TUuolu Nlzi -IrZI^-iN
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Tuaalu
Sto te Of the Environment Report t993 USP Library Catalogrring-in-Publicadon data: Iane,John Tutalu : state of the environinent report y'byJohn Lane.-Apia, Western Sarhoa : SPREF, lg9g, wii, 64p. : ?9cm "Rcport for the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) as documentation in support of the Tilvalu National Environrnental Manageruent Srategy (NEMS). Produced witlt financial asgis$nce frorn the United Nations Development Prograrnme (UNDP) aud the Australian Intemational Development Assistance Bureau (AIDAB)." Bibliography. rsBN 982-04-0070-8 1. lluman ecologpT[va]u 2. Tuvalu-Eiwironrnental conditions 3. Environmennl protection -'Tuvalu I. South Pacific Regional Environment Programme II. Title G'F852.T9L35 304.2'09968s Prepa'red for publication by the South Facific Regio nal Enlirsnme nt Programm e, Apia, Westem Sanoa
@ South Pacific Regional Environment Proglamme; 19Q4 The South Pacitric Regional Envirorrrnent Proglamme authoriiles the'reproduction of &xtual nrarerial,'vvhsle or parq in any forrn, provided appropriate acknowledgement is given. Coordinating editor Suzanne Grano Editor' Barb.ara Henson Editorial assistant Betqrlynne Mantell Design and production Peter Evans Artwork for symbols Ca*rerine Appleton Cover clesign by Peter, Eranc based on an ortginal design by CatherineAppleton Photographs Alefaio Sernese andJohn Lanre Maps eupplied by MAP'gmphics, Brisbane, Atuualia Tlpeset in New Baskerville and Gill Sans Br.inted on 110 gsrn Tudor R. P. ( 1007o recy.cled) by ABC Printing Brisbane, Atrstralia Illustrative rnaterial cannot be reProduced without per-mis$ion of the ptotographer- or artisl Produced wirh fiqlmciat aasistancc from the United Nations Developmerrt hogra4me (UNDP) and the Austrnliao Interriational Dwelop-ment Asgbtatrc'e Bureru (AIDAB)
Coaa pholagraph: Trailitional cultun is,tmtral to Twaluan life- Parl af lhe'passing aut' tcbbwilkmsfor gmd'aatiwg sfudmts of the I\atalu Maritivu Silool, Funafuli'{tall. (ptwto:Jolm Lqne) Tuualu St ate Of the Environment Re port 1993
Prepared by lohn Lane
Report for the South Pocific Regionol Environment Programme (SPREP,) os documentotion in support of the Tuvolu Notionol Environment.al Monagement Strotegy (NEMS)
Produced with finonciof ossistonce from the United Notions Devefopment Programme (UNDP) and the Australian lnternotio nal Development Assistonce Bureau (AIDAB)
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Nanumap Nui Niuao
Ndrl^ Sole hl{0;000,0-00 u\\ 0 1000 1!00krn otTanr*i r-_1 Niutao: --...-...ffi 0 l@0 mtt€f ,""*0 Ieaat k r Itanumaga 'qAnratuku ,. Niutao Nenumrgt. oNui FACIHC svait{Prl OGAN Nukutuau 6r P Funair:i f, s$t. r.rlQBoqcqo Nukuraeraeg 0 l@ 100 hn Nukufetau \ run.au sou dtuFaota j .) f, hz9o.ooo "'r' o; 5 lok 0 5 mltes' Nidlikig" oo."\.Mstulqa Fangpua t \ (eang"ua . Niulekiu "lNuwak - r.riffilit" lafoon \ t' ) '-J) iv Foreword This document represents a concise rcPort on the ancl clevelop the NEMS. The report sttmtnarises State of tlte Environmeut f In the impetus to establish orlr corurtly since we be an opportuniry to integmte ortr economic devel- gained independence in 1978, successive gol'er-r:- opment planning ancl policies with Mop ofTuvolu iv Foreword v Messoge frcm the Prime Minister v, Acronyms xi Glossory xii Executive summary xtl I Inuoduction I 1.1 Overview 1 l.? Scope ofreport 2 1.3 Sources and methodologv Port I Naturol environment 2 Geology ond geomorphology 2.1 Introduction 6 2.2 (ieomorphological issttes 2.3 Further reading 7 Climote 8 3.1 Description of climate 8 3.2 Climate change 8 3.2.1 General 8 3.2.2 Recommendadons for actiotr 3.3 Further reading 10 Lond ond coostol envitonment | | 4.1 Introduction l1 4.2 Soils 12 4.3 Earth and mineral resources I2 vil Contents 4.4 t-andplanw 12 4.4.1 General 12 4.4,2 Vegetation communlties 12 4.4.3 Role in environmental proteetion 13 4.5 l-and anirnals and birds 14 4.6 Coastal environ:nent 14 4.6-I General description 1'4 4,6,2 Coastal protecdon pnogramme 15 4.6.3 Significance of coastal zane 15 4.7 Land and eoastal environment issues 15 4.8, Further reading 16 5 Martne envlronment 17 5.1 l\4arine resources 17 5.f .1 General IV 5.1.2 Nearuhore fisheries lV 5.1.3 Felagic r€sorrrces 18 5.2 Marine resource i$sues I8 5,3 F,\rrther reading 19 Part? Humanenyinonment, 2I 6 Fopulation 22 6.1 Poprol,ation: description and.issues n 6.1.1 General 22 6.1.2 Likely population gruwrh 23 6.1.3 Implications for planning 24 6,2 F'ufiher reading U 7 Educot;is:n and lnformstia:n 26 7.7 Environmental education 26 7.L.1 Significance of,educarion 26 7"1-2 "Education for Uf,e" approaeh 26 7.1.3. Specific issrnes 27 7,2 Further reading 27 Pan 3 Econornic and butlt environrnent 29 8 Eaonqmie framewo* 30 8.1 Econornicdevelopmentprognunrne JA 8.1.1 C'eneral description of econo,rny JA ft 8.f.2 GovernmeRteconomic plicy i0 8.1.3 Governnrenr environmental pollcy JA 8,2 Economic developnrent issues 3I 8.3 Further reading 31 vill Conants 9 lnfrastructare and industrydeveloprnent 32 9.1 Introduction 32 9.2 W-ater and sanitation 32 9.2.1 General 32 9.2.2 Future planning 32 9.2.3 Sewage disposal J3 9.2:.4 [,and use planning 34 9.3 Agriculture 34 9.S,1 General description 34 9.3.2 lvlain environmennl issues 34 9.3.3 Agricultural chemicals 35 9.4 Development and the environment 35 9.4.1 C,eneral 35 9.4.2 Environrnental knpacr fusessment (EIA) 35 9.4.3 L,and use planning 37 9.4.4 Summary J8 9.5 Further reading 38 I0 Pollutisn 39 l0.l Lntrodrrction 39 10.2 Solid and c.hernicalwaste 39 10.2.1 Household wasle 39 10.2.2 Agriculttrral waste 40 10.2.3 Industrial and commercial wastc 10.3 Water pollutiorr 41 10.3"1 Crneral 41 10.3.? Dome,rtic and groundwater supplies 4t 10,3.3 Marine llraters 4! 10.4 Air and noise pollution 42 10.4.I General 42 10.4.2 Vehicle exhausts 42 10.4.3 Noise pollution 42 10.5 Pollution andwaste management. 4J 10.6 Further reading 44 Port 4 Monaging the enviroRmertt 45 I I Government sdministrotion 46 l1.l Introduction 46 lI.2 Strucrure of govermnent 45 ll.2.I General 46 11.2.2 Key public agencies 47 1L2.3 Local government 48 I 1.3 Coordination of environmen tal rnanagement within government 48 I1.4 Environmental managernent issues 49 11.5 Further reading 49 tx 6onten8 12 Lond tenure 50 l2.l I-and tenure: tx'erview 50 l2,l.l Traditional trnure 50 12.1.2 Contemporary changes 50 12.1.3 Main issues 50 12.2 Further reading 51 13 Envircnmental low 52 a.a 13. I Environmental law: oven'iew 52 13.2 Role of islancl corurcils 52 13.3 Further reading 52 14 Environmentol monitoring 53 ,e l4.l Introduction 53 14.2 Monitoring programrne development: key factors 53 14.3 Sector rnonitoring 54 14.4 Reporting on the environnrent 55 Part,5 Priority progrommes 57 '\/ 15 Priority Programmes ond proiects 58 .-|>- l5.l Introdtrction itJ 15.2 PrioritT* programrtres 58 o References and other source moteriots 60 Appendices I Bird species of Tuvalu 6J 2 Environmental nranagement and protection laus of Tuvalu 64 Tobles 6. I Population fbrecasts from the draft tenlcar Water and Sanitation Plan 2) Notes Atntralian crrrrency is legal tender in Tlwalu, but Trn,aluan coins are also in circulirtion. All financial amounts in this document are in Arrstralian dollars ($A). Acronyms F47. Exclusive Eqonomie Zone EIA Environrnenr Inrpa.ct Assessment EAO Food and Agrieulture Organization of the Unl,Eed Nations GnP Gross Doruertic Product IFCCI Ink'qgovemmental Panel on Clirnate Change NAHCOT National Fishing Corporation of TLwalu NEMS National Environmental Managentent Srdtegy PWD Fublic Works Departm,ent, Govermrent of Tuvalu SOE State of the Environment Report SPC South Pacific Cornrnissiou SPREP Sotrth Pacific Regional Environrarent Prograrnrne UNCED United Nations Confe,rence on Enviroumentand Devglopment UNDP United Nations Development Prograrnme USP University of the Sourh Paciflc xt Glossory Tuvaluan terms 'Bebe'bank Rock bank thrown up bv cyclone. borrow pit Pit excavated during World War II to provide landfill for the airstrip. 'pulaka'pit Pit in which taro is growr when soil conclitions are hamh, General algae Non-flowerirrg, stemless water-plant, es;recially sc'arvr:ed and phytoplarnkton. artisan Solneone skillecl in irn industrial or applied art; a cruftspenorl. ;\{. artisanal, avifarrna Birds of a region or country collectively. biodiversity The varietv of plants and animals in an :rrea. Biodiversity r-eft'rs not only to the ntunber clf clill'erent species but to the lirll lang1e of genetic variation within each species. cadastral Relating to the ofticial register of larrcl which shows details of orvnelship, bormdades and valrre fbr taxation purposes. corporatisation Process whercbl,arr activity or enterprise previously opcrated and orvne endemic An animal or plant which is found only in one region or countty and is not present naturally in any other part nf the rvorld. environment All the living and nonliving things in a particular place or ou the earth generallv, and the way they intel'act or wodi together. erosion The wearing away of the earth's surface (for example, soil) by the action of wirter, wind etc. eutrophication The process in which high levels of nrrtrients erlcourage the growth of small planLs callecl alE;ae rvhich r$e up so mltch o\ygen that nothing else grows. fauna furimals. feasibility study A snrdy of the practicabiliry of a prnposecl project. flora Plants. food xill Glossory sedi,ment, Matterwhich settles to the bottom of a liquid. sedimentadon sewage Waste matter, especially fro4 toilets, conveyed in sewers. Epeci€B A sciendfic narne given to each diftrent type of anirnal or plant. Strategr A plan to helpaehieve certain goals. zubgistence Producing mostly f,'or own consurrpdon for exaurple, farming which directly supports the farmer's householdwithout producing a sigpificant surplus for t-radq. sustainable Using a r€source in such a way that its supp$ and quality are maintained indefinitely into the futr.lre. toxic PoiSonous. veg€tador A cornmonly occuiring grouping of plants and trees. commrmiqn xiv Executive summory lntroduction plant and animal species that have aclaptecl to the atoll environment. and by exploiting the much \4tth the support of the South Pacific Regiorral gr eater resorlrc(:s of the marine environment. This Ertvironrnent Progmnrrne (SPREP), the Gor.'em- balance is now being disnrpted, howevel by large rnent of Tuvalu is conrmittecl to the preparation oI' increases in poptrlation, particularly orr Frrna{irti. a National Enl'ironmental Management Str:ltegy The development of a cash econorny ha^s, to a (NEMS). Before this Strategv can be prepared, the clegree, made the population less reliant on the maiu envirorrmental isstres fircing Tirralu need to limited land resoru'cc but more dependent on be describecl and assessecl. The prrrpose of this foreign aid. State of the Enr,ironrnent Rr:prlrt is to clescribe This pilrt also deals r.rith the clirnate, the issrre these issrres and ploriclc a lttckgr xv Stote Ofthe Enironment Report difficult to exploit. Hon'ever; the lagoon and reef identi{ied is the need for close intcgratiou of resources which supply the vast proportion of food Tulal rr's e nviro nmen t and devel opmen t strategies: fronr the marine enrironment are being subjected the NEMS provicles tlris oppor-tunity. to increasing pressure from modern fishing tech- The main developnrent issues concern the im- niqtres and a rapidly rising population. Fr"rnaf'uti portance of good sanitation selices and the neecl lagoon is under pirrticular pressure and urgent to take action to deal with solid waste polltrtiou action is required to conserve resorlrces and main- (probably the most obviotts envirotrmental proL> tain biodiver:ity by a cornbination of reducing fish- lem in Tirvalu). Because of il reliance on septic ing presstrre in the eastern sector of the lagoon, tank :rnd absorption pit toilets (and the rrse of the and establishing protected domains to provide beach as a toilet), water quality is also a potential pennanent marine conservation areas. concenl, panicularly where gronndwater is utilised for domestic or agricultuml pruposes. Water quality in the Funafuti lagoon may also be of con- Humon environment cem, given the concentmtion of poptrlatiotr and the lagoon's likely poor flushing capacitl,. A water The n^'o key isstres in this sector are considercd to qrrality monitoring progratnme is suggestecl. Re- be car$es mther than symptoms of Til'alu's liance <>n the discharge of sewap4e effluent to environrnental concenrs. These issrres relate to grotrnd is also questionable over the long term. poptrlati on growt h and etrviron mental edttca tion. The envir-onmental irnpact of new develo;> The pressure of poprrlation growth (at present lnent can be significant as can the continuing inr- on Fun:dhti, but anticipated on sorne other islands pact of existing activities. Tuvaltr does not rotttinely in the firture) is Tirvalu's most pressing enl'iror-r- subject new proposals to an assessment of their mental problem. The rration does not have the p with the conclruion that activity lerels in Tuvalu are cisior-r, and directives to agencies to undeftake tJreir such that a specialist body is not required. Witlt activities in a sensitive manner and subject their acsistance, the Environment Officer's cttn'ertt role is major proposals to an EIA process, would be as considered appropriate. I{owever, the report eff'ective as a new set of environmental laws. suggests that, either alone or in cooperation with The need for an euvironmentel rnonitoring other small South Pacific nations, Turaltt cottld ttse pro€inunme is also discussed. Without adequate the services of tJre existing technical or ent'iron- infonnation, decision rnaking will not be based on mental protection agencies in the region when re- a clear understanding of the changes taking place quiring specialistor expert adl'ice on environmetrtal in the environment. Tl-tere is a r'r{de range of base matters. information available, tnuch of n'hich is provided Lancl tenure an'arlgements and the environ- by the Tuvalu land resottrces survey, air photos mental laws of Tirvalu are briefly described. There and naps. A progparnure is required to gather is no modern or overarching environtnerrtal law in similar base lnaterial in the marine environment, Tuvalu, lrtrt the report notes that sufficient power particularly the lagoons, so that changes to the exists, parficrrlarly under the Local C'ovetlment environment can be assessed and the knowledge Oldinance, to enable €ioverrlnlent to carry orll a gained used to assist in decision ntaking. cornprehensive environmental protection and land use planning programme. This lr.ill, hon'ever, onlv be effective if'changes are rnade to the currellt Priority programmes aff'angements wl-rich give island councils dre legis Iative power fbr these finctions: the cortncils have This provides a sunlrnat] of suggestecl propil:unmes neither the resotuces nor the staffto undertake this ancl projects which could be considered in the work. The report also notes that because of the development of tht' NEMS. clominance of thc g(\'ernruent sect()t; a pt:licy cle- xvii Chopter I lntroduction I.l Overview At the Fourth Pacific Islands Conf'erence of Leadem (fune 1993) and in the fbreword to this Tirvalu is a small :rnd fragrnented land, and one of document, the Prime Minister of Tt"rvalu has stated the world's smallest selfgoverning nations. While that in tlre rapid narion-building stag;e that it covels an ocean :rrea of sonre 1.3 million sq krn, emerged irfter Tuvalu gairred independence in iLs actual land area is only 25.9 sq krn. This land:rrea 1978, the issue of'stntainirble developmetrt had is split betweerr nine island gror.rps whiclr are Ic> been inaclvertenth' igrrored or not assigrted the cated between 5o and l0'south and 176" ancl I79' prioriry* it deservecl. east. Ttvalrr is approximately I,I00 krn north of The govcmrnent has nr:w cornmittecl itself to Suva, Flji anrl250 krn soutlr of Kiribati. With eleva- a delelopment rnodel that is both economicall,v ti 'fuuulu Wala and Sauilatiort Pkut fur for tht land area available lnealls that there is no rotxr for Pniod 1993-2002 (Reynoltu 1993). mistakes and nowhere to retreat. To prevent and overronre enr.ilonnrental prol> lems, Tuvaltr r,r'ill neecl a range of well clirected ,.2 Scope of report physical and instittrtional resources, phm the uill and comrnitnlent to use them. The most important In order to keep this report concise, reacLrble and factor is knowledge. Environmental eclucati()ll, llot practical, it u'ill rrot exhausrir'ely describe everl' .jtrst in schools but throughout societ)'and through- social, econonric and environntental issue of out people's lives, is a fundamental requirerr-rent. If Tttvalu. Rather, it is intenrlecl to assist and stimulate people unclerstand the inrpact thcir actions have discrrssion on key cnvironrnentnl issrres. As a result nnd are gir,en the opltortunitv and strpport to it is lcss a clescription o[' the state of tlre enr.iron- change lrolv tlrey do things, lniury, in1p.t',^u, nrcnl and more a discussion ancl trnalysis of tlre ertl'ironmerrtal cortccrns can be ove lronle. To srrp tnaj<>r issrtes irr the kev sectors. There is al.so irn port an echrcaLion progmnrnre, acleqtmte institu- ernphasis on lrighliglrting courses of :rctiort rvhich tional arrangerlrerlts neecl to be put in place. corrlcl be acloptcd in the n:rtional stlatetrIy. Readers Tc'chnical knowledge (or access to it) is also an :rre clirectecl t 2 lntroduaion prefer to deirl r+'ith. .furother factor is that reports public serl'ant.s ancl consultants. In cntrjutrctiou in themselves are cheaper to prepare than actic.rn with the economic cleveloptnent progr':rmme, it project.s. To be :t success. the NEN{S will need to be shor"rlcl provicle directions and estirblislr a prior lnorc than simply another l'cport on the shelves of' itised environtnetrtal pr()te(:ti()r'r pI'()gr-atrlrne. f .3 Sources ond methodology This report nas conrnissir:necl by'tlte Sotttlr Pacific Rc'gi cli rect obsen'a I i<-rn of tlt e ent'i ronttten t:il protrlenrs er.iclent on Funafuti atoll. Adclirional in{inn:rtiorr \v:ls obtairre cl throrrgh constrltntions atrc[ dis- crrssions rlith govenu'nent oflicerc iurd extem:ll consrrltarrls pleserrt in Trn'altt drrring this peliocl. This incltrdccl techrricill ancl scieutific stafl'in tlte Prrblic \4lorks Departmcnt ancl the Fishcries ancl I-irncls ancl Srrn,e], Dirisions, ancl nr:rritre biolog,v consrrlftrnt Urstrla Kreh,. T]re fcrllowing r,vc:re tlte m:rin r<'sorrrre rloctrrtrcttts rcliccl ou u'ltilc pl'cl)al'- ing tlre rep()ft. I InQliuttiotts o.l'Olin,ulc Ohangc and ,\ctt Ln,d |lisr Ittr'l-trz'ulrt (A:tlllt'r'slrt'r'e & l-l.n' l!X)2) O 'l'uttalu: illetlium 'l\,rnt L.ronotnir l;nurmun'k Pt ogntm ma I 9I2- I 9c)4 ( (.lovel'rrrnetrt o{' Tur,irlLr 1992b) (itu I r ttt4' repofl J rn' tI,VfiiD;'lirua t ((krverrrrnenI of Tttvalrt I992a) Trruulu Land Rrsourt'e.r StrtrrrJ: (,ttunlr1 RQorl (Mcl-eatt & l{oskings l9f}lb) Fishing is o very importont port ofTuvoluon life The subsistence sec- Wutur anrl Sunita.lio'n I'km Jbr Iin'al,u Itn t,he tor provides o significant portion of the food resource fur most pa'iod I 993-20l/2 (Revnolcls I 993) people. Here,Tuvolu's Emironment Oficer, Alefoio Semese, engoges in K ifi |t a t i ltul n erab i I i ty t o'Lt. re leru, I,e d S r u - L.a t d Ri,se : this troditional aaivity using nowtrodttionol methods. (photo: John LoneJ A h'el i m i ru n;r',5'l url1' ( W P)ART I Noturol enwronmento Chopter 2 Geology and geomorphology 2.1 lntroduction On the global scale, sea levels have been grad- ually rising to their present level from a low point In 1842 Charles Danrin first deleloped a theoreti- reached some 100,000 years ago during the ice cal basis for describing how mid-oceanie coral atolls ages, Ho-lvever; within this general change there and coral reefislands, such as thosewhich make up have been periods of fluetuation, For example, in Tuvalu, came into existence. He zuggestettl that ttre recent geological past (3,000 to 4,000 years coral reefs begatr as fringing reeG to volcauic before the present) there is evidence to suggest that islands that wer€ gradually sinking relative to the sea lelels in the western Pacific were sornewhere in sea level, As rhe volcanic island sank, continuing ur-e order of a rnetre above p-resent levels. The coral growth kept the reef top at or near sea level. islands that exist today, while still subjeet to con- The lower or earlier laycrs of reef were gradually tinuing change through erosion and deposirion, transform:ed by the forces of compression into have probably been in their current form for only limestone. The reefs near the surf,ace gradually 2,000 to {000 years - in geological terms, a very evolved to forrn the atoll land rystems evident now. short time. The preliminary study by Woodroffe Recent geological research has generally substan- and Mclean ( 1992) on the mlnerability of Kiribati tiated Dann'in's original theory although it is now to accelerated sea"level rise provides a good refer. recognised that ttre process of reef growth has been enced discussion on the development of reef internrpted by changing sea levels related to ice islands on coral atolls. ages of the Quaternary period. Of the nine island groups that make up Tuvalu, 6tuEhed r.ock for construction b et five can be consiclet'ed to be true atolls (Narrumea, Given tlrc very small atea of habitable land Nrri, Ntrkufetau, Funalirti and Nukulaelae), tluee available in Tuvalu and the dpr:rtnic natttl'e of the are table reef islancls (Nantunirga, Niutao and atoll land system, great care shoulcl be taken beftlt e Nirrlakita) while Vaitrrprr (with the largest land an1' works are carried out that uray cltang;e the area) has conrposite characteristics of an atclll and foreshore. Activities such as extmcting rock and a table reef island. gravel fronr foreshores (particularly fiom the ocean sicle of islands), blasting channels, br.rilding sea walls or clredging from l:rgoons shortld be as. 2.2 Geomorphological issues sessed fbr their potential irnpact beftrre tvnrks begin, and morritorecl dttritrg ancl after oper.rtiorts. A key point is that the land is geologically very Given the nattrre ofthe geomorphological pro young, with rnost islands having poorly developed. cesses at work ancl the lirnitecl ecotromic resotrrce$ infertile, sandy or grar,el corallirre soils. The atolls available to Ttrvalu to remed), ntistakes, it is reasr:n- are also vely dyranric. Sedirne nt is consta:rtly being able to suggest that, as a general rttle . works reqtrir- proclucecl by the forces of the sea; reerf growth, ing rnajor changes to shorelines shotrld not be wlre're not retarded or stopped by htrmatr inter- pennittecl. f'erence, contirttres. The islands thernselves are sttt> ject to continual erosion ancl deposiliotr, sone of' tlris occuning over a rclatively long periocl btrt 2.3 Further redding sonle occrlrring very rapidly as a result of'major stornls. The rock rampart wlrich develope<{ on the Mclean, R.F. & Hoskings, P.t,. l99la. eastern ocealr side of Funafuti atoll duling C),clone Getrmorphology of reef islancls and atoll Belr is testimony to how cluickly sttbstatrtial mot.u in Trn'altr. South Pacilic.|orrrnal of chilngcs can occul'. N:rttrrirl Sciencc, rrrl. I I. pp. 167-189. Chopter 3 Climate 3.1 Description of climate Roinfoll Rzrinfall laries throrrghout the islancl group with Tin'alu's climate is clescribe d as tropical ancl the southem islands leceiving arotrncl 3,500 mrn rnarine. The countrf is located in the south.east per year, clecreasing to irborrt 2,700 mur per year in Pacific tracle wind belt.just south of the dry belt of the northerlr islands. Rainfall variabilirf is generallv the equatorial ocezrnic climate zclne. Thotrgh rnoderate but significarlt in the north. Dry spells Trrvirlu was generally thorrght to lie outsicle the ancl dloughts are relativelv uncommon (though sorrthern cyclone belt, it srffered significant danr- rnore common in the northern islands). However, age 1972 fiorn C1'clone Bebe in ancl has experi- as abovt'-grouncl water stomge is linritecl and pot- enced an increasing frecprencv of cvclones since tht' able gloundwater unreliable ol abscnt, dry spells late 1980s. Wrile only I J cy,clones were recordecl of evert rel:rtir,elr- short cluration can ciruse signifi- benveen 1940 ancl 1970, l3 were recorclecl berween cant hardship. 1972 arrd 1985, ancl seven behveen lg85 and 1992. Ther-e is also historical evidence of a major cyclone Air temperatures the late in l9th centruv While some ol'the appar Air temperatru'es are essentially rrnifonrr throughotrt ent increase in the nlrmlter cyclclnes of can be put Tinalu. Metur claily maximums and mininrruns zue tlown to better recorcl keeping, recent c,vclone ac- 3l"C irnd ZI-r'Ci respectil'e11,. Tentpelanltrs in excess tiviry has been generally attribtrtecl to shifts in of 34"C occru' every two )'eani or so, while tempera- $'cather patter-ns over a large part of the Pacific. ttu es below 2 I " (l occru' once every drree or four vears Much ofthis change is considered to be cyr:lical, in the south and once evell'ten to fifteen t'ears in tlre irlthorrgh global warnring indtrced bv htrrnan actir'- north. itv may be contributing tcl iur intensification of this nirtttral occrlrrence. Seo ternperotures More detailecl cliscrusion Trrvalu's of climate Sea temperatrrres (srrrface) vary little frorn a mean carn be forrnd in a nrrnrber of'recent reports incltrd- ol'29"C. Nearly all reportecl lvaves ancl swells are iug the 1987 New Zealilnd Meteorological Sen'ice under thlee nretres, with most having an easterly report on the clirnate arrcl weather of Trrvalrr which direction. Sea surl'irce ten)peratut-es are thotrght to was based on meteol'ol Wind Wind over ?2 knots only occtrrs between turt: ilnd 3.2 Climate change fotrr per cent of the timc. ()ale force winds (over 33 knots) are relativcly rare ancl nrostly occur as west 3.2.1 General lo north-west uinds drrrins the c) clone season from The key ref-erence lbr an assessment of the effects November to April, F rorn Mary to October winds are on Tuvaltr of climate change llnd sea-level rise is the generally light and frorn the sorrth-east. report by lVrlbe rsberg ancl Hay ( 1992). This report I Climote shor-rld be rrsed as the basis for the developrnent of (1) Collect or consolidate basic environmental responses to climate change in the NEMS. data for the wholc country. Ttrvalu alreadl' Early predictions of the impact of the green- has a comprehensilt land inf 0 protecq and 3"3 Further rcoding 0 accomnodate. The potential impact of clirnate ehange and Aalbersberg; W & Hay,J. 1992. Implications of sea-level rise is so large (despite the potential being Clirnate Change arnd Sea l-evel Rise for very uncertain) that this issue has tended te over- Thvalu: Report of a Preparatory Missi,on. shadow other environmental problerns whieh are South Pacifi c Regional Environment. known and of ir,nrnediate conceur to Ttivalu. While Programrne, Apia, Western Samoa. theNEMSwill need to address the important issue Mc[,ean, R.F. & Hoskinp" P.L. 1991b. Tuvalu of climate change, this issue should nor be per- Land Resources Survey: Country Report. mitted to dominate or lead to the neglect of more A report prepared for the Food and urgent pro,blerns. Clirnate char'rge is not the rnost Agriculture Organization of n.*e United important or the rnost urgentenvironmental prob Natioru acting as executing agency for the lem facing Thvalu in the mediurn terur, United Nations Developrnent Frogramme. Department of Geography, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealaud.. Woodroffe, C.D. & Mclean, R..F. 1992. Kiribati Vulnerability toAccelerated Sea-Level Rise A Preliminary Stucty- Unpublished report to the Departnnent of l\,rts, Sports, Environment and Territories, Government of .Australia, Canberra, Australia. 82 pp. t0 Chapter 4 Lond ond coostal environment 4.1 lntroduction 0 earth nrirterials (sancl, g;ravel atrd stone) cirn onll' be obtaitted at consiclerable The lancl resorlrces ofTirvaltt arL' extrelnell' lirnitecl. expctrse either becaust: envirortrttent:rl - This is nrostlv a procltrct of its geolos'atrclven'small precious l'.rnd area is rnacle esser-rtially av:ril:rble land ar ea, togcther rvitlt :r very large ratio rrnusable (sttclt as the lxrrrow pirs on of fitrrcslrclre to ()\,clall land are:a. Other tr:rtttral Frrnafuti) or becartse extm<'tiou llotl characteristics alsrl lirnit the ability of'Tttvaltr to rely fbreshores c:rn dircctlv lead to increasecl t>n its lirncl resources: erosion :lnd sttsceptibilit1' tcl sl()I'tIl inlPacts; t soils are coAlse, poorly'cleveloped altcl 0 there :rre krng lengtlts of coastlitte gent'rallv have ir low f"ertilitr': slrsceptil)l(' to ct'osiot.t. I agrictrltrlral ll()tcntiirl is liruitccl ill t('ttrls ()l' A lrtnrl res()tlr'(e stttrt't htur species that catr lle gttxvrt irrtcl thc voltttrle trl vcn' r' anntr:tl ririrrf alls rcceive'cl ) : count-r1 r'eport wcte I epr-intecl in 1t)91 ). Tltis stll.r't:\', 0 rtrineral developmetrt prospects on lattd rlo rvhich w:u plepared by' Mclean irtrd otlrers lrith a not exisl upart fiot-u snrall phosphate stated bias tor,r"ards irgt'icttltutal developurent, Pr(> rleposit.s trn sonle islatrcls; r,ides r-rot .irrst ir detailecl dcscription of thc liurcl *8.- Sond dredged from Funofuti logoon is used to rxlaim lwlying oreos. (photo: Alefoio Semese) 1l Stote Of t/re Enironment Report resources of Tlrvalu btrt also a cornprehensive basis food procluction which worrlcl lead to a reduced for land rue planning, mzuragelnent and decision reliance on imports. making. A strbstantial atnount of information about Tlrere are lirnited prospects of finding mineral the physical environment. of Tirvalu can be found in rich nodules or cn$ts (polpnetallic manganese the volrrnres oI' this t-eport. A brief description of the and copper) orr the ocean beds nirhin Tlnalu's mzritr feanu es follorrs. EEZ. Ftrrthel itrvestigarion is necess:rr1' and i{'de- posiLs were fbrrrrd, early developnteltt would seem unlikely. 4.2 Soils Earth nuterials are relatively abundilnt but as noted ahove are usually extracted at significirnt The atoll soils of Tuvalu are among the most infer- envir IVlirreral clr:posits in Trn'altr are virtually non-exist.- The nnin !egrlatiotr cornrntrnities consist of coc<> ent. C;rralto deposits rvere mincd in the late 1800s nrrt wooclland in stancls of varying age ancl condi- but th stl?nd vegetation, lirnited areas of coastal marsh In decomposition, it provicles one of the f'ew (and veget:rtion, and sonre small remaining ;rreas of in- incxpensive ) rnetlrocls of increasing soil ntrtrient d i genors i nlan d broad-l ea{' w r-+lrc.r{-- !*:" ..*:-4' An orea of sensitrve ocean for*hore wos recently cleored to provide o site Br sports focilities. (ph oto : Alefoio Semese) l3 Stcte Ofthe Enironment Report Conference on Enl'irorunent and Developnrent islauds and on islands dependirrg tln their orienta- (UNCED), argrtecl: tion, a rypical atoll ocean flnreslrore consists of a steep reef slope rising flronr considerable clepths t<> ... lvhilt- floristic degladzrtion in Tulalu appears to tre anrt>rrg tlrr: rnost selere in the Pilcilic, the vc:geta- a low reef crest at the seaward edge of a relatively tiorr and flr:m of Trrvalrr still constittrtes a sn'ategic narrow reef flat. These features are ruually cor,ered ecological ilnd culttrral resource that must l>e pro- or, at least, covered at high tide. A snrall conglom- tected. l-lnlirrttrnatelH despite the undeniable cle- erate platlirrrrr is somertimes ericlent above the high velopmental irnporlance of' r.'egetation protection in Ttrvalrr, thcre is still :r ueed for- planners and water mark. The rnost obvious featrrre is t.he steep national development plans in Tlwaltr to place a mbble rnotrnd. the top of which is often the highest high prioritv on vegehtion prottrctiorr as a basi.s firr point on an island. In undisturbed areas, thick sustainable development (Gor,ernnrent of' Tirvalu coastal species vegetation grows on the top and 1992a). clown the lagoon sidc of the mound. This mound and vegetation offers p;ood natrrral foreshore pr<> lection. The rubble rnourrd is sornetimes nsed as a Lond dnimals ond birds 4.5 sonrce of earth material. Lagoon fbreshores are mirde up of finer, often There are probably no indigerroru land rnammals sand\i material. A reef slr:pe which rises frorn the irr Trrvahr irnd thc Polyresian rat is thorrght to h:rve been introdtrced by the earliest inh:rbitants. The shallorr latr;oon floor to lhe seaward edge of' a rnain incligenoru land anirnals consist of birds, in- broirder reef platfor:n is a c()n)uron f-eirttrre of ;r secls and some land crabs. Species of lizard and lagoon side coastal zone. Thc beach between the frogs are :rlso present. The rnain donrcstic and tidal extrernes is rrstrally rnade up of sancl or rock irrtrocluced manrrn:rls inclrrcle dogs, c:lLs, colllnlon broken lrom the r-eel'areit. Frorn the high water rats ancl pigs. mark the land dses to a rnound nirich is lowel and Birds, with ir couple of introcluced exceptions, less steep than the ocean side. are rrrostll'sea bircls ol nrigratrlry species. [-ittle chta The general theory of atoll island btrilrling is exists on thc avifhrrna of'Tuvaltr. brrt the chain of that scclirnents and beachcs erode on the lagoon islands probably serles as au inrportaut fl)wal, f t4 Lond ond coosto, environment the coastal environment, some of these featttres accotrnt rvhen coastal development proiects or Prc deserve emphasis: jects which rely on the extrerction of' coastal I atolls and reef islands are geologically young resourres ale being planned. In the light of and rrnconsolidated landforms, and are itr a possible effccts carrsed by clirnate change and sea- continual process of change; lel'el rise, it worrld be a sobering exercise to c()st a t erosion arrd cleposition of firreshore nraterial project to provide sea u'all protection equivalent to are nattrral processes u'hich are oftelt that off'ered nattu'allv b1' the Bebe bank (a rock rnoclified by the irctions of people through bank thrown up b1'()yclone Bebe which has uow the cons(nrction of channels, land been sub.stantially ext:avated to provide earth leclarnation, erosion colltrol irnd port lvorks; resorlrces fbr clevekrpment projecrs on Funafr,rti). and In a nirttrral environment ttre forces of erosion I given th: relativell,rapid change that occurs and deposition n'ill generalll'b:rlance alonga sector the landform of islands. it is probalrle that to oI'coast. Tnvillrr's coast hirs lrcen either modifiecl, in the p?rst the people ol'Tllalrr have l'r:rd to or lrlrrnan sett.lement has madc sectors oI'the coast :rccornm<;t1ate these changes bv mol'ing aw:ry lnore strategicallv impoltant, firr exatrtple, r'illage liorrr eroding arcas or moving onto accteting or agdcriltural lancl ircljacent to thc foreshore. It is area*s. fuiecclotal er.idcnce of this happening usually consiclerecl essential to pr{)tect tltese assels on Nanunrea is given in the Fawcett and Partners rcp()n (Webber 198?). by builcling c()astal defer-rce stllrctrlres wheu tlre1, are tl'lreatenecl by ch:tnges to tlte coastlitte. Pl:rn- 4.5.2 Coostolprotection progromme uing for this sitrr:rtion can pl'evcnt fut.ure prrrblerns: virluirble assets shorrld uot be brrilt on nrlnerable Thr: Farvcett:urd Partrrers rep()rt is the basis of tht- coastal an:iu. clrncnt coirstal protecti()n progranrnle (sea rr';rll ('()ustl'uctiort) bt-ing carrie t5 Stote Of the Environment Report The current practice of excovoting rock ond sond from the foreshore for development purposes is unsustoindb,e. (photo: Alefoio Semesei ffi--*I-'-:rJ:.-...= .-i, a J. -' 4 tt' ,#r;r Soil Lond use plonning \\tlrile tttitttr' ol'fitvalrr's firod rcsorrr'('('s iu-r' f orrrrrl I{irpicl sr()\vth lncl clcr,t'lo1)nlcll t c;rn lcud to con{l it't irt tlrt'sca an(1, Jrrouressivcl),, rn()t'('urt, ltcing Iirrrnrl bctrvccrt larrrl rrst's. T'hc cstablislrrrrerrt oilargc luri- ort tltc slrt'lvcs ol'sh t6 Chapter 5 Marine environment 5., Morine resources lc('entlv t'rrrlicrl orrl iu Frrnalirti bv thc l'isherit's Dirisiorr ulticlt fotrrtrl th:lt this sul)sist('llce all(l 5.1., Generol serni-cortrrttt'rcial grrrttl) (':ttch irllotrt lJ()O t()trs IX't' vcar'. It is irssrrnrecl llrirt becarrsc thc total r':rtclt li-ottt Bccarrst' ol tltc inlp()rtilnce ol'flsh in tlrc Titvitltt:ttt tlrt' corrrrrrcrcial scctor (N:rtional Fishirru (klrpollt- rliet. Trrralrr's nriu'irrr: cnvirrrrrrlrt'rrt is ol' cr-iticitl tion of'Trn'ulrr) has been rclutivcll'stnzrll in rect:tlt sicrrilit'arrcr'. r\rr in l F Fisheries Whorf, Funofuil. (photo: Alefoio Semese) l7 Stote Of dre hvironment Report incrcasing. In ardclition, the commercial fishing is believecl that disturbances such as storms, chan- fleet tends to fish the same waters as the smaller nc'l bla.sting ancl chcclgillgi, or rrutrient buildrp operators. By' cor"nparis compete with semi l9 PART 2 Hurnon environment Chapter 6 Population 6.t Population.'description nranv people tning to live a lifestyle tha[ rcqtrires ond issues nrore and nlore resoLlrr:es in arr environment that is t"tot capable of nreeting that clerrrarrcl. As nrost environrne concems irr 6. | .l Generol rvitl ntal Tin,alrr, there is a need to scparate Frrnafuti {iorn Therc rlrany envirorrrnc'ntal de- ale problenrs the other islancls whcn cliscussins the inrpact ol' scribecl in this report. Most of'the issrres are the populatiort grouth. .,Uthough populirtion gron'th slrnptoms of hrunarrs Loo rnrrch stress ot-r ptrtting l?tes are high acr"oss Tirvl,rlu, considerable and con- natrrral l-esorlr-ce.s. In the health system there has tintring migration of'lxople fi'onr the otrter islancls Iong been crit.icism of' the tenderrcv of rnc.dicirl to Funalirti is leaclins to a sitrration rvhere even- instittttions t() tre?lt the sympl"orns rather than the trrallv it will not be possible to hotue, feecl, educale carrsc of illness, nncl errrironnrental protectirln is:r or kcep the poptrlzrtiorr healthv. Polttrlation Ihe need to retoin significont potches of -* vegetotion such os thrs will become criticol _, l,1t! os the population increoses ond more lond is used for urbon exponsion. '-!t'ir*"-."-, , ( p h oto : Al efoi o Sem ese) 22 Populotion 6.1.2 Likely population growth trveell islands. Tbe mosl. pessimistic scenado (tlre seconcl) rr,orrlcl see the rnassive grnrvtlr r:rtes th?rt Tuvalu's draft ten-;,-ear \Alatcr and Sanitation Platr last (Rcynolcls 1993) cleals with the isstte of popttlation hin'e beern experienced in Funatirti ovcr the ()n grorvth ir-r sorne detail in an :rttempt to preclict the three yeilrs contirruc. Thc 'natrtral' br:rke this lircilities lequired to pror.ide these' <:sstntial scr- grorvth wotrld be tlre fhct that thc" rnore rtnpleasant vic'es. Tirbles frorn that report are copiecl lrcre tcr and clifficult lif'e becorles in Frrrrafitti (becat.rse ttl- denronstrate the large increases in poptrlarion th:rt the pressutrs of ovt'tpopttl:ltiolt), the tuot'e :lttt'ac- h:u'e been experiencecl in Tuvirltt sirrce 1979, ancl tive lif'c in tlte otrter islanrls will bc. tlre folec:rst grrlwth to 2002 based on nvo dif{'erertt It is rvise to be catttiotn abortt all prc'dictions o[' ilssunrptiorrs (Table 6. I ). population change (Ibr exarnple, these ligrtres dcr The key clifl'erence betwecn tlte trvo frrrccusts not i nc h.rcle alnr ost 1,000 Tur,:rl ual l s cr rnrn tly' rvork- c()ncer'r'ls not the overall poptrlation leYcls ex- ing out-sicle lhe corrntrr'). Horvevt't', tlrcrc is little pccted in 2002 brrt Llre possible Table 6.1 Population forecosts from the draftten-yedrWoter ond Sonitotion Plan Forecast population: Scenario One- Actual in year Forecast for year lsland 4979 ! 985 l t99 | I 995 2000 2002 Nanumea 844 879 818 897 986 t074 Nanumaga 505 672 644 707 777 807 Niutao 865 904 749 822 904 939 Nui 603 604 508 667 733 761 Vaitupu 1273 123 | | 205 1322 | 453 I 509 Nukufeau 626 694 756 829 9tl 946 Funafuti 2t20 2856 3836 4209 4626 4805 Nukulaelae 347 3t5 370 406 446 463 Niulakita 65 74 75 82 90 94 Total 7349 8229 906 | 9941 t0926 I t348 - 1985 Economic Plan forecast Forecast population: Scenario Two* in year Forecast for year I tgual I fsland 1979 199 | | 995 2000 7002 1 Nanumea 844 8t8 8r0 800 796 Nanumaga 605 644 658 675 682 I Niutao 866 749 7t4 677 656 I r.ru, 603 608 6r0 612 6t3 Vaitupu 1273 | 205 I t83 I t56 I t45 Nukufetau 626 756 805 871 899 Funafuti 2t20 3836 4674 5984 6606 Nukulaelae 347 374 378 388 392 Ittiutat Source: Reynolds 1993 23 Stote Of fie Environment Report or policies will prevent the large incrcases forecast. on or retttm to the otrter islands. This is vet.y ln fact, the curlent economic developnrent pl'ac- diffictrlt and will be achieved orrly if some of the tice and social trends are eltcot.lraging contirrued facilities of Fturalirti are providecl to other islar-rds. higtr rates of population growth in Frrnaftrti. The As the mujor attraction ol'Funaftrti is paicl employ. questiorl to be asked is whether the people of ment. and bccarrst' the bigaest enrployer is govent- Ttn,illtr $?nt :l poprrlation of lnore th:ur 6,000 in rttent, clecentralisation of governn'rent activities is Funirftrti in trnrler ten yeatri tirne ancl, as a conse- likelv to be the principerl elenrent of arny such prcr quence, a highly degracled environment. gl?nllne. The ban-iers tcl achieling a srrccessfirl Section i].2.2 notes that the threat from clirnate progmrnnre are high and establishment costs are clrange and sea-level rise is not so irnmediate as to also siqnificant; nevertheless, urgent action is re- reqrrire precipitous action. B),contrast, the poptr- quired. latiorr grorvth issue is Trn,alu's rnost signilicattt iurd Underlining any prograrnnte to reduce or re- inurediate environrnental problem, and sonre de- locate poptrlation is the need fbr an assessrnent of cisir.e ac'tion to change clln'ent trerxls is rrrgentll, the pr-rptrlation c:rpacitt of the islands. What shorrlcl reqtrired. Thc altern:rtive is to experience a coll- the poprrlation Largets be, ancl wherc on eaclr tinuing clownwirrcl spiral of environrnental degra- islarncl shorrld various lancl rrse activitic.s bc placcd dation and arn ever increa.sing clependence on (rrrban cer'rtrrs ancl villages, animal I'eecllots. irgri- external econornic support. cultlrrirl ?lreas. cornnrt:rcial, olfice and incltrstrial acti\ritics etc.)? W}rile the pattenr of htrrnan rrsase has to a large clcglee been shnpecl by traclitional 5.1.3 lmplicotions for planning lil'e, the necd to nt:rke space for more pcople will Populatiorr c With ropid population gtowth lond is in short supply. fhese people orc hoving to build over one of Funofufi\ borrow pit. fhe pit is o/so used for rubbish ond receives onimol woste. (photo : Alefoi o Sem ese) 24 Populaiwr a kitchen area and toilet is five or six. .A' similar 6"2 Further reodlng horse with two toilets might be permitted to have ejght residents. Such an qpproach is eontrarF to Borith, H. lg0l. Tuvalu: A statietical profile on traditional Tirvaluan oractice where any member of rnen irnd n'omen- Pil[I/89/'W01. United the extended family is weleomed intr th" ho.use oJ Nations Developrnen t Programrne/Uni ted a relative. Howwer, the physical condition arrd Nadons DeveloFnrent Fund for Women, capacity of Funafuti meart that uome a{iustmenu Pacifi e Mainstreauning Project, Fort Vila, to curren,t cuctoms may be necessary. [n t]re future, Vanuatu. same issues may apply to other islands with the Re,;rnolds. C, 1993. -wa*rcr and $anitation Flart for large populations, Turn*lrr for the Period 1993-2002. Draft reprort Goteqlgrent of, Ttinalur, Funafuti,, Tuvalu. 25 Chopter 7 Education and information 7.1 Environmental educotion rcport. -{s a rcsrrlt, onll' u sunlrn:ll-r' to ln( )r'r1 x\'. Li k(: p( )p[ I lut ior r grorrth. lack of ecltrcntion c()lrntl1"s lrtrnrittt rcsoul'ces, itrtprovc t.lrt st.andirrcl is :t cittrse rirlltcr tharr rt s\'rrll)k)nr ol t'nrironrrrt'nt:rl of livine, ancl filstcr qreilt('r' sell-r'eli:rnt'e. Trl lit dattutgc. ..\ t'tricrv ol' cttvirorunerrtlrl crlrrclttiorr hlrs rvitlt this policr', arr cnvironrrrerrtal ccltrt:irlion ltrr> bccn trnrlelurkcn arrrl prrblishcrl scpar':rtclv to rlris gl':lnlnr(' rrust lrroviclc lilr cchrcutiorr nncl tr;rinirrg 1r-- Tuvoluon villoge. (photo: Alefoio Semese) 26 Educotion and informotion irt all school levels, in the rvorkplace through work 7.1.3 Specific issues and indu.stry r'elated training progmmmes, and in Other points that shotrld be consideled are: the conrrnnniry through comntunity otganis:rtiotrs 0 prepirration of an environrnental and public inlormation carnpaigns. information and education plan by the Thc eurironment, b1' clefinition, inducles every- Environrnent Officer; thing in otrr lives. lt is therefor-e not a subject tlrat can neecl to be printed itr be isolatecl ancl 'tatrght'. At school etlitonmental 0 the for information Tlrvaluan: issues crn be irrtegrated into science artd maths classes, social studies and otlrer hrrmanities subjecLs, O establishnlent of a secure but accessible irnd even into rcligior-us instnrction. There are llow environment infonnation and resollrce teacher nrantuals and resotu'ce nratet-ials avirilable library so that the large antotrnt of fiorn the Sorrth Pacilic Regional Environtneut Pro infbnnation crrrrently available is trot lost; grarnme (SPREP) to assist in the teachingo{'enrilorr- special emphasis lbr envir onmental larv mental isstres. At r.,r'ork ancl in indtuul', programnres enforcenrent such as special training for the are also needcd to show the c'ff'ect ol'work pmcticcs police;ilncl on the e rlirnntnettt, irnd to detnon.str:rte newways nf e ucolnagement for the establishtrrent of a workirrg which tedttce tlre irnpact of ottr rr,ork activ- cornmunity btrsed conset-r,atiou ancl ities. entiron rnen tal or ganisati otr. Speci:rl efltrrus rvill be needed to eusttre that people enp;"aged in subsistt'trce activities in the fishing and agrictrlttrrirl scrctors are prcxided uith infonnir- 7.2 Further reoding tion about issrres of irnportance to thetn. Antongst the generzrl prpttlatiotr. infbruutiorr prograrnnes Bektas, A. I992. Revierv of Envir-onnretrtirl cl ririse al)ol rt issucs, Echrcation I992. Sotrth Pacific nee to be rlerrlope d to anat ctress -Tttvalrr, echlcute 1>eoplc to unrlcrst:urd thc part LlIe\'plaf in Regional Envirotttrtcnl Progranrtrtt', Apia, r:ontribuLing to cnvirorrrnctrtal clegrlrdation, atttl \l'estenr Satrroa. rlcrnorrstr:r tt' s'ltat t l rt'r' t ar t rlo to it tt ;rtrrvc :urt l prl)tr'cl f)turne. NL & \!'entlt. N. 199.t'. linriroutttetrtal tieir t'nrironrnerl1. Educatir-rn Tcachers' Mnnrtitl. Scluth Pircific Regioual Envirrln nren t Pn)gr'lunnte, Api:r, \Arestenr Sarnoa :rnrl Institute of Edttcation, University of the Sotrth Pacific, Stri'a, Fiji. 27 PART 3 F!trconomrc ond built ,i enyrronrnent Chapter 8 Economic fromework 8.1 Economic development 8.r.2 Governrnent econornic policy Progromme The governrnent's economic policies ancl pro grarnn)es are set. out in the Mediunr Ternr 8.1., Generol description of economy Economic Framework Progranrnre, 1992-1994 ((kx't'rnment Ther Tuvalrran ccononly is a rrrix of subsistence and of Tuvalu 1992b). This clocrrrnent a devcloprnent NEIVIS. cash rypes. On the outer islands the srrbsistence prorides context for of t]re It is essential that Ttrvalrr's econou'ric ar-rd ern'iron- ec()n()nly is clonrinant, while on Frrnafrrti the cash mental strategies closely support each other, and it econorny is of gleater significance. The gross do is pleferable that Llrev are integrirted. The Eco nrestic product ((;DP) is currentlv estimated to be nonric Franework Prograrnme states thirt the long- less than per annum. Developrnetrt pl'c> $lltnr tern'l econornic and soci:rl obiectives of rhc gmrnmes ftrndcd bv intelrrzrticinal aid irre progress- liovenlnrel)t ate: ively making the cash cconomy rnore intportant to ( I ) sustained long-term grou,th of'the econoury, the population. Unfortnnately, Tuvalu's ability to without undtre cornrption of social or sustain a cash econorny without. the support of crrltural virlues: intemational aicl is quitt: linrited. The intemal mar- (2) irnprovernent in the clistl-ibution of inc<:rrre ket is very srnerll and c:uh incomes for most of the by diversiSing tl're economic base, enhirncirrs poptrlation are at a lor,'' level. private sect()r iuidarive ancl inrploving Opporrunities fnr the export of soods lic with i n lrastrrrcture and increasi ng econ<;nric the very snr:lll (c<>pm), rnanufacturing agdcultural actili t1', wi thotr t h :r rruin g the r-nvi rrrn nte tr t; (clothing) irnd l'islreries sectors. Wrile pelagic lisl: atrd resollrcrls offer the best opportrrnity {br au export (3) establisllnrent of'sotutcl ntircro<'cononric indrntry', the tul1, export inconre at present is policies and stmtegies within thc public derived fi-orn the sale of fisl-ring licences to lbreign sector to clirect and rnanage financial. fishine vessels. Minor ('xport incorne is derir'ed economic and .social affairs. from thc sale ofstamps to collcctors and hzrndi- T 30 Economic fromework (2) to prepare a National Environmen&rl 8.2 Economic development issues Management Strategy; (3) to recnrit an Environlnent Officer; Many of the issues relating to ecouontic develop nncler the relerattt sector clis- (4) to cstablish equiprnent to tnouitor sea levels; ment .rre dealt with cussions. The issrtes to be cnnsiclered itr this sectiorl (5) to rrndertake Enr.itotrmelrtal Impact relate nlore fo Inatters of principle atrcl broad eccr Arsessnrert L t 3l Chopter 9 lnfrastructure ond industry development 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Water and sonitotion Tht''Iin'itltr Nleclitrrn Tcnn Economic Framelr,olk 9.2.1 Generol Prograrnrne nr:rkes clear tlte governrncnt's c()rn- nril.nrent to srrstained. long-terru ecorrornic grolvth Sinct' I978, rr,hetr Trn'altr l>t'came an inrlt'pendent nation, the priolitv given to thc ()f wltcr, aucl :rn i mprol'ed cli.stfi ltrrtiorr t>[' i r rcorne ( (iove rrt- ;ll'ovision sanitation and \rzlste 32 lnfrostrucfiJre ond industry development Unmonaged rubbish disposol in borrow pits poses o potentiol heolth hozard on F u nofuti. ( phon: Alefoi o Semese/ (2) rhc nrininttrrrr toilct startrlirrcl is tlte p11)\'tst(,lt ancl tlrc' marirtt' atrirtral spt'cics uhich dcpt'rtcl otr it of-a 'porrr' fluslt',/soukilge pit npe latliuc lbr nre tlisplacecl bv incrcascrl ;rlgal {rrt)r{th. Tlris rvill euch horrsc'ltolrl (l'lnscrl otr ltlt avel'agc not onlv rcchrr:e the lrtrrnutt Iirocl strpplr'lrtrt t:ortlcl oc'crrpation r':rtt' o['six). Tht' trse of st'ptit' also possiblv irr('r'eusc tlrc' risk ol- att otttlrt-t'ltk o[- l:rnks is r'('('()nltltcrl(k'tl firr ltoLtsclttrlcls lrttl is t iu tur It't'lr ptlisortitt g. srrgq('st('rl as a r<-11ttix'trtt'trI lirt- c 33 Stote Ofthe Environment Report tleatment and efflrrent disposal schemc may The government's Mediurn Term Economic becorne nccessary. Given the shortage of fiesh Framework Prorr'arrrnre (Governurent of Thvalu water, srrch a schenre lilay need to be a salt-water 1992b) r'rotes that 80 per cent of the poprrlarion is st'stem similar to that operating in Tarawa (Kiri- involved in a1p'ictrlture. Coconrrts al€ gr()ttn over bati). abotrt 70 per cent of nll land stritable {or cuhivarion, The rrse of tlrt' beach ?ls a toilet remains a and fbr the nrost part the product is constuned cornrnor) practice tlrrorrghotrt Turrallr, even in Fr-r- locally by people and animals. Breaclfnrit, bananas nalirti. This traditioual rneth 34 Infrosvucture ond industry development incre:rst:s, these acLivities should not be pernritted conrrnercial fishing) expanct significantly, the close to areas rvltere people live. Thc cleveloprnelrt major infra^structure ilncl inclrtstn, developrr.rent of latrcl rrse plarts based on the Titvaltr land proglarnrnes u'ill remain irnportant for thc prclri- rcsorrrr:es sut'\'ey is the kev to rnininrising land rrse sion of enrployrrent ancl inllow of'capital. Develop conflicls iurd the enrirorrmcnnl clegradation tlrese rnent Ineans not sirnply' large, otre lmpoct Assessment 9.4 Development 9.4.2 Environmentol (ErA) ond the environment New projects Generof 9.4.1 As ir r"ule. Trrvalu has not previorrsll'retyrtirecl firnrtal I rr fi:rstrtrct ure arrrl to trri st lc lzrted clevt:lt4r tnc nt h:rs Environrnerttal ltllxrct Asscsstttcnt (lil'\) of' urirjor been. irnd n'ill continrre to be, a sigtrificaltt c()trlp()- proi(:cts. A,n exccptir-rn is the EL,\ lring conclttctccl nerrt of t:conomic grr>n'th itt Tttvaltt. Evcn if incluv in relation to ir pilot cherlging pr-()gramllrc itr Funa- trial or res()ut'ce base d ilctivit"ics (sttch as lirti lagoon. In rccent 1'eitrs, lrou't'\'er, it riurge of Voioku Logi Hotel. Donor-sponsored development such os t/ris wtll provide o greet economic boost to Tuvalu. However,such derclqments should be subject to Environmentol lmpdct Assessm ent (EIA) to ensure they meet agreed building ond environmentol ir;:,.$.rlq."r-ol' i stondords. (photo: Alefoio Semese) 35 Stote Of the Environment ReDort sigrrilk:an t infi-astnrcture projects have bren sive rrrrde:rLrkirrg in its ourr richt ancl add c()sts t() tltc rruclertaken lr'ithorrt ELA.. Ex:rnrplcs inclrrclr' frlrc- proiect it.st'll. Irr r-ectltt lt'ars. lrorr'crel, ln:lt-lv clorror- shore prott:<:tiorr rvork.s, airport trlturacling, :r netv <'oturtlies have. begrur to recognisc thc r.rccc.ssitt, o[' hotel. and r Funafuil BP terminol,where all of Tuvalu s bulk fuel is stored. ln this vulneroble environment. it is importont to ensure that focilities to cope with oil spi//s ore adequate. (photo: Alefoio Semese) 36 lnfrostruaure ond industry development The Fusi',Funofutil moin store. Ihis is where luvolu's cosh economy is most obyious. ( photo : Alefoio Semese) Horteler: orre slrorrl t'n l i t'ot t tttt'trtirl ol rlt' rn.\ sl ilt'l l( ) I x'(:()r n(' is rt'rr litnitt'cl. 1tr -flre cvictt'nti' rtritjrlr lh('t()r'is t() nliriilllti rr irrstittrtiorrill t A fl'rr,peoplc on an islancl cating urostlv :lrrilngenl('nts. al either cerrtrirl g()\'clluuent ()t' irnportctl lixltl is of-little c()nscqucl)ce. brrt islartcl cr.lrrrtcil lt'r'r'1, to clrsrlrc standards irrr: rnain- nhirt is tht' irrrl>act rr,lrcn, ()\:e l a I'crv shorl taiuecl. Tltere is little poirrt in lravirrg ltlirnning. environnrcnt or building corrtrol lau's il'thev art' \'('ilr's, nrost ol tIrc l)()l)uli.lti()r'l Sl-iu't Cirtil.lg irrrportetl fixrrl? not ilcllrt'rcrl to. The protection of'bircls irr Tin,alu (lortserr:rtiorr I \\th:rt is the inrl:a<'t o['rrnplannccl cxprnsion unclcr tlrc \Vilcllit'e Orclinirncc is irn ol rrt'burr :rrrrl rillrrgc ltr('as;' exilrnple ol un existing lirl{ not being enlirrct'cl, eitlrer becattst' ol'ignor.ur<'e or br-cause rroonc ltas 'fltcse cxirrnl)lcs, attrl rnarrr'tnol'c that corrlcl bc the resporrsibility, or rcsorlrces to ruldertake thc clescrillecl, ale citccl to highlight the potentiirl task. or' llcc:trrse tlte larv is rrrtrtcccssarr'. cnr.ir-onnrental cfitr:ts u'hich can l'l()$' ll'onr rnanv lncrcnrcl)till changes in otlrer sectols are irlso lelatir,'ely srnall changes. Dealing rvith tlrese in- clifflcult to deal with. The t'xarnples above of':tlr crcnrerltal changes is perh:rps onc of the rnost clil: increase in the nrrntber o{'cilrs ()r consunlption of fictrlt :upect.s of' cnvironrnental nlun:rgcillclrt. This inrported f Part of thc sohrtion lics in plannine ahead fbr tlrese I rroken-cloun vel r icl cs. changes. This leport has itlrerirdy nrelrtioned the \\'hat optiolls al'e available in this evrruple? need fi-rr islaud land rrse plirns rvhich rvould iclcnti$' Nothing; cotrlcl be done (the option that is ctrrr e ntlv ar eas fi)r vafi oru resi clen tial, in chrstr:i al and agri crrl- being followecl), in which case the iurpact must be 37 State Of the Environment Report addressed b1' the sectors most affected. (The existing major indtrstrial and utiliry Health Division has to increase its budget; the operations; islancl r:orrncil has to find the resorrrces to dispose I island land use plurs and building codes be of dumped vehicles: arrd the poprrlation will have developecl;and to suffer these adverse effects). I an examination of the environmental irnpact Alternatively, actions corrld be taken such as of incremental growth'be made, and a adding au envirorrmental tzrx to both the vehicles mnge of taxation, legislative, educa[ional and and the firel they r$e to discorrmge tlreir rne, pre- institutional actions relevant to each activiw venting importation of second-hand cani to ensrlre nndertaken. the car disposal problems of developed counries are not 'exported' to Ttrvalu, or requiring owners to dispose of their trnwanted vehicles at their own cost and in a place and way satisfactory to the 9.5 Further reoding relerant arrthority. Government of Tuvalu. 1992a. Corurtry reprJrt for UNCED: Tuvalrr. Report prepared for the 9.4.4 Summory United Nations Conference on Environment In srunrnary there are a ntrrnberof actions that can and Developnrent by Tausasa Taalaki, be taken to acldress the potential irnpacts of con- Uentabo Neemia and Randy Thaman. South tinued developurent in Trrvalu: Pacifi c Regional Environrnent Pr ogrammc, Apia, Western Sarnoa. 0 require all nerv and significant developnrents to be strbject to EIA: Govemment of Turalrr. 1992b. Tuvalrr: Meclirrm I adlise aicl donors that project funding mtrst Tenn Economic Frirrnework Progrumme, include a slull to adequately rurdertake EIA; I 992-1994. Funafuti. Trrvalu. I environnrental iruclis be undertaken of all 38 Chopter l0 Pollution ,0.1 lntroduction Trrvaln :rl present cloes trot hirvc rt sigrtificzrtrt 39 Stote Of the Environment ReDort With o lorge number of borrow pits, rhere is no shortoge of ploces to be used os landfills on Funofui. Sensitrve foreshore oreos should not be used for indiscriminote dumping of rubbish. (p hoto: Al efai o Semese) lrrtcl 40 Pollution sources of pollution through accidetttal discharge 10.?.2 Domestic ond groundwster suPplies is to examine the nf stor-ed material. There a need M4jor threals to the quality of tank water sources major industrial opemtions and pracl.ices of the inclucle dirty roof catchmenls aud grttters, poor assess the curent activities in Tlrvalu in order to filters on tauk inlels, :rbsetrce of taps (requirirrg and to and potential threats to the enrirontnent, people to dip buckets into the supply itself), ancl propose both the physical works ancl operational lack of (or irregrrlar) cleaning of tlre tanks them- changes necessary to remedy currerlt pl oblenx and sslvs5 in essence, inadeqrnte mainteuatlce. Funafuti, oper- - minir-nise potential impacts. On Grotrndrvater sout-ces al'e most threatened by ations that shorrkl be exanrined in the short tetnl effluent fi"om sewage clisposal s,vsterns; colrtamina- include: don fionr waste dumped ott areas where water is 0 airport operatious; drawrr (this inclrrcles leachate fr ,0.3 Water pollution ,0.3.3 Marine woters Pollrrtirln to the rrratine enrit'ontttent cart be catrse cl 10.3.1 Generol hv seu':rge effluertt ancl contantinatecl watct'clrain- Most of the isstrcs relating to water polltttion hilve ing li'onr nrbbish dumpecl on the foreshore. Itr illrcitlr' bccn crnrsiclcrcd trncler eithcr rvllter and aclcliticln, an increase in trrrbiclin' can hatrn the sanitation (Secrion 9.2) Bcrck door of Funofuti Power Stotion. Oily wustes ore simply hosed out he doon oN drain oway inn the grwndwoter below. Monoging oi, rryoste is one of luvolul rnost urgent poJlution issues. (ph*a:Alefoio SemeseJ 4l Stote Of the Environment Report Funoful whorf is the moin storoge areo for oll goods brought into Tuvalu,including chemicals ond petroleum products.The whorfis locoted on o very norrow port ofthe island, ond ony liguid spilloge will quickly flow into the seo. ( photo : Al efai o Semese) cht'rnicals fr-orn the paint-s rrsed orr thc hrrlls 10.4 Air and noise pollution 10.4.3 Noise pollution Noisc polltrtion sorrrccs arc- 10.4.1 Generol in Tinirltr Iirnitecl arrcl nois(' levcls llrc lor1,ccxnparccl to llr()s[ otlrt'r places Ail pollrrt.ion is not a sigrificilut isslre in a gcncral with similar' ()r r\rll lou,er 1>clptrlation dcnsit.ics. scnse in Tuvuhr. btrt thc.t't' arc' sittr:ttions u'lrcre Holtever, the hish url)an an A grclrrinu c()r'tc(:r'll on Frrrraltrti is irir pollrrti 42 Pollution The Public Works Deportrnent depot is one of o smoll number of industrial plonu which should be subject to environmental oudiL ( ph oto: Alefoio Semese) -'.._ry- firqJ- 10.5 Pollution ond Recycling and reduction of waste woste monagement Rerlrrcing rr'irstc lolrrlnc is a kt'r' Factru' irr rnaking the rr';rstc clisposal t:rsk sinrplct'. I)ossiblt' irctious Generol ittcl rrclt'; It o{it'rr s(-('nrs irrt'r'itrrlrlt' tlrirt irr rrrost sotit:lit-s pol- t) r'ccr'<'lirr{ ultrl stltat':rtiotr ol'\\'ilst(' itt s()ur'('c, Itrtiort lttrrl tr'ast.r' uranite'('t'u('lrt s\'stcrils ltrt' rlt- lrlrr-tit rrl.rllr lrrtlkl rnrttct'iuls sttclt ur lclolrerl orrlv altcr sc't'iotts <.'itst's ol' lrolltttiorr lrirvt' lcge tatiorr an(l J)al)cr' 1-lrorlrrt'ts rvlticlr cirrr lx' Itlr ollt t'r'irl<'rrt. Ii{)rttui.rl('l\, Iirvltlrr (l()r's ll(}l \'('t ( (ll.nl)()\t('(l (rritlr it rtoorIr'ltiplrirrq st'r'r'icc {irr- Iravc ir scr-iotrs pollrrtion problcrtt an(l Il:rs tltt' o1> lrrirtrr'ht's t'tr'. ) : 1ror-ttrnin' to ircldrcss (ul'l'('nt c()nc('l-ns and l)revcrlt I rt'cvcling ol'ahrrttiuiunl ('ilns (u sclrt'rrre lurs Iirtrrrt ortcs llrnr c'nrcrging. Evcrr its ('rtn-cr)t (()n- alrt'adr' becrr sltoun to u'rlrk in !'rrnirlirti): ccnls ar'(' nrosllv |cstrir:tccl to Frrrurlrrti. Kcv urcirs 0 rtcvcling ol othcr'pr-oclrrcls srrch as gLrss anrl rt'r1triring irnurc 43 Stote Of the Environment Report prodrtcts (srrch as solar powered electrical of disposal should be collected and sectrrely stored. equipment) call encolrrage less waste and For enmple, batteries can be stored in 200litre pollution. steel dmms and left under cover in a secure com- SPREP shorrld be asked to nronitor relevant potrnd such as the Ptrblic \,\brks Dep:lrturerrt clepot. literatrrre and provide informatiorr about recycling Seo disposol materials. Many products (srrch as plastics) can notv wzrste sea is be recl,clgd whereas they corrld not a few years ago. Disposal of at commonly practised and ofterr criticised. In many places where waste vol- Landfill Lunes are huge and land based disposal options The establishment of cledicated, rnanaged and se- lirnited, it is usecl simply'because it is seen as the cure landfill .site(s) on each island is essential. The cheapest disposal rnethod. sites should be chosen frorn a mnge of options Hower,er', there are circumstances where it is an follor,ting a ftrll assessment of environrnelrtal irn- acceptable disposal option. Sea depths arorrnd pacts and the most appropriate funding and Ttrvalu irre B-r'eat. Within a f.ew kilometres of milny miuragenrent arranf;enrents. On Fturafuti a ratrge of the islands the sea is up to 4,000 rn deep. At these of borrow pits provide a large number of choices, clepths the water tenrperature is close to 0oC. water althorrgh dredged sancl fr Hospital woste Aalbersberg, \\'. & H,ryJ. 1992. Irnplications of (llinrate (lhange The current rnctltcld of burning rrrt-clical waste irr a atrcl Sea l,evel Risc ftrr- pit behind the lrospitirl or dunrping it u,ith clornestic Trtvalu: Report of a Prepar:rtory N1ission. \^'arstc nrust be replaced b;- incineration irr a plarrt Sorrth Pircilic Rcgional E,nvironurcnt clesignccl lirr the purpose. Programrre, Apia, \{estenr Sanroa. Revnolds. (.1. l9!)3. \4later ancl S:rnitation Plan for Chemical woste Tulaltr lbr the Per-iod 1t)93-2002. Draft l]attcrics and lurzardors chernical waste lbr which report. (i;vernnrent of Ttrvalrr, Funafirti. incinerirtion orlanclfill is not an acceptable method Tttvalu. 44 PAKT 4 Monagiing the environment Chapter I I Government administration , t.l lntroduction consisls of Parliarnent. the Execrrtive (tlre Prinre Minister and the Ministers supportcd by tl-re ptrblic The organisation of governrnent is a silprificant el- sen'ice) and theJr.rdiciary. At tlre local goverrlment ement in the mallagenent and protection of dre level. tlrerer arc' eight islzrnd govenrrncnls (island environrnenl ()overnnrent has a central role to per- corrncils), one fbr each islar-rd (exccpt firr Nitrlakita Ibrnr in erwironrnental management. In Tlnalu, this which falls rrncler the responsibiliq' of the Niuta 46 G over n m e nt o d m i n i s1.,r qti on standards), but. not otre which is utrivetsally ac- ulanagernen t. Th e i nrplemen tation ol- iltt cltviron- cepted in regard to environmetrtal standarcls. This mental monitoring progmmnre would produce a separation of responsibility also restricts inftrrma- mnge of infirnnation which cottlrl proride the basis tion sharing and tratrsfe'r betu'een the sectors of firr itn antrttal report on the ettvirt.rnnrettt. goverllrnenl. Miniitry of Finance | 1.2.2 Key public ogencies The Ministrr' ol'Financc is responsible for the gor" ernruelrt's br.rdget atrcl financi:rl tnirnagenrertt ill- In Tuvalu, thc key ptrblic agencies atrcl their clurling taxation. excise atrd uuifl'poliqr This tttinisul' ernironrnent related fttnctiotrs itl€ tlre Iollouirtg. could develop a role itr etrriroutrterlu:il nt:utagemertt of'diff'eI'enti:rl Lues atrcl charges Office of the Prlme Minister throtrgh the setting in a rnirnnerrvhich conrplenretrt.s environtnenurl prt> This office provides support to the Primc Minister tection policies. arrd a nrrnrber olcoordination :tncl sttpport serriccs fbr r>ther govenlnrent scctor\. The Oftice of'the Mi n i stry of Trode, Co mm e rce Prin're Minister- provides srrpport to thrce ke1'gor' and Public Corporations enunenl policy irrrd priority setting gt'ottps: the This nrinistrv is respotrsible foI- pronrotiotr of cottr- Cabinet, the Der,eloprncnt Coorclinating (lomnrit- nrercial, pdlate scctor develollmetrt and the c()r?or- tee, ancl the Nation:rl f)t'r'eloprnent Stt'atcg) Cotn- irtisation nf public agencies. Spcc'ific rcsl>onsibilities mittee (yet to begir-r {iructioninc at the time of of relerance t() the enlir 47 Stote Of the Environment Report of the irnpact of their actions. The Health Division m:rterial and skills necessaty for nrapping ancl as- is responsible for tlte govettunent's population sessment work. policies, ancl tl're Edrrcation Dilision is responsible f 48 Gover nment odministrqti on preparation of a National Environmental Manage- tise oI'the people making proiect assessnrent still ment Strategy. In addition to these actions, the generally reflect previotts trends. The NEMS prr> government now requires project pr-oposals pre- cess provides an oPPortrrnity to review and change pared by nrinistries to report on the likely environ- these rnau:rgement arralrgetnellts to reflect the mental irnplications cl(' their plans. goverrlment's ctu'ltu t policy. Coordination and independent assessrnent of A change towards high qtrality environmental major policy and development proPosals crrtenLly managenrent it: Tttvaltt is not depettdeut ott a dc* occur at three stages. Firstly, planning staff in the tailed strateg)/, new projects. changed legislation or Economic Planning Dilision of-Foreign Alfairs and ever) tl're acquisiti 49 Chopter l2 Land tenure l2.l Lond tenure.. oyeryiew on rvhiclr they live. This is most evident on Funafrrti where nnnl,people hold land under lease or are 12. I .l Troditional tenure landless. (lommtrnal land is also a f'eatrrre of thc islands. In Trnalu, lancl is a rreasured pnssession for each Comrntrnal land mav have lrad that stiitus tbr all family, and l:rnd or,''nership riuht.s are carefully pre time, it may be new land that has resulted fronr tected. Land tenure ancl ownership an'angements accletiorr or l'eclarnation, or it may hirve tradition- are relatively complex and, essentiallyi contintre to ally bt'longed to a village cltief for his personal trse nraintain t"hc traditional systent. even t.horrglr in btrt becorne communal land witlr the changc t I 2. 1.2 Contemporory changes 12.1.3 Moin issues Witlr a larue and r:rpid increirse in pclpril:rtion and count.r)' con[inued distribtrtion of land to children throrrgl'r In the repol"t to the Llrrited Nations (.lotrferell<:e inht:ritance, this tradition:rl tenement pattent has on Enr,ironmerrt ancl De"-elopment (LINCI-D) (C)overnment been strbstantially nroclified. Today, the patrern is of Tuvaltr 1992a), thc: gencrally onc. of vervsrnall and irre gular allotmenLs governnrcnt maintained that land shortap;e, land- which are legirlly registered irr the nnnre of orre lessness and land alienation are arnong the rnairr person irlthotrgh tnanl, pe()ple rnay have a tr:adi- constraint^s to sustainable clevelopluent, whether tional claim to it. Because ol'this situation, mauy economic, social or environrnental. l,artd ancl plots are miuraged togcthel' as pall of a fzrmily's rnarine resollrres are the onlv fhctors nhich u'ill toterl lancl holclings. Traditional ownerchip an'ange- prot.cct Ttn,aln from increasing vulnerabilitv to in- rnents have been firrtler conrplicated in recent stabilitf in the world econonlv. This report has decades by more intermarria6;e and migration be- previotrsly clisctrssed the need lbr land use plans for twr:en islands, and employment in the cash econ(> each island. \,!'hik' such plans cannot adclress the my. Many'or{nel-s can llo longer rnallage their land qrrestiorr of'land distribtrtion and landlessness, they directll'. Alternatively, becatse of rnigratiolt, many can prevent nralry of the envilonmental concerns people no louger have acct:ss to lancl on tlre islarrd that arise when people attempt to calr] out activities 50 Lond tenure inappropriate [o the loeation because they laek [,aracy, H- (ed,). 1983. Tuvalu:AHistory- access to urore appropriarcly located land. Institute of Facific Studies, Strva, Flji and the Ministr,, of Social Senrices, Funafuti, Tuvalu. Mclean, R-F. & Hoskinp, PL lgSlb, Tuvalu 12.2 Fa:rther rcading Land Resoureeu Survey: Country Report, A report prepared forthe Food and Governrnent of Tuyahr, i99?a. Country repor! Agricrrlture Organization of the United for UNCED: Tu-rnrlu. Repont prepared for lhe Nations acti.ng as executirrg agencyfior the Nadons Conference United on Envitonment United Nations Development Programme. and Development by Thusasa Thalaki, Departrnent of Geograptry, University of Uentabo Neemia and RardyThaqran. South Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. Pacilic Regional Enviro'nment Prograrnme, Pasefika, E 1988. Titv:ilu Land aftiirs. Tuyalu Apia, Western Sarnsa. E.xrensinn Cenre, University of the South Paeific, Funafuti, Ttrvalu. 5l Chapter 13 Environmentol law 13., Environmental low: overview 13.2 Rofe of islond councils A separate report on environmental law in Tlrvaltr The one exception to this general statement relates has been prepared following a r-eview trndertaken to the abiliry of islancl corrncils to undertake the by Mere Pulea fiom the Llniversity of the South land use and environmental managernent func- Pacific, Vanuatn and David Farrier of the tlniversity tions available to thern under legislarion. It is clear of Wollongong, Australia (Pulea & Farrier 1994). that the corrncils do not have the capacity in - Becatse this comprehensive review has been tenns of either hrrnran or financial resourcrs to unclertaken sepamtely, this State the Environ- - of exercise these responsibilities. In any cirse, if each ment Report r,*'ill not be coveling the legal sector council did have these resourres, there woulcl be in any detail. However, for the sake of complete- an oversupply of them on a nalional basis. The ness, the main l:rws of'Tuvalu relating to environ- governmerlt should theref ol e consider modifica- mental management and protection are listed in tions to the Local Government Ordinance to en- Appenclix 2. able approach: There is considerable scope for improving the an altemative for example, the environmental laws ofTtn'alu ancl, in partictrlar, for govemment corrld take on these responsibilities introdrrcir-rg laws requiring the application of itself. Alternatively, the governrnent (or donors) En"'ironmental Impact Assessnrent for major pro could provide hunran and financial resources to jecs. Given existing laws, land use powers available rurdertake planning and enforcement work and to island corrrrcils (under the Local Govemment trtilise each council as a qvpe of 'planning and Ordirrarrce) and the ability of the government, enlirortment conrnrission' which would be respon- throrrgh policy direction, to require adherence of sible fbr decision making. most development to acceptable environmental stanclards, there is plenty of scope at present to achieve sotrnd management obj ectives. Therefore, 13.3 Further reading law reform does not need to be a high priority on the govemment's environrnerrtal management Pulea, M. & Farrier, D. 1994. Environmental asenda. Legislation Review I994. South -'f11yalu, Pacifi c Regional Environment Programme, Apia, Western Samoa. 52 Chapter 14 Environmental monitoring l4.l lntroduction h:rs a special need to tlo so. Thirt rcrlates to the lirnitations of the errvironrnent arld the depencl- Ivfost people condrrct $orl)e type ol' m 53 Stote Of dre Enironment Rebort (4) Some monitodng r.r"ill requirc specialist skills air photos or glound-level phcltos takeu at ar-rd equipment. [n sonle cases local people regular inten'als to monitor clrange, is a can be given the r)ecessary training, but in relatively simple technique. other cases it is more appropriate to use (4) Sokd uaste ftollnlion. This cau be monitored by external expertise. Much monitoring is photographing selectecl sites at regrrlar sinrply a mattel" of obsewing c()mmon intervals and compar-ing the change over actirities or sitrntions on a regrrlar basis, time. The changing prodrrcts tlrat make up recording tlre information and looking at the tlre wa.ste can also be monitorcd. changes. (5) Euvironrnental monitoring is not the task of Martne environment orle person or one sector. Tcr be effective, the ( I ) Fr.rlr catch and con,sumplion studies. These can government rreeds to identi$ a fbcal point to be can'ied out b,v a simple srlrvey technique. edit ancl publish infonnation sather"ed ancl Meastrring the change in fish catch by tirne analysed b1'others. spent fishing cau be an indicator of enrironrnental health. (2) Fish stock and matine hahitu,t .ntl*u4s. These ,4.3 Sector monitoring stlrve)'s are nlore ctlnrplex in ternts of' techniqrtes irrrd anal;'sis. They would only be Lond neccssara irr heavilv fishecl areas; to rnonitor f'eatrrre such as There ar-e a rallge of featrrres to rnouitor on land a specif ic ciguatera or the which can indicate the health of the cnvironment. impact of rvorks undertaken in nrarinc ar-eas; Wrile sorne of these reqtrire specialisecl eqtrip or in other sirrrilar circrunsurnces. nrel)t, otherr ciur be exanrined by sirnple obserya- (3) Vtrter quality and cinalnlion lnttentl Svch tion. Tlrc following would be sorne key f'eatrrres to irspects should be nrorritored in a lagoon like monitor. Funafirti where r.isual obsen'ation shows that. human lvastes may be polluting t.he water-, (l) \\'ttlrr qu.ality, ittchtding surJarc wala; communill and where the shape of the islancl ma1 tunh.s and grotutdwala'. \4later quality testillg restrict the exchange of water drrring requires tlre rrse of electronic testing changes of tide. equiprnent. In Tulaltr, rnonitorirrg of water' qrrality should generally concentrate on signs Climote change of con taminirti on bv biological, particularly (I) Climale. (llimate involves very cornplex human, wastes. In built-up or industrial s)'stenrs, ancl change occurs over v:rst tirrre areas, signs of' pet.roletrm product spaus. Tlnalu's weatlrer recorrls and its tirle contarnination shoulcl be monitored. nror: i todng station contdbrrte r,"i th (2) lbgekilio?t mvo'age. This is a good inclicator of infor:nilliorr fic-rut nrany places t 54 Erwfuonme ntol moninr in g and information programmes helps t 4.4 Reporti,ng on the environment, d.eterrnine their effiectiveness and identif'y areas which rnay require greater effcln. The puqpose of a monitoring programme is m provide early waming erf the signs rhat might indi- Developrnent trends cate that something has changed in the €nviron. (lj Infustrial and pabli;c utilitiet rnonltwing. Tuvalu tnent. Monitodng on its o$'n serves no purpose. does not have indu$tries or utilities which The real objective is to be able to analyse data and emit effluent requiring complex arrd publish information that can be used to make plan- technical monitoring equiprnent. Regplar ning, policy and operational decisions. For this monitoring of their operations and reason, a monitoring programme must include a measuremenls of their waste products (for system of storing and retrieving informatiou that is exarnpla how much waste oil is produced or sirnple, acc'urate, longstanding and able to survive the volume of animal waste), together with tlre inevitable ehange of staff in any organisation. reviews of rhe meaRs of weste disposal, ean be Methods of reporting also require thought and useful indicatoru of the need for acdon. planning and an rrnderstanding of who will read e) Athfr danlapnrmt i.nrl,icolor.s. Other indieators tlre report. An annual report of key indicators may of value might be the volume of petroleum be appropriate in Tuvalu to ensure critical secton consumed or the number of vehicles of the environment are regularly studied. Howeveq registered. the rnanagers of each sector may need more detail to assist them to plan and set programme$. 55 PART 5 Prioriry F.rogramrnes Chopter 15 Priority Frogrornmes and projects ,5., Introduction Human environrnent a Establishrnent of a comprehensive In each of'the sections ofthis report etrviroumetrtal enr,ironnrental education and infonnatinn issues har'e bcen discussed in the cotrtext of progr?nrme and its incclrporation into possible actions thirt can be takerr to address thent. Trrvalu's "Eclucation lbr Lif'e" policl'. Taken toge tlrer, the Iist is long and tn:ruy of the tasks t Establishrnent of a cornntuuity based, complex, with sorrre likely to achieve their objec- conserlation ancl environment tives ouly in the long term. The NEMSwill proviclc non€overn nren t organisation. the process which u'ill assess these and other pr<> I Prepar-atiorr of a populatiou matragement .iects, and establish priorities. The follou'ing list of plan incorporating a farmily planning prioriq, projects lvill provicle sorne gttidattce attd a elenre nt, together with an assessnlertI of'the ref'erence point for this disctrssion. poptrlation capacitv o[ each islancl ancl it decen tralisirtion and inter-island migration policy'. t 5.2 Priority Programmes Economic ond built environment Noturof environment 0 Integration ol'e:conornic and euvironrnental I A Funalirti lagoon rnanagement plart planning policy. incorporirting a rnadne habitat monitorir-tg r) Review of'tlrc policy of relf ing on glouncl progrilmme,:r limiftrtion on fishing in some disposal for sanitation wastes ancl att areas, ancl the resc'n,ation of tnarine investigation of alternatives (sttch :rs protected areas t() preserve the lagootr's conrposting toile rs). biodiversit)'. I Establishment of a conprehensive solicl and i A ban on lirlthcr c'xtraction ol'bcach rock chenrical r{aste mallagenlclrl ploject. and sarrd, cr>mbined with the preparation of I Prepamtion of'c:onrpreheIrsive arrcl an extmctive inclttstries stmteg)' to iclentify environmcntally sensitive land tue atrd alternative s()urces o[ e:rrth materials. development plans fol each islancl. t Avegetation rctcntiotr and replacenrent I ExarlinirLion o1'tlre e nr,ironmental impact of' progralnrlrc with an enrphasis on forcsltore the incrernerrtal gn'owth iu the number of' areas. nlotol vehiclcs in Funafirti. I Ider-rtification of coasts r,rrlnerable to erosiott and incorporation of this infirrmation into Man agi ng the environrnent land use planning atrcl vegetatibr-r retention I Establishrrrent of a cotnprehensire projects. environnrental nronitoring proer-amme with O Identification of the most fcrtile soils ancl a cornrnitrn(:llt to regtilar reporting of key adoption of land use controls which keep irrdicators. these areas av:rilable for agdcttltural a Acloption of a policl'to t-eqttire all nrajor new prodtrction. projects to be subject to au EIA process atrd 58 Priorily progrommes thr' 59 References and other source materials As can be seen fi'om the following reference list, a Nations Development Programmer/United considerable voltrme of literattrre on a rtide range Nations Development Fund f 60 References and other source rnoteriols Government of Thlalu. 1991. Round Thble Systems f,or l)evelopment: What Planners Meeting on Development Assistance Need to Know, ed. R.A. Carpenter. Requirernents. Funafutj, Tuvalu. Macmillan, New York, USA and Collier Governrnent ol'Tuvalu. I992a. Country report Macmillan, London, England. fbr UNCED: Tuvalu. Rep,ort preparcd for the Mclean, R.F. & Hoskings, P.L. 1991a. Unitecl Nations Conference on Environment Geomorphology of reef islands and atoll ancl f)evelopment by Tausasa T:ralaki, rnotu in Tul'alu. South PacificJournal of Uentabo Neernia and Raucly Thaman. South Natural Science, vol. ll, pp. 167-1t39. Pacifi c Regional Environment Proflrarnme, Mclean, R.F. & Hoskings, P.L. l99lb. Tirvalu Apia, Westem Samoa. [,and Resotrrces Sun'ey: Cotrutry Repor-t. A Govemment of Turalu. 1992b. Tirvalu: Mecliurn report preparerd for the Food and Term Economic Franrework Programme, Agriculture Organizetion of the United I 992- I 994. Funafuti, Ttrvalu. Nations actinfT as executing agetlcy for the G 6l Stote Of the Environment Report SPREP Region. Association of South Pacific Notrmea, New (laledonia, l8 November-15 Envi ronmeutal Institutions. Un iversiqv of Febmarl'. Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, Papua Ward, M.W. & Monsell-Davis, M. 1990. Kidbati: New (irrinea, pp. l-11. Outer Island Development Progmmme: Pitr, E. 1988. Country statement - Trrvaltr: Study of the socio-economic impact of Development of the inshore fishery resorlrces carueways. Report to Arrst"ralian In terrrational of Trrvalrr. Workshop on Pacific Inslrore Developmen t Assistance Btrreau, Canbena, Fisheries Resources. South Pacific Australia. Ciommission, Nounrea, New Caledonia. \Alebber, R.B. 1982. Report on the prevention of l4-25 March. coastal erosion in Tnvalu. Prepalecl b;r Prilea, M. & Far-rier, D. 1994. Eruironnental Fawcett & Partnem for the Governnrent of Legislation Review - fyyxls, I994. South Tin al u, Funafr-rti, Trrvalu. Pacifi c Regional Ertr''irorr ment Pro€r'amme, \4'iens, HJ. 1962. Atoll Environment and Sarnoa. Apia, Westerrr Ecology. Yale Llniversi ry' Press, Reynolds. C. 1993. Water and Sanitation Plan for Nerv Haven, USA. Ttrvalu for the Period 1993-2002. Draft Woodroffe, C.D. 1985. Vegetation and flom of report. (]ovemnent of Tuvalu, Funafuti, Nui atoll, Tilalu. Atoll Research Bulletin, Trnalu. vol.283, pp. l-28. Rogers, K.A. 1991. Minerals of Trrvalu. South Wbodroff'e, C.D. 19U9. Salrwater intrtrsior"r into Pacific-fotrrnal of Natrrral Science, r,ol. I l, gror.urdwater; An i$sessrnent of effects on pp. l-11-166. small islancl states due to rising sea level. Paper presented at the Small States Ro1', P. & Connell,J. 1991. Climate change atrd Conference on Sea Lelel Rise. Male. the futttrc of atoll states. Journal of Coastal Republic Maldives, 1989. Resources, vol. 7, pp. 1,057-1,075. of Woodroffe, C.D. 1991. \'egetation of Tuvalu. Sieben, M. 1989. Household energy Sorrth Pacifi c.Jorrrnal of Natural Science, conslrmption on Funafuti: fur analysis of vol. ll, pp. B2-128. 1987 surrey data. PEDP report: Ttrvalu 88-2. Pacilic Energy Development Pt'ogramme, Woodr 62 Appendix I Bird species of Tuvolu Common narne Scientific name White-ailed tropiebird Fhoethon lepturus Red-tailed tropicbird Phrethon rubrkauda Pacific reef-heron Egreno sacro Great crested tern Sterno bergii Black-naped tern Sttrjrnd srm(//lrcn.a Sooty tern Sterna fuscoto Specncled (Gray{acked) tern Sbrno lunota Common fairy tern Gygis olbo Brown noddy Anogs storidus Black noddy Anous rninutrs Blue-gray noddy Pr'ocelsterno ceruleo Pacific pigeon Ducula poclfica Lesser goldenalover Pluvfofis dominka Wanderingaftler Heteroscerus incatws Siberian (Gray-tailed) attler Heeroscelus breloipes Brisde.thighed curlew Numeniue tohi0ensis Ruddy turnstone Arenario interpres Sanderling Cofidris otrbq Long-tailed cuckoo fudynomis toitensrls Christmas shearwater Puftnrc nativftotis Audubon's sheanrvater fuffnus lherminierl Masked booby Sula dqtylstto Brown booby Sulo leucogoster Red-fiooted booby Sulo sulo Great frigatebird Frcgow minor Lesser frigatebird Frcgata aiel $/himbrel Numenius phoeopus Banded rail Ro/us philppensis 63 Appendix 2 Environmental manogement ond protection laws of Tuvolu Land or resource use ond manogement consenation reserves; commenced 29 May t (l.osed Disticts Act declaration of closed 1975. areas; commenced- 8 December 1936. Woter,sonitotion ond envircnmental heohh I Ma,rinr Tnnes (Dee:laratio'tu) Act regrrlation of marine watens including the- Exclusive I Importation of Animals Acl r'egrrlates the importirtion of anirnals; Part- III conrmenced Ecorrotnic Zone ; commenced l Janrurrl 1984. lT.fuly 1919, Renrainder 3June 1964. t Minual Deuelof,tmenl Licencing Ad - Public Health Art midntains adequate r egtrlation of mineral exploitation; ) stanclards of health:- commenced I December comrnenced I January I 978. 1926. ) Naliae Lads Act relates to native lands and - ) Act regulates the importation registmtion of' titles; cornnrerrcecl l4 March Quaranline - 1957. of prodtrcts of potential danger to health or indtrstry; comntenced I 1931. I Neglecled l-unds Act provides for the Jantrary - t Watn' Suppl,i Act provicles fbr the ptrrchase of neglected Iand and ils sirle t 64 gi l:, #- -. ' ..-'-,\-,'-,- :: .,:.,,,H.,,,-,'t:,.se sectious. One of'the ke1, recluire- in clecline in recent years orvin{ to lx)or world lnents Ibr rnaintenance ()l' goocl agricrrlttu'al prices) and srnall volrrrnes of r'oot and othclr,egcta- practices is keepirrg incompatible rrses sepirrirtc. llles solcl on tl)e dornestic rnarket. Animrrl prodrrcts Intensive livestock pens ancl perhaps bee-keeping available on the clonrestic rnarket are litnitecl to (if the inchntr.v exlnncls) iire activities which chickens. eggs ancl prtrk. Srnall volurnes of'hclncy shotrld nraintain goocl sep:lration fi'