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Cook Islands Priority Environmental Problems (PEC) Report: a Review and Assessment of the Priority Environmental Concerns

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Cook Islands Priority Environmental Problems (PEC) Report: a Review and Assessment of the Priority Environmental Concerns ISSN 1818-5614 Cook Islands priority environmental problems (PEC) report: a review and assessment of the priority environmental concerns By Island Friends Ltd. IWP-Pacific Technical Report (International Waters Project) no. 11 Global United Nations Pacific Regional Environment Development Environment Facility Programme Programme SPREP IRC Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Cook Islands priority environmental problems (PEC) report : a review and assessment of the priority environmental concerns. / [prepared by] Island Friends Ltd. – Apia, Samoa : SPREP, 2004. 106 p. ; 29 cm IWP-Pacific Technical Report (International Waters Project) no. 11 ISBN: 982-04-0274-3 ISSN: 1818-5614 1. Environmental impact analysis – Cook Islands. 2. Environmental monitoring – Cook Islands. 3. Ecological risk assessment – Cook Islands. 4. Environmental protection – Cook Islands. I. Implementation of the Strategic Action Programme of the Pacific Small Island Developing States. Project No. RAS/98/G32. III. International Waters Programme. IV. Cook Islands International Waters Programme. V. Secretariat for the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). VI. Title. 333.714 This report was produced by SPREP’s International Waters Project that is implementing the Strategic Action Programme for the International Waters of the Pacific Small Island Developing States with funding from the Global Environment Facility. The views expressed in this report are not necessarily those of the publisher. Cover design by SPREP’s Publications Unit Editing: Ms. Talica Koroi Layout: Ms. Sasa’e Walter Printed by Marfleet Printing Co. Ltd. Apia, Samoa SPREP P O Box 240 Apia, Samoa Ph: (685) 21929 Fax: (685) 20231 Email: [email protected] Website: www.sprep.org.ws/iwp © SPREP 2004 The South Pacific Regional Environment Programme authorizes the reproduction of this material, whole or in part, provided appropriate acknowledgement is given. Map of the Cook Islands 3 Contents Map of the Cook Islands ........................................................................................................................3 Contents ...............................................................................................................................................4 Abbreviations and Acronyms................................................................................................................5 Glossary ...............................................................................................................................................6 Acknowledgements.................................................................................................................................7 Executive Summary 8 1 Introduction 9 1.1 Background...............................................................................................................................9 1.2 IWP in the Cook Islands ..........................................................................................................9 2 Discussion of issues regarding environmental concerns facing the Cook Islands 10 2.1 Waste management.................................................................................................................10 2.1.1 Solid waste ................................................................................................................10 2.1.2 Liquid waste .............................................................................................................13 2.2 Land Management................................................................................................................ 14 2.2.1 Money system and the land.....................................................................................14 2.2.2 Inadequate land........................................................................................................16 2.2.3 Land use practice.....................................................................................................19 2.2.4 Land rehabilitation..................................................................................................21 2.3 Degradation of coastal resources through property development .......................................23 2.3.1 Coastal development on Rarotonga........................................................................23 2.3.2 Coastal development in the outer islands...............................................................25 2.3.3 Fishing & recreational practices.............................................................................27 2.4 Degradation of the wetland areas............................................................................................28 2.4.1 Rarotonga .................................................................................................................28 2.4.2 Outer Islands............................................................................................................30 2.5 Degradation of the sloping lands...............................................................................................32 2.5.1 Rarotonga .................................................................................................................32 2.5.2 Outer Islands............................................................................................................35 2.6 Protected areas development.....................................................................................................37 2.6.1 Land Protected Areas..............................................................................................37 2.6.2 Marine Protected Areas ..........................................................................................39 2.7 Lack of Awareness.......................................................................................................................40 2.7.1 Government Agents ............................................................................................... 40 2.7.2 Environmental Non Governmental Organizations ..............................................41 2.8 Climate variations .......................................................................................................................43 2.9 Lack of Environmental Monitoring..........................................................................................47 2.10 Ignoring of traditional knowledge and practices (tkp)............................................................49 2.11 Invasive Species ..........................................................................................................................51 References .............................................................................................................................................54 Appendices 57 Appendix I –Proposed Rarotonga Environment Council Foreshore area Policy........57 Appendix II –Proposed Rarotonga Environment Council Wetland area Policy .........70 Appendix III –Proposed Rarotonga Environment Council Sloping land Policy .........82 Appendix IV –Documents Referred to and used ............................................................95 4 Abbreviations and Acronyms ADB Asian Development Bank AIMS Australian Institute of Marine Science CBD Convention on Biodiversity CDI Capacity Development Initiative CISAP Cook Islands Strategic Action Program CITIES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (animals and plants) CHARM Comprehensive Hazard and Risk Management CM Cabinet Minute DMU Disaster Management Unit EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone EIA Environmental Impact Assessment ENSO El Nino Southern Oscillation ES Environment Service FAO Food and Agriculture Organization GEF Global Environment Facility IWP International Waters Program JPs Justice of the Peace LWMP Liquid Waste Management Policy MMR Ministry of Marine Resources MOW Ministry of Works NBSAP National Biodiversity Strategy Action Plan NDMO National Disaster Management Organization NEMS National Environment Management Strategy NZD New Zealand Dollar NZODA New Zealand Overseas Development Assistance Program PICCAP Pacific Island Climate Change Assistance Program PIREP Pacific Island Renewable Energy Project REAP Rarotonga Environmental Awareness Program SIDS Small Island Development States SIS Small Island States SOI Southern Oscillation Index SPBCP South Pacific Biodiversity and Conservation area Program SPCZ South Pacific Convergence Zone SPREP South Pacific Regional Environment Program SWMP Solid Waste Management Policy TCA Takitumu Conservation Area TEM Traditional Environment Management TIS Taporoporoanga Ipukarea Society tkp traditional knowledge and practices TTT Taau Taku Tita (Maori connotation to express recycle and re-use) TVET Technical, Vocational and Training UNCCD United Nations Convention for Combating Desertification UNDP United Nations Development Program UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change WMU Waste Management Unit WSSD World Strategy for Sustainable Development WWF World Fund for Nature 5 Glossary arƗpǀ The nights of each lunar month. In the old ways of the Cook Islands people time was worked out by counting the nights as the moon ages during each lunar month cycle. Aronga Mana The chiefs of an island. foreshore All that area between the mean high water mark (MHWM), an imaginary definition line landward measured at a right angle to a distance of 30 meters or else to the edge from the MHWM line, of the natural vegetation growth, whichever shall be the greater distance. This
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