Republic of Palau Fifth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity

Abstract

The Palau Islands, located in Western Micronesia, contain some of the most diverse and pristine ecosystems in the world. These diverse habitats are home to an extraordinarily high number of marine and terrestrial species that are essential to the culture, economy and livelihoods of the Palauan people. Many species and ecosystems are endemic or rare and conserving Palau’s resources is important globally. Palau’s efforts to conserve its biodiversity and manage its natural resources are greatly aided by the fact that there is an enabling environment for biodiversity conservation. Since the drafting of Palau’s NBSAP (2005) almost 10 years ago, biodiversity conservation in general and community-based conservation activities in particular have grown considerably in Palau. Local communities have designated protected areas throughout the country in order to protect species and sites important to them. The number of these protected areas in Palau has more than doubled in the past 10 years. A national framework for protected areas now exists in Palau: the Palau Protected Areas Network (PAN). PAN’s goal is to provide national level support for protected area management activities at the local level. Protected areas are recognized at the regional and international level through the Micronesia Challenge.