The pledge to the Micronesia Challenge, which supports urgent conservation efforts of natural resources crucial to Pacific traditions, cultures and livelihoods, was reached ahead of the 2018 schedule
Koror, Palau/Arlington, Va. USA – At the Pacific Oceanscape Leaders Reception, the day before the 45th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) begins, Conservation International (CI), the leading global organization that focuses on the links between development and the environment to benefit human well-being, provided the final investment toward its endowment to sustainably finance the Micronesia Challenge (MC).
Established in 2006, the Micronesia Challenge aims to sustain the biodiversity of Micronesia in order to ensure a healthy future for its people, protect its unique island cultures and sustain the livelihoods of its island communities. The overall goal of the Challenge is to effectively conserve at least 30 percent of the near-shore marine resources and 20 percent of the terrestrial resources across Micronesia by 2020.
GregStone, CI Chief Scientist and Executive Vice President of The Betty and Gordon Moore Center for Science and Oceans, presented the President of the Republic of Palau, His Excellency Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr., and President of the Federated States of Micronesia, H.E. Emanuel Mori each with a cheque of US$1 million. This follows CI’s completion of its US$1 million contribution to the Republic of the Marshall Islands last year.
Environmental threats such as deforestation, unsustainable fishing practices, invasive species and climate change have degraded the natural resources of Micronesia. A vast Pacific region comprised of over 2,000 islands with an ocean area over twice the size of India (6.7 million square kilometres), the Challenge represents more than 20% of the Pacific Island region and 5% of the largest ocean in the world.
The Micronesia Challenge funding was made possible via CI’s Global Conservation Fund (GCF). CI-New Zealand and Pacific Islands Executive Director Sue Taei reaffirmed the importance of sustainable financing for such initiatives. “This investment provides important financing for protected area networks that have significant running costs to ensure that they are effectively safeguarded, that local communities benefit from them and that their inherent value is maintained in perpetuity.”
Taei further highlighted the link of the Pacific Oceanscape, an initiative by the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum to foster ocean stewardship and integrated management, and CI’s investment in the Micronesia Challenge. “The Micronesia Challenge is a significant part of the Pacific Oceanscape framework. The Challenge has inspired other bold ocean management initiatives including the Caribbean Challenge, the Coral Triangle Initiative, and the newly launched Western Indian Ocean Coastal Challenge. Such commitments represent a sea change in ocean conservation — one that will help provide food and livelihoods for people in the region and around the world.”
Micronesia contains some of the richest and diverse marine and terrestrial resources found anywhere on Earth. This natural capital sustains the livelihoods for nearly 500,000 locals, who are traditional stewards of their lands and waters. The Challenge protects more than 1,000 species of reef fish, 85 bird species and 1,400 kinds of plants. It also safeguards more than 480 coral species – 60 percent of all known species of coral.
The annual net benefits from coral reefs to the Pacific, in terms of fisheries, tourism, coastal protection and biodiversity, has been estimated by the Micronesia Challenge at US$2 billion, and approximately US$800 million worth of benefits annually may be distributed across Micronesia.
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For more information about Conservation International at the Pacific Islands Forum: http://www.conservation.org/events/pages/pif-pacific-islands-forum-2014.aspx
For more information, contact:
Emmeline Johansen, Regional Communications Manager, Asia Pacific Field Division, Conservation International | Mobile +64 4 277 793 401 Email email@example.com
About Conservation International (CI)
Building upon a strong foundation of science, partnership and field demonstration, CI empowers societies to responsibly and sustainably care for nature, our global biodiversity for the well-being of people. Founded in 1987, CI is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area and employs more than 800 staff in 30 countries on six continents, and has nearly 1,000 partners around the world. For more information, please visit our website at: www.conservation.org/ or visit us on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
About the Global Conservation Fund (GCF)
Established in 2001, Conservation International's GCF finances the creation, expansion and sustainable financing of protected areas for the long term benefit of people and biodiversity. In the Fund’s 12 years, it has invested $65 million in 76 priority locations in 26 countries around the world that provide critical natural capital, or ecosystem goods and services, vital for human survival. Its portfolio of trust funds supports the sustainable development of an area that is cumulatively over 80 million hectares, twice the size of Germany. Made possible by a grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, GCF provides financial and strategic assistance to enable local communities, nongovernmental organizations and governments to protect their biological riches. To learn more, visit: http://www.conservation.org/gcf.
About The Micronesia Challenge
The Micronesia Challenge is a regional inter-governmental initiative between the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau, the U.S. territories of Guam and Northern Mariana Islands. This challenge exceeds current Aichi Biodiversity Targets and other treaties that call for countries to conserve 17 percent of marine resources by 2020. These island nations and territories represent nearly 5 percent of the marine area of the Pacific Ocean and 7 percent of its coastlines.