The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) has renewed its five-year partnership agreement with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the world’s largest conservation group. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) provides a framework for continued cooperation between SPREP and TNC to improve collaboration and encourage technical exchange in a variety of areas, including spatial planning, data sharing, building management capacity, implementing ecosystem-based adaptation, and monitoring and evaluation.
“The Nature Conservancy is an important partner for SPREP and we look forward to continuing our collaboration in the Pacific region to jointly address critical conservation and environmental management issues for the benefit of Pacific island countries,” said SPREP Acting Deputy Director General Stuart Chape, who signed the agreement with TNC Pacific Division Director Trina Leberer at the recent Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation’s 22nd meeting in Suva, Fiji .
As the first joint task under the agreement, TNC will lead a team of scientists to assess a range of environmental indicators, including live coral cover, terrestrial and marine protected area health, status of threatened species, and presence of invasive species such as crown-of-thorn starfish, rats and non-native birds that have impacted ecosystems across the Pacific. Assessments will be uploaded on the publicly available Pacific Environment Portal (PEP), and will complement existing regional and national environmental information, and will form the basis of the first Regional State of Environment Report and the updated version of the State of Conservation Report 2020.
“There is a growing sense of urgency in the Pacific to push for bolder conservation actions resulting in greater benefits to communities,” said Ms Trina Leberer. “These reports will provide critical information for Pacific island countries and territories as they identify their priorities to meet these needs in the next ten years.”
Following consultation with National Focal Points, Indicator Reference Groups, and regional specialists on specific indicators, SPREP and TNC will develop a Regional Response Document, which will link findings to key regional conservation strategies, including the Regional Framework for Nature Conservation and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Together, this new information will be crucial in developing a clear set of regional outputs and messaging efforts at major events in 2020, including the 10th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas, to be held next April in Noumea, New Caledonia.
About the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP): SPREP is the regional organisation established by the Governments and Administrations of the Pacific charged with protecting and managing the environment and natural resources of the Pacific. SPREP has 21 Pacific island member countries and territories which it serves in its mandate to promote cooperation in the Pacific region, and providing assistance in the protection and improvement of the Pacific environment to ensure sustainable development for present and future generations. To learn more, visit www.sprep.org or follow @SprepChannel on Twitter or follow SPREP on Facebook.
About The Nature Conservancy: The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world's toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in 72 countries, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit www.nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.