Niue’s State of Environment (SoE) Report, 2019 is now complete, endorsed and ready for launch.
As the world grapples with the COVID19 crisis, now is an opportunity to rethink approaches to environmental sustainability. The SoE can be a compass guide to navigating under a ‘new normal’ helping to ensure our environments are sustained for current and future generations.
Equipped with their 2019 SoE, Niue stands ready to demonstrate global leadership, propelling the island nation on the path to a greener and bluer ‘new normal’.
“One of SPREP’s core functions is to support our Pacific island member countries in developing their national State of Environment Reports, and working in partnership with them to implement their environment actions and decisions based on their SoE,” said Mr Kosi Latu, Director General of SPREP.
“I congratulate Niue on this achievement, this is a proud moment for us all. We look forward to seeing the journey ahead with the SoE as a compass.”
SoE reports are important tools that provide information on the status and trends of the environment of a given country. According to the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) Guidelines on State of Environment Reports, “National SoE Reports give information about environmental and social conditions, trends and pressures for the country, and the surrounding seas.”
In the SoE reporting process, effective environmental and sustainable development planning is supported through the examining of current conditions of environmental indicators which can each be influenced by national, regional, and global pressures.
With a number of other Pacific islands also in the process of updating and developing SoE reports, Niue is one of the first few to complete the development, review and updating of their 2019 SoE which is a key national requirement.
“The State of Environment Report 2019 of Niue is a valuable resource that allows us to conduct effective environmental planning and decision making. It will help us bring about a bluer and greener Niue as we forge ahead to a ‘new normal” said Mr. Haden Talagi, Director of the Department of Environment, Ministry of Natural Resources, in Niue.
“Knowing what the drivers and pressures are that impact our environment, as well as the states and trends of environmental indicators, ensures that we are able to respond appropriately in order to improve and maintain environmental conditions.”
SoE reports are also an effective system for reporting against national priorities, including reporting to international and regional commitments such as those for Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the S.A.M.O.A. Pathway, and the Paris Agreement.
The Niue State of Environment Report 2019 is not yet available for public access but will be after its official national launch event.
The Niue State of Environment report was completed with technical assistance from SPREP. Funding was provided from the European Union – funded ACP MEA 2 Capacity Building Project as well as the GEF funded regional Inform Project implemented through UN Environment and executed by SPREP.
The SoE report presents an overview of Niue’s environment across seven thematic areas: Culture and Heritage; Atmosphere and Climate; Coastal and Marine; Freshwater Resources; Land; Biodiversity; and Built Environment. The report uses the ‘Drivers, Pressures, State, Impact and Response’ (DPSIR) model to describe the environment. The report is based on quantitative data relating to the state of the environment, supplemented by stakeholder input to describe causal relationships and environmental effects.
To contact our team regarding national SoE report developments or for additional information, please email: [email protected] or visit www.sprep.org