The National Environment Service (NES) has commenced implementation of the Cook Islands’ 2026 national reporting obligations under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) through the engagement of local consultancy firm WHUPI (CK) Limited (WHUPI). The consultancy will support the preparation of the Cook Islands’ national report to the UNCCD Secretariat and contribute to strengthening national capacity for future reporting cycles.
The Cook Islands is a Party to the UNCCD and is required to report on measures undertaken to address land degradation, support sustainable land management, and monitor progress against Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Indicator 15.3.1, which tracks the proportion of degraded land relative to total land area. The 2026 reporting cycle will be conducted through the UNCCD’s PRAIS 4 reporting platform and will draw upon national datasets, geospatial analysis, stakeholder consultations, and regional technical support.
WHUPI, led by Team Lead Ano Tisam, has been contracted by NES to deliver the agreed reporting activities from inception through final report preparation and submission support, including capacity assessment and recommendations. The consultancy agreement was executed in August 2026 and will run through to March 2027.
To bolster the geospatial and remote sensing components of the reporting process, WHUPI has partnered with fellow Cook Islander Manarii Etches as GIS and Remote Sensing Technical Lead. His role will support geospatial workflow development, land-cover mapping, Earth observation analysis, SDG 15.3.1 assessments, technical training, validation activities, and preparation of PRAIS 4-ready outputs.
The reporting process will involve close collaboration with government agencies, regional organisations, technical partners, and data custodians. Priority engagement will include stakeholders such as Infrastructure Cook Islands, Ministry of Agriculture, SPC, Statistics Office, Climate Change Cook Islands, and other organisations that may hold information relevant to national land degradation assessments.
The consultancy will support the collection and consolidation of national datasets, review existing information and reporting methodologies, facilitate stakeholder consultations and training activities, and prepare reporting outputs for NES review and support the Cook Islands’ official submission against the UNCCD Strategic Objectives and reporting framework. A key objective will be to strengthen national understanding of land degradation trends while improving institutional readiness for future reporting requirements.
NES Environmental Partnerships Manager, Hayley Weeks, welcomed the commencement of the work and commented:
“We’re pleased to begin this important national reporting milestone for UNCCD, and particularly happy that we were able to contract a locally based company that holds the relevant technical expertise required to deliver this important work. Having a locally based company with the relevant technical expertise deliver this work reflects the continued growth of our local capacities and capabilities, while allowing us to draw on regional technical support where appropriate. We’re excited to see the activities underway.”
The Cook Islands’ participation in the 2026 UNCCD reporting cycle is supported through the Global Environment Facility (GEF) UNCCD Enabling Activities Programme, implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with technical support across the Pacific region being provided by the Pacific Community (SPC) as well as the UNCCD Secretariat.
