CHAPTER 6
GIS for Sustainable Coastal Zone Management in the Pacific - A
Strategy
B. Crawley and J. Aston
ABSTRACT: The Pacific islands region has more than 22 island countries in an area
of approximately 30 million square kilometres. It is home to nearly 6 million people
and has a complex of islands and habitats. Pacific Island countries are largely coastal
in nature. These areas play a major role in the daily existence of Pacific Islanders.
SPREP, in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme - East Asia
Program for Asia Pacific (UNEP EAP-AP), have initiated a program to provide the
Pacific community with improved access to meaningful environmental data and
information through establishment of GIS in several of the countries. GIS is still new
in the Pacific and is only rarely used as a tool for coastal zone management. This
chapter outlines a strategy to assist SPREP member governments use GIS and
environmental information for the planning and management of coastal areas.
Introduction
The South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) was set up as an
intergovernmental organisation in 1986 to co-ordinate and facilitate environmental
sustainable development in the Pacific region. SPREPs mandate covers 30 million
square kilometres. Within that area there are some 22 Pacific Island nations and
territories (all members of SPREP) with a combined population of about 6 million
people.
SPREPs programmes are guided by the Action Plan for Managing the
Environment of the South Pacific (SPREP, 1996). The overall aim of the Action Plan
85
D.R. Green and S.D. King (eds.), Coastal and Marine Geo-Information Systems, 85–96.
© 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.
GIS for Sustainable Coastal Zone Management in the Pacific - A
Strategy
B. Crawley and J. Aston
ABSTRACT: The Pacific islands region has more than 22 island countries in an area
of approximately 30 million square kilometres. It is home to nearly 6 million people
and has a complex of islands and habitats. Pacific Island countries are largely coastal
in nature. These areas play a major role in the daily existence of Pacific Islanders.
SPREP, in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme - East Asia
Program for Asia Pacific (UNEP EAP-AP), have initiated a program to provide the
Pacific community with improved access to meaningful environmental data and
information through establishment of GIS in several of the countries. GIS is still new
in the Pacific and is only rarely used as a tool for coastal zone management. This
chapter outlines a strategy to assist SPREP member governments use GIS and
environmental information for the planning and management of coastal areas.
Introduction
The South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) was set up as an
intergovernmental organisation in 1986 to co-ordinate and facilitate environmental
sustainable development in the Pacific region. SPREPs mandate covers 30 million
square kilometres. Within that area there are some 22 Pacific Island nations and
territories (all members of SPREP) with a combined population of about 6 million
people.
SPREPs programmes are guided by the Action Plan for Managing the
Environment of the South Pacific (SPREP, 1996). The overall aim of the Action Plan
85
D.R. Green and S.D. King (eds.), Coastal and Marine Geo-Information Systems, 85–96.
© 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.