Pacific Island Books
Land, Water, and Rural Development

Land, Water and Rural Development

Climate & Agriculture in the Pacific Islands: future perspectives edited by William Aalbersberg, Patrick D. Nunn and Asesela D. Ravuvu Recommended retail price $14, our price $13.50.

A majority of Pacific Islanders rely on subsistence farming and fishing for their survival. These sectors are also major foreign currency earners in a number of countries. In cultural terms, the very existence of Pacific Peoples is inseparable from the land.

Although the risks to the physical survival of many Pacific Islands as a result of sea-level rise have been widely publicized, it is agriculture and marine and terrestrial ecosystems that are likely to be affected greatest in the next century. Adverse effects on these systems will probably render many areas uninhabitable long before they are totally inundated, if they ever are.

This small volume aims to increase grass-roots awareness, to help Pacific populations cope with changes and make the necessary sacrifices to counter the negative impacts of climate change. Highly recommended for High School and University Geography and Environmental Studies Courses. Soft cover, 80 pp.

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Customary Land Tenure and Sustainable Development edited by Ron Crocombe. Published by the Institute of Pacific Studies. ISBN 9822034601. Recommended retail price $14.

More than 90 per cent of the land in the 22 countries and territories served by the South Pacific Commission is held under customary tenures - more than any other region of the world. And populations in this region are growing faster than those of almost any other region. Is this situation sustainable?

The traditions on which today's customary tenures are based were evolved to suit very different economic, social and political contexts. Fortunately, however, a feature of custom is its flexibility and adaptability, so the customary tenures of today in many cases differ markedly from those of yesterday.

How best can the process of adaptation to the changing needs of the Pacific countries and territories continue? This is the issue the authors of this book address. It is essential reading for all interested in this most basic of questions facing the South Pacific today. Soft cover, 214 pages. Published in 1995.

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Land Issues In The Pacific edited by Ron Crocombe and Malama Maleisea. Published by the Institute of Pacific Studies. ISBN 9820200962. Recommended retail price $40.

This authoritative set of essays on land tenure and development in the Pacific covers Hawai'i, Western Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Niue, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Cook Islands, Tonga, Nauru, Tuvalu, Tokelau and Australia. Issues covered include indigenous versus settler rights; rights to marine and aquatic resources; the effects of social change on attitudes to customary tenure; women's rights to land; the influence of absentee land owners on land tenure; customary land and the problem of collateral for agricultural credit; chiefly versus non-chiefly rights; and land for productiv ity and economic growth. Soft cover, 234 pages. Published in 1994.

Land Tenure in the Atolls edited by Ron Crocombe. Published by the Institute of Pacific Studies. Recommended retail price $24.00.

People living in atolls exist on tiny islets of sand and rubble emerging precariously above the ocean tides that sweep the circular or semicircular coral reefs. They are among the world's most fragile and difficult environments for human habitation. Reosurces are extremely limited, variable and fluctuate drastically with drought, tsunami and tropical storms. People living on atolls have developed very specialized land tenure systems that are now adjusting to often rapid population increases as well as to sweeping economic and political changes.

The authors of this book are atoll dwellers from a number of Pacific countries. They describe the land tenure systems, their problems and prospects, in situations of high vulnerability. Soft cover, 246 pages. Published in 1987.

Land Tenure in the Pacific (3rd edition) edited by Ron Crocombe. Published by the Institute of Pacific Studies. ISBN 9820200091. Recommended retail price $18.

One of the most critical political and economic issues in the Pacific islands is land tenure. Much more varied and complex than for any other population on earth of similar size, the tenure systems offer a range of potentials as well as constraints.

In this important volume a team of writers with expertise in various aspects of land tenure, trace its evolution, explain the present situations and explore future options. It is a basic reference for anyone wishing to understand the Pacific or any country within it. Soft cover, 420 pages. Published in 1987.

In Search of a Home edited by Leonard Mason and Pat Hereniko. Published by the Institute of Pacific Studies. ISBN 982010016X. Recommended retail price $16.

Pacific Islanders are increasingly found to be emigrating to other countries. Like anyone else, immigrants need land to live on. This collection is concerned with the land rights of immigrants whether they are native inhabitants within a country who have moved from outer islands to port towns, or closer to economic opportunities opened up by new roads, markets or wage labor; or Pacific Islanders who have migrated from one island nation to another; or immigrants from overseas and their descendants in the islands.

There is a lack of traditional precedent to meet these needs; the relatively recent problem requires relatively new solutions, perhaps a series of solutions, each suited to the demands of the local situation wherever it may be in the Pacific. Soft cover, 260 pages. Published in 1987.

Nearshore Marine Resources of the South Pacific: Information for Fisheries Development and Management edited by Andrew Wright and Lance Hill. ISBN 982-02-0082-2. Published by the Institute of Pacific Studies. Recommended retail price $40.

This book brings together essential facts and figures for all persons interested in fisheries among the Pacific Islands. Its 20 chapters include useful information on a variety of topics. It is essential reading for any person who teaches in this field and is a highly useful text for any marine biologist, amateur or professional.

This book is a product of the Forum Fisheries Agency which represents 16 countries in the region. The collective research is extensive and the bibliographies are comprehensive. This is indeed a reference tool for years to come. Hard cover, 710 pp.

Table of Contents from Nearshore Marine Resources of the South Pacific.

Click on links below for related titles

Fisheries Development in Fiji: The Quest for Sustainability by Joeli Veitayaki

Management of Marine Resources in Kiribati by Roniti Teiwaki

Last modified on Monday, August 25, 2008