets, for economic opportunity, or for planting in the garden. A few species such as the mongoose, were deliberately introduced to try and control other pests, but ended up becoming serious invasive species. Invasive species can be introduced accidently such as attaching themselves on cargo, clothing or equipment used in the field. In the marine environment, invasive species are commonly introduced through the ballast water of ships.