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The constraints to development faced by PICs are well known and have been discussed in numerous studies for several decades. These include small, highly dispersed land areas and populations; distances far from world markets; narrow resource bases and primary production options, and vulnerability to natural disasters such as tropical cyclones and droughts, the last two to being especially problematic for atoll countries. In the smallest, most resource-poor PICs, a sustainable future with an improved quality of life for a growing population will be difficult to achieve.

The 607 islands of the Federated States of Micronesia, north-northeast of Papua New Guinea, extend east to west and north to south over 1500 miles and 600 miles respectively. The land area is 271 square miles with an exclusive economic zone exceeding one million sq. mi. distributed over the four states of Yap, Chuuk. Pohnpei and Kosrae. The islands vary geologically from high and mountainous to low coral atolls. Strong northeast trade winds prevail from December through April and periods of weaker winds occur from May to November. Rainfall is extremely high on the volcanic islands (Kosrae. Pohnpei and Chuuk) sometimes exceeding 400 inches per year. Storms and typhoons are generally more severe in the west.

This report is an outcome of a series of studies conducted under the framework of the Pacific Islands Renewable Energy Project (PIREP) – a climate change mitigation partnership of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP) and Pacific Islands countries (PICs)