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Th e Vanuatu Economic Report 2009 outlines the state of economy and social development in the country and presents a road map for addressing key development challenges. It identifies the principal binding development constraints and opportunities in public sector performance, private sector and social development, and governance.

The harvest of coastal resources for the aquarium trade provides important economic opportunities for Pacific Island countries. Of particular relevance is the trade in hard corals, for which exports are controlled under the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

The research agreement signed on 19th December 2005 by the Institute of Research for Development (IRD), the University Paul Sabatier (Toulouse III) and Nantes University, the Pharmacochemical laboratories of Natural Substances and Pharmacophores Redox (UMR 1165) and the Centre of Maritime and Ocean Law (EA 1165, CDMO) led to the international research program “Coral Reef Initiatives for the Pacific” (CRISP). Within the CRISP program, the research work was incorporated under component 2C: Bioprospection and marine active substances, CDMO being in charge of the section: Legal aspects related to the valorization of marine biodiversity

This is the report of a two week study tour in three Pacific Island countries, designed to share experience in the innovative sustainable management of marine fish stocks. The study team included two community leaders each from Papua New Guinea (PNG), Vanuatu and Samoa, accompanied by one person from the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit (CPSU), University of London, a senior regional academic nominated by the Commonwealth Human Ecology Council (CHEC), and a Commonwealth Foundation consultant organiser.

At a time when many developed countries are searching for alternatives to national park schemes, some of the less wealthy nations have already adopted other sustainable mechanisms for protected area management. Vanuatu is one such country - a nation that has retained a surprisingly rich cultural heritage despite many years of administration by Britain and France. Vanuatu's customary laws have been successfully incorporated into a western legislation model to provide a regime, which meets the needs of its people by providing both sustainable livelihoods and environmental protection.

The objective of this study is to provide decision makers in the European Commission and other partner countries with sufficient information to identify European Commission cooperation activities with specific environmental objectives and to establish environmental safeguards for other activities.

The Government of Vanuatu has decided to set up a micro hydro electric-power station on the Epong river to provide up to 25KW of electric power for the village of Epao and to use this development project as a pilot plant for training purposes on hydro electric power management.

An illustration of the importance of a Tropical Forest found on the remote island of Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu. Whilst developers are proposing activities such as logging, a small community known as "Matantas" is employed to illustrate the importance of the forest to their people and how such development will impact their livelihood. It is an important source of food for these islanders being remote and still very much isolated from the modernised world. SPBCP assists communities with the promotion of alternative economic activities such as eco-tourism, harvesting of indigenous forests, and an improvement of agricultural and forestry practices by local people.

Mongabay rainforest profiles: American Samoa, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu