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The Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) is currently executing the project Reducing Vulnerability in Pacific ACP States with funding from the European Development Fund (EDF). The project has the objective to reduce Pacific ACP States' vulnerability to natural disasters affecting their coasts through the development of an integrated planning and management system which targets: hazard mitigation and risk assessment; alternative sources of aggregates for construction; and water resources and sanitation. Major activities undertaken through this project with participating countries are: -assessment of aggregate resource supplies to mitigate the impact of unsustainable aggregate mining from the coastline; -development of bathymetric maps, 3D bathymetric and hydrodynamic models spatial databases relating to resource use, exploration and survey, and vulnerability to disasters; and -investigating and raising awareness about coastal processes.

Small island nations in the Pacific face water supply and sanitation problems amongst the most critical in the world. This is especially so in the Republic of Kiribati where shallow, fresh groundwater is the major source of water. It is extremely vulnerable to natural and human- induced changes. Storm surges, droughts and over-extraction cause seawater intrusion. Settlements and agricultural activities can extremely rapidly pollute the shallow groundwater. The incidence of illnesses and deaths from water-borne diseases, especially amongst children, are unacceptably large.