The project in Wallis-&-Futuna

Located approximately 2100 km from New Caledonia and 2800 km from French Polynesia, Wallis & Futuna Territory is made up of two island groups located at the heart of the Pacific Islands, 230 km apart with a surface area of 140 sq. km. They host remarkable land and marine biodiversity. Wallis is a low island while Futuna is more mountainous. The population of 12,200 is divided into three kingdoms. The islands are under human pressure that is jeopardising the ecological equilibrium and may be a threat to freshwater sources.

Integrated coastal management is about using the coast sustainably by reconciling social and economic development with biological, environmental and cultural conservation for the good of current and future generations.

On Wallis and Futuna, the environmental impacts of unregulated landfills, watershed erosion, pig-farm effluent and the lack of resources for effective waste management, particularly for disposing of hazardous waste like oil and batteries, raise the risk of fresh-water pollution and are major issues.

INTEGRE supports public and traditional policy through a number of activities implemented at the Wallis Island and Futuna pilot sites and throughout the territory aimed at :

• Developing an integrated coastal management plan ;
• Improving the waste management process and containing pollution hazards ;
• Preserving water resources and biodiversity ;
• Containing shoreline erosion ;
• Educating the population about the environmental issues ; and
• Helping develop the organic farming sector.

Download our Brochure on Wallis and Futuna

The environmental impact of unregulated landfills and the high risk of irreversibly contaminating freshwater stocks with hazardous waste proved to be major concerns for Wallis & Futuna. INTEGRE developed activities at territory level, though other, more specific activities were aimed at more local issues. An overview is provided below.

Spécific Objectives :

INTEGRE was presented to the Territorial Environmental and Sustainable Development Council (CTEDD) in 2014 and its action plan was approved by the Wallis & Futuna Prefect and all CTEDD members. It is founded on two components :

Local component

Two INTEGRE pilot sites :

• Wallis Island
• Island of Futuna

On pilot sites, INTEGRE is working towards the following objectives :

• Improving waste management and educating the community about this issue ;
• Limiting the risks of pollution, particular for the groundwater pollution hazard ;
• Helping preserve natural resources ;
• Helping contain coastal erosion ;
• Helping preserve.

Territorial and cross-sector component

In the territory as a whole, INTEGRE aims to :

• Develop an integrated coastal management plan ;
• Improve waste management ;
• Educate the population about environmental issues and the ICM approach ;
• Help develop the organic farming sector.

INTEGRE provided support to existing arrangements, such as management plans and regulations as well as to territorial authorities, government departments, and environmental associations. A geographical three-tier (region, territory and pilot site) governance approach has been taken in Wallis & Futuna.

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