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Pacific Environment Information Network [PEIN] Country Profile and Virtual Environment Library

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Compiled by the SPREP IRC and Library the Pacific Environment Information Network [PEIN] Country Profiles are a browsable compilation of country profiles , national environment reports , technical reports and academic literature for the countries of the Pacific Islands. Contributions of weblinks and documents, whether in hardcopy or digital form are welcome and can be sent to irc@sprep.org .

[*Note that many of the documents below are large pdf files and may be difficult to load. Some pdf files may only be compatible with version 6.0 of adobe acrobat or higher. The issue should be resolved by upgrading to the latest Adobe Reader software. The Reader version 8 is free software available on the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html .

Documents can be requested from irc@sprep.org .

Contents

Overview
Country Profiles

Country Reports

Technical Reports

Multimedia - posters, videos etc
Academic literature and research
Websites

Overview

from EPA website

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) consists of a volcanic and limestone archipelago of 14 islands extending in a generally north-south direction for 338 nautical miles for a land area of 176 square miles. With almost 70,000 people, Saipan is the largest island (46 square miles), and is the urban, commercial and government center. Thousands of people also live on the islands of Rota (32 square miles) and Tinian (39 square miles) are largely rural.

In the past, much of the CNMI's recognition stemmed from its role in World War II, but in recent years, an expanding tourist market and garment manufacturing has become a large part of the economy. Yet, the median household income is 45% below the U.S. average. And growth has strained the ability of the local government to provide adequate infrastructure and environmental protection:

Saipan is the only municipality of its size in the United States without 24-hour water delivery.
Saipan's water isn't drinkable because of its high salinity.
For almost half of Saipans residents, water flows through their pipes only a few hours per day.
The island of Saipan is littered with hundreds of thousands of rounds of unexploded ordnance.
U.S. EPA supports the local leadership of the 50 staff of CNMI Division of Environmental Quality, and has worked with DEQ and others within CNMI to address these problems.

Country Profiles

Birdlife [Avifauna] Profiles

Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World - browsable by country and by individual island within the Pacific region - excellent data source

see also Species profiles [*For the Globally Threatened Birds (those evaluated as Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable), each factsheet contains a summary account, range map and an illustration, plus additional data tables. For Extinct, Extinct in the Wild, Near Threatened, Least Concern and Data Deficient species, each contains a concise summary paragraph and some additional data tables.] [Birdlife International]
Northern Mariana Islands

see also Endemic Bird Areas [EBAs] of the Pacific [incl. Mariana Islands]

see also Pacific regional overview [Birdlife International]
see also Globally Threatened Birds (those evaluated as Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable) of Oceania [Birdlife International]
see also State of the World's birds website and report [Birdlife International] - including Pacific country case studies

Earthtrends Thematic Country Profiles [WRI]
Agriculture and food, Biodiversity and protected areas, Climate and atmosphere, Coastal and marine ecosystems, Economics, business and the environment, Energy and resources, environmental governance and institutions, Forests, grasslands and drylands, Population, health and human well-being, Water resources and freshwater ecosystems.

Ecoregion Profiles [World Wildlife Fund]
Tropical & Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests
Marianas [Northern Mariana Islands, Guam]

Environment Statistics - Country Snapshots [UN; 2007]
Northern Mariana Islands

Environmental Vulnerability Index - Country Profiles [SOPAC / UNEP]
Northern Mariana Islands

Fishbase Biodiversity Country Profiles (all fish)
Northern Mariana Islands

Forestry Country Profiles
Forestry Department Country Profiles [FAO]
Northern Mariana Islands

see also State of the World's Forests 2007: Asia and the Pacific [FAO] (2008; 1.77mb)
see also Tropical and subtropical forest profiles prepared by the World Wildlife Fund

Global Biodiversity Information Forum [GBIF] Country Profiles
Northern Mariana Islands

see also GBIF Google Earth Country Links
Northern Mariana Islands

Invasive Species : Country Profiles [ISSG]
Northern Mariana Islands

see also PIER reports on invasive species in Pacific islands:
Commonwealth of the Northen Mariana Islands - Rota

see also NBII Invasive Species information Node profiles
Northern Mariana Islands

Mangrove and Wetlands Profiles
Wetlands in Oceania - country profiles and wetlands information [UNEP-WCMC] - Northern Mariana Islands
see : A Directory of Wetlands in Oceania [1993]
see also: Wetlands of the Pacific Island Region (2008; 882kb)
see also: IWMI Global Wetlands - Interactive Web Map Server - includes countries of Oceania

Marine Resource Profiles

State of Coral Reef Systems
Northern Mariana Islands (2008; 3.96mb),

see also:

The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States: 2008 (2008)

The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States:2005 (2005; 5.47mb)

see also:

State of the marine environment in the South Pacific Region (1990; 3.48mb)

see also:

Reefbase Country Profiles (coral reefs, reef fish, biodiversity)
Northern Mariana Islands

see also GIS data for corals in the Pacific from Reefbase - browse by country and reef profile
see also GIS data for marine protected areas in the Pacific from Reefbase - browse by country and ecosystem

see also:

NOAA's Coral Reef Information System - Pacific profiles
Northern Mariana Islands

see also:

Marine Resources Assessment for the Marianas Operating Area (2005; 15.28mb)

MPA Global Profiles (marine protected areas database)
Northern Mariana Islands

Pacific Biodiversity Information Forum Country Data:
Northern Mariana Islands

Pacific Regional information System - PRISM [SPC]
Environmental and Climate Statistics
Northern Mariana Islands

Political Reviews [Contemporary Pacific]
Northern Mariana Islands

Protected Areas
World Database on Protected Areas - Pacific site profiles
Northern Mariana Islands

see also: Protected Areas of the Pacific Islands profiles [UNEP / WCMC]
Maps of the Pacific Islands
Wetlands in Oceania - country profiles and wetlands information - Northern Mariana Islands

see also GIS data for marine protected areas in the Pacific - browse by country and ecosystem
see also MPA Global Profiles (marine protected areas database) above

SPC Country Profiles:
Northern Mariana Islands

Threatened species: Summary of species on the 2008 IUCN Red List
Northern Mariana Islands

UNEP Country Profiles [* poorly maintained and little information available]
Northern Mariana Islands

Water Data Country Profiles [USGS]
Northern Mariana Islands

World Bank Environment indicators
Northern Mariana Islands

World Factbook Country Profiles [CIA]
Northern Mariana Islands

World Ocean Database 2005 [NOAA]
Geographically sorted data for the Pacific Ocean [datasets]

see also Environmental indicators: South Pacific (UNEP: 2004; 6.23mb)
see also Paciifc Biodiversity Information Forum website and databases

Country Reports

Demographic Baseline Report of U.S. Territories and Counties Adjacent to Coral Reef Habitats [NOAA] (2008; 3mb)
Northern Mariana Islands (2008; 5.77mb)

Fishery ecosystem plan for the Mariana Archipelago [WPRFMC] (2005; 2.31mb)

Mariana Islands Range Complex: Environmental Impact Statement
Volume 1 (37.5mb) ; Volume 2 (9.2mb)

Marine Resources Assessment for the Marianas Operating Area (2005; 15.28mb)

National Invasive Species Strategy
Invasives reports: Northern Mariana Islands - Rota (2003; 195kb),

see also Invasive alien species in the Austral-Pacific region: national reports and directory of resources [GISP] (2002; 3.75mb)

see also Invasives Species on Pacific Islands [reports] - HEAR / PIER project website

Ships' Waste Management in Pacific Islands Ports: Country reports
Northern Mariana Islands

State [U.S.] Wildlife Action Plans [Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategies - CWCSs]
Northern Mariana Islands (2005; 6.4mb)

Technical Reports

Reports available online from the SPREP Library and IRC database
Reports available online from ReefBase Pacific

search also SPC Coastal and Oceanic Fisheries Digital Library

see also Hardcopy reports held in the SPREP library

Multimedia - posters, videos etc

Poster: Some inshore fish species of the Cook Islands [SPC]
Poster: Tuna and othe pelagic fish species of the Cook Islands [SPC]
Poster: Bottomfish species of the Cook Islands [SPC]

Academic literature and research

via Google Scholar

Websites

Division of Environmental Quality

Island Research and Education Initiative
Island Research & Educational Initiative (IREI) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization committed to upholding the unique environmental and cultural legacies of islands and island peoples. We initiate and implement our own projects and collaborate with like-minded groups. The scientific and educational work by IREI is carried out in direct response to specific concerns in specific locales.

Mariana Islands Nature Alliance

Micronesia Challenge

Micronesian Seminar

see also:

The Pacific Environment Information Network [PEIN] Regional Frameworks and Strategies Directory [SPREP]

SPREP Library and IRC collection [SLIC] - includes online full text access to a wide range of Pacific environment materials.

The Pacific Environment Information Network [PEIN] Virtual Library - full text publications from SPREP, SOPAC, SPC and other CROP agencies, Pacific govt. environment depts. , regional institutions, and NGOs active in the area of environment conservation.

Pacific Environment Databases and Recommended Internet Resources

see also:

SPREP's International Instruments' webpage
"International instruments relevant to SPREP's work in the areas of Sustainable Economic Development, Ecosystems Management, Climate Change, and Waste Management."

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Compiled by Peter Murgatroyd. Last updated 24 September 2009.

© SPREP