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The Republic of Nauru is one of the smallest independent, democratic states in the world. It is a republic with a Westminster parliamentary system of government but with a slight variance as the President is both head of government and head of state. The island is small, isolated, coral capped with 21 km2 in area, 20 km in circumference, located in the central Pacific Ocean 42 km south of the equator and 1287 km west of the International Date Line. Ocean Island (Banaba) is its nearest neighbour.

Following the relatively minor reviews of the National Sustainable Development Strategy (NSDS) which occurred in 2007 and 2008, the 2009 Review is more comprehensive which goes line-by-line through the NSDS. The review does three things

The proposal to have the East Coast Escarpment designated as one of Nauru's five conservation areas to date stemmed from the government's desire to promote sustainable use of the country's terrestrial and marine biodiversity as a foundation for sustainable development. The other Conservation areas as shown in Map 1 have been recommended as an addition to the East Coast Escarpment Conservation Area. This desire of government is well supported by the local communities who have shown almost universal support for the need to promote sustainable development and conservation of Nauru's biological diversity. This was further well documented in the Nauru Australia Cooperation Rehabilitation and Development Feasibility Study ( Overview Report 1994 ).The East Coast Escarpment has also been identified in the Nauru National Environment Management Strategy (in press) as perhaps having the highest priority for the sustainable use and conservation of the nation's biological resources.

Nauru is a country in post-phosphate transition. After years of high economic growth fuelled by booming but unsustainable phosphate exports (and looming resource exhaustion), the economy of Nauru has, over the past decade, experienced an unprecedented economic downturn. The downturn has been characterized by mounting domestic and external debt service payments, falling revenues, high and unsustainable government expenditure, and a liquidity crisis in the financial sector (including the near collapse of the Bank of Nauru), that threatens the economic and financial stability of the country. The country and the citizens of Nauru (pop. 11,845). are currently experiencing a steep decline in GDP per capita, falling employment opportunities, a concomitant decline in income earning opportunities, and emerging hardship and social problems. Moreover, at the time of writing, unsatisfactory growth prospects pose a serious and palpable risk for sustainable human development.

Nauru is located 41 km South of the equator at 0o 32' South latitude and 166o 56' East longitude. Its most southerly point (which is the airport runway extension in Yaren District) is mapped at 61.3 km south of the equator. Its most northerly point in Ewa district is mapped at 55.6 km south of the equator. Nauru is some 2000 km East-Northeast of Papua New Guinea, 4450 km South-Southeast of the Philippines and an equal distance to the Southwest of Hawaii. The nearest island is Banaba (Ocean Island), 300 km due East, which is part of the Republic of Kiribati. The main islands of Kiribati lie a further 400 km to the East

The United Nations Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in Barbados in 1994brought to the fore, the difficulties faced by these small island and low lying coastal developing states. The Conference enlightened the nations themselves the common issues they shared and helped to bring the international community to a more receptive stance. The Barbados Declaration and the SIDS Programme of Action, a product of the conference were both positive initiatives guiding these states in their move towards development, further encouraged with the assurance of progressive support from the developed countries.