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An International Conference Hosted by the Government of New Caledonia in conjunction with the Circum Pacific Council and the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission. 2-4 May 2007, Institute for Research & Development (RD), Noumea, New Caledonia

The Marshall Islands is a relatively small country of about 70 square miles in land area spread over an expanse of ocean of more than 700 square miles. As such we are vulnerable to a range of natural and human-induced hazards perhaps more so than our larger island neighbours in other parts of the Pacific. Recognising the vulnerable nature of our country we have embarked on this endeavour to identify risk reduction and disaster management measures and activities that will help to make our country a better place to live and our people more safe and secure.

The world's protected areas number nearly 114,000 and cover almost 20 million square kilometers. However, researchers and practitioners alike have documented numerous problems with the management effectiveness of the world's protected area. For example, more than 70 percent of 201 tropical parks are affected by poaching, encroachment, logging and a host of lesser threats; more than 90 percent of Russia's 197 National Parks have serious gaps in infrastructure, management, planning and staffing, and most of the 110 parks in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal Province have major gaps in data collection, park layout and design, field equipment, and research.

The world's protected areas number nearly 114,000 and cover almost 20 million square kilometers. However, researchers and practitioners alike have documented numerous problems with the management effectiveness of the world's protected area. For example, more than 70 percent of 201 tropical parks are affected by poaching, encroachment, logging and a host of lesser threats; more than 90 percent of Russia's 197 National Parks have serious gaps in infrastructure, management, planning and staffing, and most of the 110 parks in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal Province have major gaps in data collection, park layout and design, field equipment, and research.

The American Samoa NCD STEPS survey was a population-based nation-wide cross-sectional assessment of key chronic diseases and their risk factors in adults aged 25 - 64 years. It was carried out from June to August 2004 using the WHO STEPS surveillance methodology and questionnaires.

The Objectives Of the Kimbe Bay MPA Network Are twofold: to conserve marine biodiversuty and natural resources of the bay in perpetuity, and to address local marine resource management needs, the scientific design of the Kimbe Bay MPA network is based largely on a scientific assessment of biodiversity Values, And Identifies 15 Areas Of interest that meet specific conservation goals. The Design process involved expert scientific advice, targeted research and monitoring, and an analytical design process(using marine reserve software MARXAN)

A high resolution climate model simulation has been performed for the first time for Fiji's climatology. The simulation involved a numerical experiment for a ten-year period (1975-1984), and was conducted at a horizontal resolution of eight kilometers in a stretched-grid configuration, which is currently the highest resolution at which a global climate model has been applied for regional climatology simulations. Analysis of model-generated data demonstrates a fairly good skill of the annual cycles of maximum and minimum temperatures and rainfall at selected locations in Fiji. The model has also successfully reproduced the pattern of maximum and minimum surface air temperatures between the western and central division of Fiji. Model simulation of spatial and temporal distribution of monthly total rainfall (10 year mean) over the main island of Viti Levu in Fiji shows that it reproduces the observed intraseasonal and interannual variability; the influence of the El Nino phenomena has also been captured well in the model-simulated rainfall.

Fishing in Samoa is very important because one of the ways to achieve food security especially in villages and rural areas. In many communities, they do not take the Improved economic and environment hazards. Bringing the use of such fisheries modern-with mask, net / muster microfilm, and chemicals' toxicity Eye easier and a lot of fish but is abused the environment of marine ecosystems. The implementation of sustainable development on the marine damage to many places and millions of animals are living with tautuuufua it. In addition, as the effects of disasters natural such as storms and wind Strong past. To save the situation, established by the Department of Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries a Program Management Environmental Marine, and SLAs good fish and seafood, to assist in the construction of a Management non-fishing villages and to preserve, manage and rationalizing the use of economic Coastal Biodiversity