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The Solomon Islands are composed of six main islands including Choiseul, Isabel, Malaita, Guadalcanal, Makira, and New Georgia and numerous smaller islands. The land area covers approximately 30,000 km2, with over three times that in marine territory, much of which is rich in marine resources. The climate is equatorial and most of the islands are covered with dense rainforest. Mangrove swamps, crucially important in the nursery of fish, shells, coral, and other marine life, surround many of the islands. Approximately 85 percent of the country's population is rural, and subsists primarily on local staples and imported foods, while marine resources provide the bulk of animal protein in their diet. In recent years rapid local economic development has eroded local subsistence activities, particularly in urban areas. Wage income accounts for about a quarter of the country's household income. Growth in employment has stagnated due to recent ethnic conflicts. These have pushed urban people back to the provinces, increasing pressure on local resources. The country's main economic activities include fisheries, timber, copra, palm oil, and cocoa production. The Roviana Lagoon is located between Marovo and Vonavona Lagoons and extends for over 50 km southward from Munda, New Georgia's largest settlement, to Kalena Bay. The lagoon is protected by a series of offshore raised reef islands reaching between 20 and 40 meters high. Within the lagoon, which has a maximum depth of approximately 40 meters, there are small islets, coral reefs, and intertidal reef flats. The Vonavona Lagoon, adjacent to Roviana, lies northwest of New Georgia between Kohinggo and Parara islands and has a similar topography to Roviana. The lagoons are characterized by highly mosaic habitats consisting of grassbeds, mangroves, freshwater swamps, shallow reefs, deep lagoons, outer-lagoon reef-drops, and river estuaries. Terrestrial habitats include lowland, mountain, and moss forests. Biological richness makes management of this bio-geographically-significant area particularly important for regional conservation efforts. The Roviana and Vonavona Lagoons are home to several tribal groups. In both lagoons, the chief and elders of each community exercise control over resource use and access to tribal territories. Each tribal group exercises entitlement and use and access rights to land and sea estates, allowing for the development of participatory management and conservation initiatives in the region. The Solomon Islands are undergoing a population explosion and rampant resource extraction that are increasingly threatening the ecology and social stability of the region. Roviana and Vonavona marine and terrestrial habitats face eminent environmental degradation as they continue to be exploited by multinational fishing and timber corporations. Roviana and Vonavona terrestrial and marine habitats remain rich in biodiversity and still viable ecosystems in need of protection. This program is assisting local communities to protect their environment. |
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