Palau Environment - 2024

Environment - current issues

inadequate facilities for disposal of solid waste; threats to the marine ecosystem from sand and coral dredging, illegal and destructive fishing practices, and overfishing; climate change contributes to rising sea level and coral bleaching; drought

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Climate

tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November

Land use

agricultural land: 10.8% (2018 est.)

arable land: 2.2% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 4.3% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 4.3% (2018 est.)

forest: 87.6% (2018 est.)

other: 1.6% (2018 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 82.4% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Air pollutants

particulate matter emissions: 7.82 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 0.22 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 0.06 megatons (2020 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 9,427 tons (2016 est.)

Total renewable water resources

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)