BirdLife Pacific Work
 Caroline Blanzillain
The survival of the Polynesian Ground-dove depends on keeping rats away from the islets where it remains
Zoom In |
The Pacific Regional Programme 2004-2008 adopted by the Partnership at BirdLife International’s Global Conference in Durban, South Africa, in March 2004, aims to bring together national efforts towards bird conservation in a focused and strategic manner. It is used by the Partnership to build their own national work plans, and is revised at the regular regional partnership meetings. Underlying themes in the Programme include education, awareness-raising and capacity-building – vital components for all conservation projects, particularly in developing Pacific Islands states.
In adopting the four main themes of BirdLife International – Species, Sites, Habitats, People – Pacific Regional Partners have identified in the Programme the following priorities as the most crucial:
- Preventing further extinctions and improving the status of globally-threatened birds
- Identifying and monitoring a network of Important Bird Areas within the region
- Identifying habitats needing urgent conservation action and promoting policies and management practices that conserve Important Bird Areas
- Taking or promoting a range of actions relating to empowering people including:
- Use of awareness materials, the media and campaigning
- Improving or increasing levels of sustainable financing for the Partnership
- Developing projects and proposals to channel international and national funding into priority Important Bird Areas and priority species
These priorities, while not covering every issue that needs to be addressed, are nevertheless seen as the most critical and urgent. They represent vital measures that can and should be taken - in line with the region’s limited resources over the next four years to ensure that an effective start is made on coordinated, regional efforts to ensure the future of the far-flung region’s unique bird species.
The Pacific Partnership Secretariat is delivering many of its commitments under the Regional Programme through managing an Important Bird Areas project across four member countries and territories: Fiji, French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Palau. These projects are financed by the United Kingdom through its Darwin Initiative Fund, the Dutch Government (DGIS) and the European Commission.
 Tony Palliser
The New Zealand Storm-petrel was rediscovered in 2003
Zoom In |
The Future
Most small-island nations have very small populations and resources and, so far, only a handful of committed and knowledgeable conservationists. The greatest need and challenge for the Pacific region is to convince people that they should be doing something to help save the region’s birds and biodiversity and to help them do this by developing their conservation knowledge and ability to plan and take effective action.
The Pacific Regional Programme, while recognising these realities, provides its members with a real opportunity to make significant, community-based progress in the vital task of conserving birds and biodiversity.
Related Links
Sponsored by:
 |
Darwin Initiative
|
 | |