This guide introduces environmental indicators and provides an overview of SPREP’S core indicators for Pacific island countries. In 2012, the SPREP members approved the development of a set of standardised indicators for use by member countries at the SPREP meeting. Through the Inform project, SPREP programmes then developed a set of 34 indicators that was endorsed by members at the 2018 SPREP meeting. This document explains the development and use of environmental indicators in Part 1 and provides a summary of each of the 34 ‘core’ indicators in Part 2.
In the South-West Pacific region, 2020 was the second or third warmest year on record, depending on the data set. Near-surface temperatures over the land and ocean averaged across the region were about 0.37–0.44 °C above the 1981–2010 average.
Circular 21/150
Inform Plus proposed 5 pillars
- Component 1: Environmental Governance
- Component 2: Monitoring and field data collection for environmental standards and standardised environmental indicators
- Component 3: Data management utilising the Pacific Island Network Portal (PEP). Production of information products for decision makers based on existing data sets.
- Component 4: Enhance and expand GIS use for data collection, analysis and presentation to inform decision makers
Summary table of the status of Pacific Island countries in relation to International and Regional conventions.
All materials related to the GEF 8 National Dialogue, hosted by the National Environment Service with support from the GEF Secretariat at Edgewater Resort on the 19th & 20th April 2023, including the presentation slides, report and activity sheets will be hosted here.
The purpose of this report is to contextualise the unique characteristics of the Pacific Island Countries (PICs) and identify some roadblocks to achieving universal access to clean water and sanitation. The PIC context is established by examining the PICs’ unique economic, socioeconomic, geomorphology, climate, and cultural characteristics.
The Cook Islands Minamata Initial Assessment Report was developed under the project, “Development of Minamata Initial Assessment in the Pacific”. The project is an enabling activity for the ratification and/or implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
The report consists of:
This dataset contains information on food and live animal imports and exports, access to rainwater tanks, and improved agricultural varieties for adaptation related to climate change. Data are from years ranging from 1986 to 2013.
This report, supported by UNDP and the Adaptation Fund, looks at the resilience of the Cook Islands and its communities to climate change. It was published in August 2013.
Atmosphere and Climate Physical Climate Cook Islands consists of data on local knowledge on climate variability, energy in Cook Islands and Review of mainstreaming of climate change into national plans and policies in Cook Islands
Data on Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) including Greenhouse Gases
Data on adaptation measures including access to rainwater tanks, food and live animals exported and imported and improved agriculture varieties. Also has information on monthly sea level rise in Rarotonga and other imported data which can help assess adaptation to Climate Change
Data on the Topographic and Bathymetric survey in Cook Islands to help identify coastal adaptation needs for Extreme weather events and Climate Change in Cook Islands.
Contains census data reporting on the status of agriculture and fisheries in Cook Islands
National Water, Sanitation and Climate Outlook
Web version of the draft Cook Islands Sate of Environment Report 2018.
The Pacific Islands is widely known as being highly vulnerable to climate change impacts. In addition to long-term impacts such as sea level rise, current impacts such as tropical cyclones wreak havoc and the housing sector is often most severely affected. There is therefore a critical need for assessing the resilience of housing in the region. In response to that need, an evaluation tool for assessing housing resilience was developed.
2020 National Vision “To enjoy the highest quality of life consistent with the aspirations of our people, and in harmony with our culture and environment”
The 2018 State of Environment (SOE) Report for Cook Islands updates the 1993 SOE report, and uses the Drivers, Pressures, State, Impact and Response (DPSIR) model of reporting.
This publication ‘Strategic Environmental Assessment – Guidelines for Pacific Island Countries and
Territories’ has been prepared to provide guidance on the application of SEA as a tool to support
environmental planning, policy and informed decision making. It provides background on the use and
benefits of SEA as well as providing tips and guiding steps on the process, including case studies, toolkits
and checklists for conducting an SEA in the Appendices.