Environment in Micronesia Essay ⋆ Environment Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

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As a United Nations Trust Territory, the Federated States of Micronesia was placed under the administration of the United States after World War II. In 1986, Micronesia attained independence through a Compact of Free Association. In addition to marine products and deep-seabed minerals, Micronesia’s natural resources include forests and high-grade phosphate. The Micronesian economy suffers from a 16 percent unemployment rate. Less than 6 percent of the land is arable; however, most people survive by subsistence farming and fishing. Less than one-third of the population lives in urban areas even though two-thirds of Micronesians work for the government.

With a population of 108,105, Micronesia has a fertility rate of 4.4 children per woman. The per capita annual income of $2,000 means that Micronesia ranks 180th of 232 nations in world incomes. Almost 27 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. Without subsidies from the United States, which are scheduled to end in 2023, and other grants, Micronesians would find life even more difficult. While 96 percent of the residents do have access to safe drinking water, 72 percent have no access to improved sanitation. Many people have no knowledge of basic environmental protection measures. Due to lack of data, Micronesia is not ranked by the United Nations Development Programme Human Development Reports.

Made up of only 271 square miles (702 square kilometers) of land area with no freshwater resources, Micronesia comprises four major island groups: Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap, and Kosrae, totaling 607 islands. Bordered entirely by the North Pacific Ocean, Micronesia has 3,789 miles (6,112 kilometers) of coastline. The tropical climate leads to heavy rainfall throughout the year, particularly in the eastern islands. The typhoon belt in the southern edge of the federation occasionally suffers serious ecological and property damage. The terrain of the islands varies from mountainous to low coral atolls. Volcanic outcroppings are present on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Chuuk.

In addition to creating economic problems for Micronesia, overfishing has damaged ecosystems, as have pollution and global warming. Military activities of the past have left legacies that include contamination of marine food supplies; hot spots have been identified in Micronesia where hazardous chemicals such as transformer oils and pesticides have been stored, used, or discarded.

There are more rare, endangered, threatened, and endemic species per unit of land in Micronesia than anywhere else in the world. Consequently, some Micronesians have banded together in the Nature Conservancy to promote environmental protection and biodiversity. The focus of this work is on Pohnpei, the largest of the Micronesian islands. Pohnpei, which is home to 100 endemic species that live nowhere else on the planet, contains the largest intact upland rain forest in Micronesia and is one of the greenest wetlands in the world.

In order to promote sustainable development, the Environmental Protection Board and the Department of Human Resources are given authority under the Environmental Protection Act to promote environmental responsibility in Micronesia. Yap and Kosrae have also passed state environmental legislation. The U.S. Department of the Interior also works with Micronesian officials on the Micronesia Water and Wastewater Training Project to promote the operation, maintenance, and management of local water and wastewater utilities. In addition to government programs, the University of Oregon established the Micronesia and South Pacific Program in 1988 to work with the University of the South Pacific and the College of Micronesia-FSM to further promote sustainable development on the islands. Micronesia’s commitment to the global environment is basically limited to participation in the following economic agreements: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, and Ozone Layer Protection.

Bibliography:

Kevin Hillstrom and Laurie Collier Hillstrom, Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica: A Continental Overview of Environmental Issues (ABC-CLIO, 2003);
R. Howe, Nature, Culture, and History: The “Knowing” of Oceania (University of Hawai’i Press, 2000);
United Nations Development Programme, “Human Development Reports: Micronesia,” hdr.undp.org (cited April 2006);
United Nations Environment Programme, Pacific Island Regional Report: Chemicals (Global Environment Facility, 2002).