Saving The Soil

Broadly defined, land degradation is any form of deterioration of the natural potential of land, which in turn affects ecosystems and people's livelihoods. Most people have heard about problems associated with changing weather patterns, and the effects of people on the environment. These, and a host of other complex interactions between socio-economic and biophysical processes, and in some places population pressures, are giving rise to increasing rates of land degradation.

The Pacific’s no desert, but islands have significant land degradation problems. Uncontrolled clearing of slopes for agricultural purposes is a major cause of soil loss.

This is happening across the islands in our region and impacting on the proper functioning of ecosystems. In some places, such as Nauru, Banaba in Kiribati, and parts of Papua New Guinea, land degradation has been the direct result of historic, extensive or intensive mining activities.

Atoll countries like Kiribati and Tuvalu are experiencing increased salinity of soils due to salt-water intrusion that is affecting plant growth. Countries with bigger islands such as Fiji are experiencing soil loss at very high rates. Studies are revealing losses between 20 and 70 tones per hectare per year: due partly to agriculture and forestry activities coupled with high levels of rainfall. In the Solomon Islands the rapid decline in areas of natural forests by unsustainable logging is a main cause of land degradation. This is associated with increases in runoff and sedimentation that threaten coastal lagoons and other marine ecosystems.

Pacific Islanders depend on their land and marine resources. Many are people still living in, and relying on, the rural subsistence economy. Because of the relatively small size of the islands, any disturbances to the land can also affect the surrounding marine environment and in turn impact on livelihoods of families and communities. It is one of the challenges accepted by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to assist its member countries and territories to address this issue.

The need to combat land degradation and mitigate the effects of drought was recognized by world leaders over the period leading up to the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Much attention was placed on the arid regions of the world. The Earth Summit dwelt on the definition, causes and effects of desertification and endorsed the recommendation for a specific convention to be established. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was eventually adopted in 1994. Fourteen Pacific Island independent states have since become Parties to the Convention, thus making a commitment to addressing the causes and effects of land degradation through the framework of National Action Programmes (NAP).

With funding from the UNDP Governance in the Pacific (GovPac) Project, SPREP is assisting its member countries to plan, develop and implement their National Action Programs (NAPs). As Parties to the UNCCD, all 14 Pacific Island countries are required to develop NAPs to guide on-going work in combating land degradation and mitigating the effects of drought.

Nauru and Palau have completed their National Action Programs. Fiji, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu started theirs in 2005, while the remaining seven Pacific island countries will start this year with an overall aim of lodging them formally by the end of 2006.

National Action Programs provide countries with an opportunity to identify the causes and effects of land degradation and establish strategies and mechanisms to address them. These may include measures such as establishing watershed management plans. It may mean conducting research to identify critical areas, reviewing and developing appropriate land-use legislation and regulations. It may mean mainstreaming NAPs into national sustainable development strategies and the promotion of alternative livelihood options and activities.

SPREP's role includes developing guides and promotional materials, providing technical support to Pacific countries and addressing regional aspects of land degradation. SPREP is working closely with SPC, SOPAC, USP, Forum Secretariat and other Pacific regional organizations to foster stronger integration of regional initiatives in support of countries, and strengthen environmental governance at the regional level.

The international community is beginning to acknowledge the particular needs of the Pacific, and has responded by making funding available through the Global Environment Facility to address land degradation in the region.

SPREP welcomes the opportunity to assist its members with defining these National Action Plans, by contributing its expertise, and working closely with other partners to bring these plans to fruition. After all, whether it's drought or excessive rain (as many of us have experienced in recent months), the weather does have a major impact on the land and its degree of degradation. Combined with unsustainable or poorly managed land use practices, this is a major environmental concern. And while we can do little to change the weather in the short term, we can and will do our utmost to assist individuals and communities in working towards a sustainable environment for all.

The writer is the director of the Secretariat for the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme, which is based in Apia, Samoa. See www.sprep.org.ws