This guide introduces environmental indicators and provides an overview of SPREP’S core indicators for Pacific island countries. In 2012, the SPREP members approved the development of a set of standardised indicators for use by member countries at the SPREP meeting. Through the Inform project, SPREP programmes then developed a set of 34 indicators that was endorsed by members at the 2018 SPREP meeting. This document explains the development and use of environmental indicators in Part 1 and provides a summary of each of the 34 ‘core’ indicators in Part 2.
Refer to dataset description for information. Please use this version for double-sided printing.
Please refer to dataset description for further information.
This new set of 60 indicator icons can be used in a State of Environment report to indicate the status of environmental issues and progress in a country.
Chapter? PDF.
The islands of Vanuatu are relatively young geologically, having been formed through tectonic activity. They were colonised very early after their formation by plant species that have come from three main sources (northern Melanesia, New Caledonia and Fiji), carried by winds, ocean currents, birds and bats. When Lapita people arrived, they most likely found edible species there. This paper attempts to understand how settlers could have diversified their diets with plants collected directly from the local flora.
Report. PDF
The following checklist provides the currently accepted scientific name of Vanuatu’s vascular plants (lycophytes,
ferns, gymnosperms, and angiosperms). Following each entry, the currently understood distributional status of
each species in provided in square brackets. For the sake of simplicity, autochthonous species (native to Vanuatu
and some other landmass) are labeled “Native”, whereas native plants restricted to Vanuatu are labeled
“Endemic”. “Near endemics” refer to species restricted to Vanuatu and one of two small, adjacent archipelagos
Annual report. PDF
Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation
2016 Annual Report
Ministry of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology & Geo-Hazards, Environment, Energy and Disaster Management
Annual Report. PDF
Annual Report. PDF
NeoBiota 30: 151-166: Research article. PFD
Biological control of weeds in Vanuatu began in 1935, with the introduction of the tingid Teleonemia
scrupulosa to control Lantana camara. To date, nine biological control agents have been intentionally
introduced to control eight weed species. Seven of these agents have established on their respective hosts
while an eighth, Zygogramma bicolorata, an agent for Parthenium hysterophorus has only recently been
released and establishment is unlikely. The fate of a ninth agent, Heteropsylla spinulosa, released for the
Journal publication. PDF
Phylogenetic studies have demonstrated that Schefflera, the largest genus of Araliaceae,
is grossly polyphyletic, comprising five distinct clades within the family. In an effort
to establish monophyletic genera among the elements that currently comprise Schefflera, the
genus Plerandra is expanded to encompass all of the members of one of these clades. In this
synoptical revision, a new infrageneric classification is presented (along with a key) in which
six subgenera are recognized. Four of these subgenera are newly described (Plerandra
NeoBiota 30: 167-192 (2016). Review article. PDF
Biological control of introduced weeds in the 22 Pacific island countries and territories (PICTs) began in
1911, with the lantana seed-feeding fly introduced into Fiji and New Caledonia from Hawaii. To date, a total
of 62 agents have been deliberately introduced into the PICTs to control 21 weed species in 17 countries.
A further two agents have spread naturally into the region. The general impact of the 36 biocontrol agents
now established in the PICTs ranges from none to complete control of their target weed(s). Fiji has been