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Asbestos-containing materials are a major issue for Nauru with an estimated 212000 m2 if asbestos containing materials in buildings, primarily in form of asbestos-cement in roofing and cladding and stockpiles of waste.

Nauru’s Department of Environment Management and Agriculture determined the removal of existing asbestos containing materials at the Nauru landfill would be the most useful activity, as this would manage a current health risk to workers and provide an opportunity for government to confirm the real cost of management of asbestos containing materials through packaging and transporting to New Zealand for landfilling. The asbestos containing materials were stored in degraded shipping containers near the main access to the landfill. Tasks implemented were (1) emptying the existing five containers of the asbestos containing materials, (2) repackaging the materials to international standards into new containers, (3) performing biohazard controls compliant with shipping internationally, (4) fully cleaning / remediating the storage containers so no residual asbestos fibres remained, (5) shipping the asbestos containing materials to New Zealand for disposal, (6) ensuring controlled landfilling of the transported materials. Numerous difficulties were experienced during the contract, but these were all overcome with cooperation, a creative approach to the work, a good understanding of the issues, and considerable perseverance.

The recorded flora of the raised phosphatic limestone island of Nauru in the equatorial Pacific Ocean consists of approximately 493 species. Only 59 are possibly indigenous, none of which are endemic. The balance is composed of ornamentals, weedy exotics, food plants, and a limited number of other useful cultigens. Twelve of the recorded species are either extinct or were never successfully established on Nauru. Long human settlement, expansion of coconut monoculture during the colonial period, widespread destruction during World War II, and almost a century of open-cast phosphate mining, have led to serious vegetation degradation, disturbance, and displacement