WWF's work globally focuses on several thematic areas. Forests, Marine, and Freshwater programmes are concentrated in the parts of the world that WWF considers the highest priority areas for conservation attention. A key focus of these programmes is the establishment of new protected areas, improved management of protected areas, and more sustainable uses of natural resources. The WWF Species Programme focuses on the conservation of charismatic species. Protection of these species also requires their habitats and the other species with which they are associated to be protected. The Climate Change Programme aims to reduce emissions of climate changing gases that are causing global warming and to develop strategies to reduce vulnerabilities to climate change.

Although WWF is often perceived as interested only in protecting plants, animals and the environment, local livelihoods and governance are very important to us and comprise a large part of our day to day work.

The community-based approach to conservation is the hallmark of WWF's work in the Pacific region. Recognition that the communities' livelihoods, customs and traditions are intertwined with natural resources is the basis of this approach to conservation. Traditional skills and practices are increasingly recognised and built into nature conservation activities and plans. The community-based conservation initiatives have provided numerous learning opportunities about the different communities and conservation practices. WWF believes effective sustainable livelihood, development and conservation efforts happens most successfully when community groups adopt conservation initiatives and make their own management choices. For example, a community toolkit has been developed for the people of Kabara island in Fiji, which outlines how they can continue to train other community members in monitoring their seasons, reefs and other environmental aspects in order to guage the impact of climate change over a period of time. Experience with local leadership in community-based conservation indicates clearly that sustainability depends on local residents having the necessary skills to lead and manage activities on their own. Through its programmes, WWF builds the convervation practioners skills at comunity level and establishes a network of community based organisations which are dedicated to learning collaboratively and achieving best practice in conservation action.

Environmental sustainability is a major factor in poverty reduction and sustainable livelihoods in the Pacific region. To reduce poverty, WWF leads capacity building at community and government levels enabling pacific peoples to participate in local, national and international plans, policies and strategies.

For example, a workshop on woodcarving through our WWF Fiji Forestry Programme, gave locals the skills they need for their livelihood while also perserving the offcuts of the endangered vesi tree. The Regional Climate Change Programme's Climate Wtiness project, where it nominated a local Fijian woman from a remote offshore island to give talks to international audiences about her direct experience with climate change.

The livelihoods of most pacific peoples revolve around the sea. WWF works as closely as it can with communities to enable them to earn money sustainably, without excessive and irreversible damage to the environment. For example, much of the growing demand for corals, fish and invertebrates for tropical aquaria is currently met by the people who live on the coral reefs of Pacific Island nations. The tropical aquarium trade is well established in Fiji as well as the Solomon Islands and has become an important source of cash for some villagers. However, some methods of capture of marine organisms are likely to place unsustainable environmental pressure on the region as demand increases. In the Solomons, The WorldFish Center and WWF are currently helping to develop sustainable culture of marine ornamentals as a village-based industry in Western Province of Solomon Islands.

Poverty is often a consequence of degraded rural environments resulting from unsustainable human activities. Healthy natural environments sustain rural and urban economies and can be viewed as the 'social security' of rural populations. When the productive functions of healthy rural environments degrade, or when people lose access to those productive environments, movements to cities in search of alternative livelihoods exacerbates urban poverty. Environmental decline therefore not only undermines sustainable livelihoods and impacts the rural poor by disproportionately affecting their health, basic needs and security, but also aggravates poverty in already stressed urban environments.