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The Strategic Action Programme for International Waters of the Pacific Small Island Developing States (International Waters Programme)

The International Waters Programme is a 7-year programme that is part of a global effort to develop and implement measures to conserve, sustainably manage, and restore coastal and oceanic resources in the Pacific Region.

The International Waters Programme, which began in July 2000, addresses a diverse range of issues, including resource management, conservation, habitat rehabilitation, economic development, policy and planning, and institutional issues, particularly at the community level.

The IWP had its official beginnings in October 1995, when SPREP’s Governing Council endorsed to prepare a Strategic Aaction Programme. Further weight was added to the initiative in September 1996 when Pacific island leaders during the South Pacific Forum requested SPREP to coordinate the development of the project. In April 1997 work commenced on the formulation of the SAP with funds from the GEF.

A regional task force (RTF) was established to oversee preparation of the SAP. Composed of one representative each from the Governments of Fiji, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu; representatives from Pacific regional organisations: SPC, Forum Secretariat, and SPREP; representatives from GEF implementing agencies (UNDP, UNEP, WB), two non-governmental organizations (IUCN, TNC), and one private sector representative (Fiji’s Dive Operators Association). Officials from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) also participated.

During the formulation process, three priority concerns related to International Waters were identified:

• Degradation of their quality,
• Degradation of their associated critical habitats, and
• Unsustainable use of their living and non-living resources.
  

The SAP was reviewed and subsequently endorsed by the Heads of Government of the South Pacific Forum at its Session in Rarotonga, in September 1997. Refinement over a period of almost two years finally resulted in GEF Council’s approval of the Strategic Action Programme in August 1999. Implementation commenced early in 2000.

The Strategic Action Programme identifies four high priority areas for immediate intervention:

• Improved waste management
• Better water quality
• Sustainable fisheries
• Effective marine protected areas

Targeted action within these activity areas is proposed in five categories:

• Management
• Capacity building
• Awareness/education
• Research/information for decision-making
• Investment

Institutional strengthening is included under management and capacity building.

The IWP has two components an Oceanic and a Coastal.

The Oceanic component of the SAP, executed by SPC and FFA, supports the work of participating countries in developing management and conservation arrangements for their oceanic fisheries resources. It is used to build the capacity of Pacific Island States to responsibly manage their tuna resources for sustainable economic benefit and to assist island States fully participate in a new tuna management organization that is currently being established for the western central Pacific (CWP) region. The ocean fisheries management component targets the western central Pacific ecosystem whose boundaries correspond almost precisely with the commercial tuna fishery operating in that area.

The Integrated Coastal Watershed component of the SAP focuses actions on freshwater supplies, including groundwater, marine protected areas, sustainable coastal fisheries, integrated coastal management planning, including tourism development and activities to promote waste reduction in local communities. Activities will concentrate on implementing fourteen community-based demonstration projects that demonstrate best practices and provide lessons for community-based management of threatened habitats and promote options for the sustainable use of natural resources. The Project Co-ordination Unit (PCU) based at SPREP, in collaboration with the Governments of the 14 participating States, is responsible for the implementation of the demonstration projects.
The fourteen countries taking part in the programme are Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
In each country National Coordinator have been appointed to facilitate national implementation. National Task Forces are responsible for overseeing the programme at a national and local level.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is providing up to USD$12 million to support the Programme. In addition, SPREP, together with other partner agencies, the Secretariat for the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), will contribute an additional USD$8 million.
In addition to SPC and FFA, SPREP is working closely with the University of the South Pacific (USP), the South Pacific Applied Geosciences Commission (SOPAC) and the Forum Secretariat in the early implementation phases of the SAP. Possibilities for developing additional collaborative relations with other inter-governmental and non-government organizations will be actively investigated as implementation proceeds.
The IWP is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and executed by SPREP. Although the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and the Secretariat for the Pacific Community (SPC) are already formally associated with the SAP there is significant potential to involve other CROP agencies, such as SOPAC and USP.