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Tuvalu is the fourth smallest nation in the world with a population of 11,000. Tuvalu is made up of nine inhabited islands five which are coral atolls and four made of land rising from the seabed. The environmental challenges Tuvalu faces include the impacts if a changing climate increasing sea level rises and weather events, increasing salination.

The National Capacity Self-Assessment is a Global Environment Facility(GEF)-funded initiative currently being undertaken by over 50 developing countries world-wide. It responds to a concern that is raised frequently in the post-project evaluation of GEF-funded projects, namely that activities cease once GEF- funding ends. Most countries point to a lack of national capacity in the core areas of convention obligations - climate change, land degradation and biodiversity - as the key reason why projects have not proved sustainable post-GEF funding. This capacity includes systemic inadequacies such as perverse incentives and poor coordination, institutional weaknesses, and a lack of suitably trained individuals in- country.

This is a report focusing on the capacity of Solomon Islands to meet its obligation under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The report is part of a National Capacity Self Assessment (NCSA) exercise that is being implemented through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) with funding from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF). The Department of Environment and Conservation who is also the National GEF Focal Point is the lead agency responsible for the oversight and on-ground implementation of the exercise. Overall the NCSA has the task to assess the local capacity to meet not only the obligations under Climate Change Convention but also the UN Conventions on Bio-diversity and Land Degradation.

Invasive alien species on islands have broad impacts across biodiversity, agriculture, economy , health and culture, which tend to be stronger than on contitents.