DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT Fifth National Report(5NR) Tuvalu Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade, Tourism, Environment and Labour. Government of TuvaluTuvalu.... 2015 Tuvalu’s Fifth National Report 2014 Government of Tuvalu (2014) Fifth National Report to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) . Drafting of the 5 th National Report: Mr Epu Falenga National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs) Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tourism, Trade, Environment and Labor 1 Table of Contents Acronyms used 3 Executive Summary 4 Part I: An Update on Biodiversity Status, Trends, and Threats and Implications for human well-being. Q1. The importance of Biodiversity to Tuvalu. 8 Q2. What major changes have taken place in the status and trends of Biodiversity in your country? 9 Q3. What are the main threats to biodiversity? 10 Q4. What are the impacts of the changes on Biodiversity for ecosystem services and the socio economic and cultural implications of these impacts? 15 Optional Questions: What are possible future changes for biodiversity and their impacts? 16 Part II: The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, its implementation, and the mainstreaming of Biodiversity. Q5. National Biodiversity targets. 17 Q6. How was your National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans been updated to incorporate these targets and to serve as an effective instrument to mainstream biodiversity? 21 Q7. What actions have your country taken to implement the convention since the forth report and what have been the outcomes of these actions? 22 Q8. How effectively has biodiversity been mainstreamed into relevant sectoral strategies, plans and programs? 25 Q9. How fully has your national biodiversity strategy and action plan been implemented? 26 Part III: Progress towards the 2020 Aichi Biodiversity targets and contributions to the relevant 2015 Targets of the Millennium Development Goals. Q10. What progress has been made by your towards the implementation of the Strategic Plan for biodiversity 2011-2020 and its Aichi Biodiversity targets? 27 2 Q11. What has been the contribution of actions to implement the convention towards the achievement of the relevant 2015 targets of the Millennium Development Goals in your country? 27 Q12. What lessons have been learned from the implementation of the convention in your country? 28 Annex I: Approval/Endorsement by GEF operational focal points and GEF agency 29 Annex II: References used 30 Annex III: Cost/Sample Budget for enabling activities in Biodiversity 31 3 ACRONYMS USED AusAID Australia Agency for International Development CBD Convention on Biological Diversity DoE Department of Environment EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone GEF Global Environment Fund GoT Government of Tuvalu IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IUCN World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature MFATTEL Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tourism, Trade, Environment and Labor NBSAPs National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans SPC Secretariat of the Pacific Community SOPAC Applied Geoscience and Technology Division SPREP Secretariat for the Pacific Regional Environment Programme UNDP United Nations Development Programme 4 Executive Summary Tuvalu’s fifth national report (5NR)to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) summarises the status and changes to Tuvalu’s Biodiversity since the submission of the fourth national report in 2010. The report was formulated with the guidelines 1 set out by the CBD parties. Importance of Biodiversity to Tuvalu. Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species regardless of its size and its ecosystem, all have an important role to play in society. Their role in the society contribute to the government and to its people, economically, socio development and naturally. Fisheries 2 and the website domain (.tv) are the top remittance for the Government of Tuvalu where fisheries top the list. Biodiversity in Tuvalu also signifies the name of some islands like Funafuti (futi for banana), Nukufetau (fetau for Callophyllum inophyllum ), and islets like Funafala (fala for Pandanus tectorius ) because of the type of plants that dominate the island. There are many indigenous plants and trees spreading across the islands, and coconut ( Cocos nucifera ) trees are the dominated trees on most of the Islands. Biodiversity is very important for its ecosystem services; it provides to the people and to the environment. Main threats to biodiversity Below are the main threats that naturally and anthropogenically affect Tuvalu’s biodiversity; 1. Invasive species 3 were introduced into the country from overseas vessels coming to berth in the Funafuti wharf. The introduction of these various invasive species quickly spread to the other outer islands, thus damaging local crops and trees. For example, on Nanumea, the kou leaf worms, Ethmia nigroapicella , widely destroyed the kanava trees (C ordia subcordata ). Another example would be the islands of Vaitupu and Nanumaga which were seriously affected by the coconut scales ( Aspidiotus destructor ). 2. Overfishing and reef fishing is another threat to Tuvalu’s biodiversity. Eventhough there are laws in place such as the Marine Resources Act that provides for the promotion and regulation of long term conservation and sustainable use of the living marine resources for the benefit of the people of Tuvalu, still people neglect to abide to these laws because of insufficient and less expertise of staff to enforce it and give penalties to these law breakers. 1 Guidelines for the Fifth national report 2 Government of Tuvalu 2014 National Report 3 Plants of Tuvalu 5 3. Water pollution from septic tanks sewage leakages is contaminating ground water supply. The poor designing of the sewage system causes waste water from sewage to discharge to the surrounding areas and into the water lens and the sea. Waste water from pig pens is also a contributing factor. Records show that 71% of the total population of Tuvalu own pigs 4, and the waste from these pig pens leak into the surrounding areas and into the underground water lens. 4. Overcrowding on the capital, Funafuti 5 is one contributing factor to the increased demand for spaces, food and land. The Population and Housing Census report stated that 57.1% of the total population of Tuvalu are residing on Funafuti. This dense population will increase the demand for food, and the clearing of land to build new houses, thus impacting the diversity of species in those areas. 5. Drought on Tuvalu is another natural factor that destroys a lot of crops and edible trees like breadfruit, pandanus and coconut trees. In the last 20 years, droughts occur 4 to 7 times and predicted that in the next 20 years in 2030, it will increase to 8 to 9 times 6. During the recent six months drought in 2011, local principal crops like pulaka (swamp taro) was the only crop that consistently demonstrated a high degree of agricultural stress 7, with banana, pawpaw, breadfruits also showing some stress on them. 6. Pests and Diseases are common to all other Pacific Islands and the coconut scale outbreak ( Aspidiotus destructor ) in 1994 in Nanumaga was devastating. The pests not only destroyed the coconut trees, but also spread to other edible fruits and plants like breadfruits, pawpaw trees, bananas, pandanus, frangipanis, and even the principal food security crops, pulaka (Cyrtosperma chamissonis ) and taro, which were slightly infested. Chemical control of soap, kerosene and Malathion were used on these pests but were unsuccessful. The Quarantine biologically used to control these pests and diseases by introducing the ladybird beetle (Cocinellid) to prey on the scale insect. There also used other pests control like the pink mealybug ( Maconellicoccus hirsutus ), black mired garden fleahopper ( Halticus minutus/tibialis/ insularis ), coconut flat moth ( Agonoxena argaula ) to minimise the spreading of the diseases caused by different viruses like Bacilliform virus on banana and the Rhabdovirus on leaf sap of taro 8 . 7. Coral Bleaching : Many coral species are highly vulnerable to heat stress. Scientists suggest that a 1 degree Celsius increase in average water temperature will cause coral reefs to die- a process known as coral bleaching. Tuvalu is experiencing a small amount of coral bleaching and this is expected to rise in the future. The IPCC predicts that in the next 30 to 4 Population and Housing Census 2012:Volume 1 Analytical Report 5 Population and Housing Census 2012:Volume 1 Analytical Report 6 Climate Change in the Pacific: Scientific Assessment and New Research. Volume 1: Regional Overview 7 Rapid Drought Assessment Tuvalu 13 October-8 November 2011.SOPAC. 8 Entomology & Plant Protection Project 6 50 years coral bleaching events will occur every year. With corals dying, Tuvalu will lose its fish stocks- a principle source of protein for everyone. 8. Ocean Acidification : Increased level of carbon dioxide (CO 2) in the atmosphere are also causing more carbon dioxide to be dissolved in the ocean and hence acidifying the ocean. Acidic sea water causes coral reefs to weaken and become more vulnerable to severe weather events, like cyclones. Recent studies suggest that even if the atmospheric CO 2 stabilizes at the current level of 380 parts per million (ppm), fewer than half of existing coral reefs in the world will remain. If the levels stabilize at 450 ppm, fewer than 10% of reefs may survive. Weaker coral reefs will exacerbate the problem of coral bleaching and will have a serious effect