Meet Nolani!
This World Wetlands Day, we're looking at the contributions of young people in 'Protecting Wetlands for our Common Future'.
Meet Nolani! Hailing from Samoa and Fiji, Nolani is a Pacific Youth Wetlands Coordinator. She's based at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP) in Samoa. We have funded the role as part of our efforts to see the Convention on Wetlands implemented globally.
Nolani's passion for marine environments is rooted in her heritage - the ocean and wetlands were her playground. Now, they're her office too!
'My passion for the marine and wetland environment comes from being a Pasifika islander where the ocean and wetlands are in our own backyard,' Nolani said.
'I've always been able to spend hours in the water or out in the field from a young age and I am excited that I get to incorporate this into my career.'
Nolani graduated from the University of the South Pacific with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Management. She then went on to intern and work for Conservation International, focusing on the Samoan Ocean Strategy. There she learned the ropes of working in wetlands by doing a mix of theory and hands-on work. One day she might be consulting communities and doing project management. The next might see her doing field work like mangrove and coral assessments.
Now, at SPREP, Nolani's work is all about implementing the Convention on Wetlands in the Pacific region.
'I will be working on building youth networks to support them in wetland conservation, assist regional reporting activities, and developing awareness materials to promote the Ramsar Convention,' Nolani said.
'I look forward to empowering Pacific youths with shared skills and knowledge that is needed for effective wetland management and conservation!'
The Ramsar Youth Resolution from 2022 acknowledges that young people now and in the future will bear the costs of global wetland loss. It proposes we support and include youth in decision-making processes and acknowledge their role as agents of change.
By empowering young people to make positive change, Nolani is helping to protect and conserve the region's wetlands, including its Ramsar sites. There are 3 Ramsar wetlands in Samoa and 2 in Fiji.
Australia is partnering with the Pacific and our neighbours to work towards a nature positive future. By funding programs like the SPREP Youth Coordinator, we're supporting regional climate and environment priorities.
Inspiring people like Nolani are working hard around the globe to safeguard our future by conserving the world's wetlands.
