GEOSCIENCE DIVISION
Map Cook Islands Federated Sates of Micronesia Fiji Kiribati Nauru Niue Papua New Guinea Republic of Marshall Islands Republic of Palau Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu
Country
Population
Land Area
Climate
Water resource
Water consumption
Country Cook Islands Cook Islands
Population 21,750 (July 2007 est.)
Land Area 236.7 km2
Climate
Water resource
Water consumption
Country Federated Sates of Micronesia Federated Sates of Micronesia
Population 107,862 (July 2007 est.)
Land Area 702 km2
Climate
Water resource Avg Rainfall: 4,928 mm per annum
Water consumption
Country Fiji Fiji
Population 918 675 (July 2007 est.)
Land Area 18,270 km2
Climate
Water resource Avg Rainfall: 2000 - 3000 mm per annum
Water consumption
Country Kiribati Kiribati
Population 107,817 (July 2007 est.)
Land Area 811 km2
Climate
Water resource Avg Rainfall: South of the equator: 1,300 mm Tarawa: 2,000 mm Northernmost islands: over 3,200mm Eastern Line Islands: less than 1,000 mm
Water consumption
Country Nauru Nauru
Population 11,528 (July 2007 est.)
Land Area 21 km2
Climate
Water resource Avg Rainfall: 2,090 mm per annum
Water consumption
Country Niue Niue
Population 1,625m(GoN statistics 2006)
Land Area 260 km2
Climate
Water resource Avg Rainfall: 2,180 mm per annum
Water consumption
Country Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea
Population 5,795,887 (July 2007 est.)
Land Area 462,840 km2
Climate
Water resource Avg Rainfall:1000-80000 mm per annum
Water consumption
Country Republic of Marshall Islands Republic of Marshall Islands
Population 20,842
Land Area 458 km2
Climate
Water resource Avg Rainfall: 3,700 mm per annum
Water consumption
Country Republic of Palau Republic of Palau
Population 61,815(July 2007 est.)
Land Area 11,854.3 km2
Climate
Water resource Avg Rainfall: Southern attols: 4,000mm Northern attols:2,000 mm per annum
Water consumption
Country Samoa Samoa
Population 214,265
Land Area 2,944 km2
Climate
Water resource Avg Rainfall: 3,000 mm per annum
Water consumption
Country Solomon Islands Solomon Islands
Population 566,842
Land Area 28,450 km2
Climate
Water resource Avg Rainfall:1500-5000 mm per annum
Water consumption
Country Tonga Tonga
Population 116,921
Land Area 748 km2
Climate
Water resource Avg Rainfall: Varies from north and south of tonga with an estimated average of 2500 mm per annum
Water consumption
Country Tuvalu Tuvalu
Population 11.992 (July 2007 est.)
Land Area 26 km2
Climate
Water resource Avg Rainfall: 3000mm per annum
Water consumption
Country Vanuatu Vanuatu
Population 211,971 (July 2007 est.)
Land Area 12,200 km2
Climate
Water resource Avg Rainfall: 2000 - 4000 mm per annum
Water consumption
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Palauan President declares Blue Ribbon Water Awareness Month and directs development of National Water Policy 23 March, 2011




President Toribiong formally proclaimed March 22nd as Palau Water Day, and the following month as Blue Ribbon Water Awareness Month.

  
On 22 March, Palau joined with the global community in celebrating World Water Day at its first ever National Water Summit.   The Summit, held at the Ngarachamayong Cultural Centre in Koror, brought together Government officials, traditional leaders and community representatives to acknowledge the importance of Palau’s water resources and identify the priority issues for their management and protection.
 
In opening the summit, Palau’s President, Johnson Toribiong, noted that the nation is blessed with water resources that have provided its people with clean drinking water and safe sanitation for many years.  However, he also warned that, “as the demand on our water supply increases, Palau needs to start thinking of ways to conserve, protect and better manage this vital resource to ensure an adequate supply for current and future generations”
 
President Toribiong described the Summit as the first step towards creating a national water policy that will “protect and conserve Palau’s water resources for years to come,” and called on participants to actively contribute to its development.  “Only by working together can we ensure water forever,” he said.
 
Most of Palau’s water supplies come from the Ngerikiil Watershed. It supplies about 78% of Palau’s pumped water, but studies have shown that during drought seasons, it is not enough to supply sufficient water to meet the needs of the all the people.  This was just one of the issues raised at the Summit, where participants from all walks of life shared their views on the key water issues that should be covered by national policy.   Themes explored included security of supply, health, environment, resilience and governance.
 
A highlight of the Summit was the President’s signing of a proclamation that established the month of March 22 to April 22 as “Blue Ribbon Water Awareness Month.”  The blue ribbon represents the slogan “Water for Life,” and will feature around Palau on shirts, banners and even lamp poles.  
 
Protected Areas Network Coordinator, Joe Aitaro, said that the purpose of Blue Ribbon Water Awareness Month is to promote water awareness and to remind people that Palau’s water resources are finite and need protection.  “You just can’t overstate the importance of fresh water to a country like Palau,” he said.  “The emerging impacts of climate change are even more of a reason why as a nation we need to manage the water we have today, in order to secure our children’s future.”
 
Two other Micronesian countries, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia are also holding National Water Summits this World Water Day, and the findings of these summits will be shared at the upcoming Micronesian Chief Executives Summit in April.
 
ENDS
 
Contact: 
Gwen Sisior: Palau Water Policy Officer: mobile: (+680) 7799875, email: [email protected]
Dave Hebblethwaite: SPC IWRM Adviser: mobile (+680) 7792731, email: [email protected]
Tiy Chung: SPC Communications Advisor: mobile: (+692) 4563124 email: [email protected]