National Action Plan to Combat Land Degradation and Drought.

This Action Plan is a national policy with a cross-sectoral approach. The purpose of this NAP is to strengthen efficiency of sustainable land management and utilization of natural resources in order to achieve sustainable development and meet the demands of social development at an appropriate level.
The root causes and impacts of land degradation on socio-economic and socio-culture conditions will be identified through effective management of land degradation data. Local participation in land degradation prevention projects will be encouraged and strengthened.
This Action Plan addresses the underlying causes of land degradation and drought, and identifies measures to prevent and rehabilitate it, in accordance with the United Nation Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa (UNCCD). The vision for this NAP is to achieve sustainable development. Therefore, national action programmes will be integrated into development policies regarding biodiversity conservation, environmental protection, climate change, food security, agriculture, forest conservation and management, water management, poverty reduction, capacity building and social protection. The strategies of this NAP as means of addressing land degradation under the UNCCD framework, are (i) developing a partnership with local institutions and communities and non-governmental organisations for an effective implementation of land degradation control, (ii) coordinating the implementation of UNCCD, CBD and UNFCCC activities to ensure synergy and effectiveness, (iii) strengthening cooperation with related regional institutions, regional CCD Thematic Programme Networks and international organizations, (iv) establishing priorities and developing action plans though active involvement in the decision-making by local communities in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation, (v) awareness raising about ensuring a good quality environment and sustainable land management, and (vi) carrying out integrated and sites special projects. Research studies will be conducted to collect data on Tuvalu’s ecosystems to enhance sustainable land management efforts. Monitoring of soil erosion and sedimentation will be strengthened. Inventory and mapping of degraded land will be made by using GIS and hazard maps. Standards will be established for soil conservation techniques. Awareness will be raised on soil conservation and its benefits, management of protected areas and the dangers of land degradation. Proper solid waste management practices will be promoted. In order to rehabilitate degraded lands, projects of land rehabilitation will be carried out in the country. In addition to that, improper solid waste disposal sites will be rehabilitated. Sustainable land management plans will be developed. Traditional knowledge will be incorporated into sustainable land management practices. Furthermore, projects on rainwater catchment enhancement, community tree care, water catchment development, land-based protected area survey, and integrated solid waste management will be carried out to combat land degradation and drought.
In order to mitigate the impacts of drought, drought contingency plans will be developed and early warning systems will be established. Water availability and the impacts of climate change will be monitored regularly. Moreover, research activities will be carried out to develop drought-resistant and salt-tolerant crops.
Government organizations, non-governmental organizations, private sectors and local communities will be involved in the implementation of this Action Plan. Institutional capacity of institutions and organizations will be strengthened to effectively address land degradation and sustainable development. Existing legislation related to land degradation, sustainable land management and drought will be reviewed and strengthened to support implementation of the programme. The National Environmental Protection Act will be developed with provisions for environmental impact assessment and regulations related to sustainable land management.