The environment of Palau consists of a number of islands in the western
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
.
Biota
The avifauna of Palau includes a total of 149 species, of which 10 are endemic, three have been introduced by humans, and 17 are rare or accidental. Three species are globally threatened.
Climate
The Palau government are concerned about the
effects of climate change
The effects of climate change impact the physical environment, ecosystems and human societies. The environmental effects of climate change are broad and far-reaching. They affect the water cycle, oceans, sea and land ice (glaciers), sea level ...
on the island nation. In 2008 Palau requested that the UN
Security Council consider protection against
rising sea levels
Rising may refer to:
* Rising, a stage in baking - see Proofing (baking technique)
*Elevation
* Short for Uprising, a rebellion
Film and TV
* "Rising" (''Stargate Atlantis''), the series premiere of the science fiction television program ''Starga ...
due to climate change.
Tommy Remengesau
Thomas Esang "Tommy" Remengesau Jr. (born 28 February 1956) is a Palauan people, Palauan politician; in 2013 he was elected the ninth president of Palau and was re-elected to that office in 2016. Previously he served as the seventh president of ...
, the president of Palau, has said:
Palau has lost at least one third of its coral reefs due to climate change related weather patterns. We also lost most of our agricultural production due to drought and extreme high tides. These are not theoretical, scientific losses -- they are the losses of our resources and our livelihoods.... For island states, time is not running out. It has run out. And our path may very well be the window to your own future and the future of our planet.
Geography
Palau consists of eight principal islands and more than 250 smaller ones lying roughly 500 miles southeast of the Philippines. The islands of Palau constitute part of the
Caroline Islands chain.
See also
*
List of environmental issues
References
External links
Republic of Palau - National Government
{{Palau-stub