The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) has developed a State of the Environment (SoE) report for the Pacific islands, the first of its kind. It reveals areas of progress as a result of conservation efforts, as well outstanding and newly emerging issues.

The report, which will be formally released on 29 April 2021, is titled, ‘State of Environment and Conservation in the Pacific Islands: 2020 Regional Report’ (SOEC). Readers can explore an online version or download it in its entirety from the SPREP website. The report focuses on 31 indicators, based on a list of SPREP-approved regional indicators, spanning seven thematic areas: environmental governance; land; coastal and marine; conservation and protection; biodiversity; atmosphere and climate; and built environment.

The SOEC contains an assessment of the trends and conditions of the environment to better inform decision making at the regional level. The report builds on national SoE reports and other national reports and data, and uses in-country cases as examples.

The report shows that the trend for establishing marine protected areas is good and improving, and while the establishment of terrestrial protected areas is poor, it is also seeing an upward trend. Management of pelagic fisheries is good and stable, whereas areas related to marine pollution, invasive species, and protection of key biodiversity areas and species require urgent attention.