The definition of Biodiversity for the purpose of the Nauru Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan is: The variety of life forms, the different plants, animals and micro-organisms, the genes they contain, and the ecosystems they form. It is usually considered at three levels; genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity. It thus includes all the species that make up the natural world of Nauru, those which naturally occur on the island, and those brought here by people. Nauru’s isolation as a single island from other land masses means that many of the species found here are endemic and their conservation is of particular importance. For the past century however, Nauru has been heavily mined for phosphate and has led to the serious breakdown of its physical environment as well as of the socio-economic wellbeing of its people. This strategy, in complementing the activities of the Nauru Rehabilitation Program, aims to conserve and sustainably use these endemic species and equally to secure the future of other species, native or introduced, that are vital to agriculture, forestry and fisheries. The conservation of biodiversity is vital to the ongoing social, economic and cultural development of the nation.
