Search the SPREP Catalogue

Plants, birds, insects, mammals, amphibians and fishes are rapidly responding to the observed changes in climate everywhere on the planet. Extreme high temperatures immediately result in hefty responses. The responses, however, significantly differ from species to species and from year to year, which complicates a clear attribution of causes. The ecological impacts are nowadays visible everywhere through changes in the timing of life cycle events and the geographic distributions of species. Plants have advanced flowering by up to 30 days and are now doing so at dates never documented in the last two centuries. Some species show a dramatic increase in range area, disrupting ecosystems like, for example, the rapid spread over millions of hectares of the Mountain Pine Beetle in North America and the northward expansion of the Oak Processionary caterpillar in The Netherlands. Also fires have increased catastrophically in tropical wet forests during the severe droughts of the El Niño years in the nineties. Other species show a dramatic decrease in distribution or population sizes, illustrated by bleaching corals and disappearing amphibians worldwide. Warm winters, hot summers, excessive precipitation and extended droughts are weather events that trigger these responses

Strong growth is projected to occur through 2050 in the global demand for hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The global phaseout of CFCs, halons, and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) will leave much of the application demand for refrigeration, air conditioning, heating and thermal-insulating foam production to be met by HFCs. The demand for HFCs is therefore expected to increase globally, but especially in the developing world (mainly Asia), in the absence of new regulations. The HFC consumption and emissions in developing countries are projected to be as much as 800% greater than in developed countries in 2050.

On the disc you may listen to incredible soundscapes of Europe's largest lowland primeval forest - teh Biatowieza Forest - as well as the interesting and rare tooting of a Capercaillie from the Augustow Forest and songs of birds from the Wielkopolska National Park and the vicinity of the city of Poznan. The recordings are 100 percent genuine and have not been subjected to any processing, thus allowing the listener to enjoy the full sound spectrum of the background. In total, one can distinguish the voices of fifty-three bird species, five species of amphibians and the souht of crickets.

The objective of this Pacific Ocean synthesis is to comprehensively and systematically survey the published scientific literature, government publications and other peer-reviewed reports to identify Pacific Ocean and regional threats as well as the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of those threats. In addition, the report highlights select regional and Pacific Ocean solutions presented by the literature. This report summarizes and distills the scientific literature and highlights common trends in and around the Pacific Ocean regarding threats, impacts and solutions through the review of more than 3400 scientific articles and reports. It also reveals gaps in knowledge and areas where more natural and social science research is needed that could inform coastal and ocean policy and management. For this analysis, the Pacific Ocean was organized into seven regions representing 50 countries or territories. Results from this synthesis were vetted and verified by over 30 natural, physical, and social scientists from around the Pacific who convened in Honolulu, Hawaii in August 2008 (Appendix A). The meeting, which used the synthesis as the foundation for discussion, resulted in the creation of the document, “Ecosystems and People of the Pacific Ocean—Threats and Opportunities for Action: A Consensus Statement.” This statement, which has been signed by more than 375 scientists, identifies and prioritizes key threats to the health and productivity of the Pacific Ocean, many accelerated by global climate change, for which broad consensus exists in the scientific community. It also highlights the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of these threats and outlines a “road map” that identifies available solutions for these threats.

Solomon Islands is emerging from four turbulent years (1999 – 2003) of an ethnic crisis with a very weak economy, a rapidly growing population and a government system struggling to cope with the delivery of basic services. The country’s people are custodians to globally significant terrestrial and marine biodiversity that is at risk of being over-exploited and lost due to uncontrolled and unsustainable development activities. In recognition of the importance of environmental management and conservation the country ratified the United Nations Convention to Combat Land Degradation (UNCCD) as well as a host of other Multilateral Environment Agreements (MEA) including the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Despite its affiliations to these global agendas the country’s performance in addressing its obligations has been very poor

Humankind's 11th hour is here: the last moment when we can change course and stop our rush toward global ecological collapse. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio produces and narrates this urgent and transformational look at where we've been, where we're going and - most important - how we can change. Thinkers from Mikhail Gorbachev to Stephen Hawking to sustainable-design expert William McDonough and dozens more reveal the current, critical state of life on planet earth. Astonishing images of floods, fires, hurricanes, collapsing ice cliffs and growing mountains of waste juxtaposed with images of a sustainable future urge us to take action. Will we employ exciting new technologies and change our behavior to save our planet? The crisis is now: but we do have the solutions to save this unique blue planet for future generations

Global Status of Coral Reefs|State of Research Knowledge|Resource Management|Socio-Economics and Capacity-Building|Trade and Management|Assessment and Monitoring|Global Climate Change and Coral Reefs