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About: The island of Nauru is located in a remote corner of the Pacific Ocean. It has a population of around 13,000 people. In 1908, when the Germans, where in control of Nauru, they began to mine large amounts of phosphate located there. The island was then owned by Australians after their soldiers liberated Nauru in the early months of World War 1. Then after World War 2 in 1968 Nauru was left as an independent Island.
Identification: Nauru's major environmental risk is the mined-out phosphate lands that cover almost 90% of the islandMining of phosphate has devastated the Island environmentally, it has also created financial, legal and cultural problems for the Islanders. The phosphate is used as a fertilizer all around the world and the majority of it has been exported to Australia. The mineral used is located among the ancient coral reefs found underground.
Impact: From mining the majority of soil and vegetation has been stripped away. This prevents agriculture from taking place and it makes it very difficult for a viable ecosystem to establish itself and flourish.
Main causes: Natural hazards are excluded as a cause of land degradation, however human activities can indirectly affect phenomenon such as floods and bushfires. Overgrazing by livestock can lead to land degradation. Land clearances such as clear cutting and deforestation have a big impact on Nauru. Agricultural reduction of soil nutrients through poor farming practices are also a major cause of degradation.
Strategies: . In sustainable land management (SLM) Nauru has commenced a plan aimed at maintaining and improving ecosystem stability, integrity, functions and services while enhancing sustainable livelihoods. This will be done by building Nauru's ability to apply a complete rule for sustainable land management and to ensure that SLM is mainstreamed into all levels of decision-making. By the end of the plan, land degradation issues should be fully recognised in National Development Plans
Identification: Nauru's major environmental risk is the mined-out phosphate lands that cover almost 90% of the islandMining of phosphate has devastated the Island environmentally, it has also created financial, legal and cultural problems for the Islanders. The phosphate is used as a fertilizer all around the world and the majority of it has been exported to Australia. The mineral used is located among the ancient coral reefs found underground.
Impact: From mining the majority of soil and vegetation has been stripped away. This prevents agriculture from taking place and it makes it very difficult for a viable ecosystem to establish itself and flourish.
Main causes: Natural hazards are excluded as a cause of land degradation, however human activities can indirectly affect phenomenon such as floods and bushfires. Overgrazing by livestock can lead to land degradation. Land clearances such as clear cutting and deforestation have a big impact on Nauru. Agricultural reduction of soil nutrients through poor farming practices are also a major cause of degradation.
Strategies: . In sustainable land management (SLM) Nauru has commenced a plan aimed at maintaining and improving ecosystem stability, integrity, functions and services while enhancing sustainable livelihoods. This will be done by building Nauru's ability to apply a complete rule for sustainable land management and to ensure that SLM is mainstreamed into all levels of decision-making. By the end of the plan, land degradation issues should be fully recognised in National Development Plans