Giving Pacific Island students access to New Zealand tertiary institutions so that they are able to benefit from high quality facilities and have access to globally recognized academics and researchers is a significant component to the development of local capacity. To this end, EcoCARE helped negotiate the College of Science Pacific Scholarship in 2009 and free accommodation from Campus Living Villages for those in the program.

EcoCARE is committed to helping Pacific schools provide quality education to their students. Thus far EcoCARE has provided 10 microscopes, 204 computers, over 6,000 books and 1.3 millions sheets of paper to schools throughout Tonga. Continuing and expanding this program so students throughout the Pacific can utilise the resources they need to excel at school and upskill themselves for the future is a priority. 

Utilization of high end communications technologies is one way that island nations can participate in accessing expert knowledge and educational initiatives they previously were unable to. By transmitting courses that are able to be taught in one location to numerous others, students throughout the Pacific are able to access high quality tertiary education.

EcoCARE is interested in encouraging and highlighting the academic excellence of Pacific students. The implementation of a joint University of Canterbury/EcoCARE National Science Comptition in Tonga helped to encourage teachers and students to participate in the sciences, stimulate scientific excellence and offered interested parties the opportunity to informally assess the capacity of students in Tonga. In addition, it offered students an incentive to extend their scientific knowledge by offering prizes that would reward both the participants themselves and their schools

EcoCARE has researched and is interested in developing self sustaining, Portacom® style emergency response communications units that can be erected and functioning within one hour. These units would have wind or solar powered satellite communications, desalination and water filtration, a bio-digesting toilet and a recycled plastic awning to act as triage, water catchment and storage.

At present, emergency response units are usually made of soft inflatable fabrics. This means that they are badly insulated and unable to support facilities such as air conditioning units, desalination plants, communications equipment, solar or wind powered generation units. Any auxiliary support or essential systems must be self supporting. These additions mean that although the soft shelter itself is fairly light, when combined with the support systems required for power generation, air conditionin and communications,  the softer, lighter emergency shelter systems become considerably heavier and more cumbersome than a hard walled system would be. 

There are immense resources and facilities available for healthcare and EcoCARE is involved in acquiring and transporting these to hospitals in Tonga. Previous containers sent have included hospital beds, mattresses, sheets, pillow cases and numerous other essential items.

Awarding tertiary scholarships, establishing remote learning for undergraduate degree courses and developing postgraduate and postdoctoral projects are all priorities for EcoCARE. This can help improve internal expertise on both physical and mental health issues, affording Pacific Island communities more accessible, better quality healthcare.

The natural resources that can be found in and around the Pacific Islands mean that there is enormous potential for development in this area of the world. It is the sustainable management of these resources however, that is fundamental to the success of future development. If care is not taken in utilising the resources in this area of the world, the flow on effects can ultimately lead to various negative consequences for the people and environment of these island nations.

EcoCARE aims to bring experts in the relevant fields together with the people of the Tonga to develop postgraduate programs that will enable those who live and work on the Islands to gain the understanding and expertise necessary to participate in the long term management of the natural resources.

For Pacific Island nations, rich fishing grounds can net significant financial returns. However, exploitation of ocean resources can result in the collapse of fisheries and numerous negative effects on the marine environment. EcoCARE attempts to ensure that a balance can be found between the harvesting of the sea, and the conservation of the marine environment.

Mineral resources are also abundant in the Pacific region. Primarily found offshore, within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Pacific Islands, the proper management of these resources is imperative to the development of the Islands. The potential for mining activity to have devastating environmental impact is well documented, and thus it is vital that appropriate and intelligent management and monitoring of mining in the Islands is present.

The Pacific Islands are well known for their diverse animal and plant life. In Tonga, the traditional diet people have relied upon in the past has changed significantly in recent years. The Coconut crab, terrestrial megapode birds and seafood comprised the predominant diet, yet the introduction of invasive species such as cats, rats and dogs have all but eradicated the crab and birds relied upon for eating. Furthermore mangrove deforestation has impacted largely on local fisheries along with blast fishing and the use of toxins. This changing diet has likely played a large part in the prevalence of diabetes and heart disease throughout the Island nations. With a lack of understanding of these conditions in some areas, diagnosis and intervention is often late which can lead to unnecessary suffering for those affected.

For Island nations the effects of climate change have the potential to be catastrophic. Rising sea levels and the increasing incidence of severe storms is an extremely serious issue, particularly for those in low lying coastal areas. It is imperative that measures are taken early so people are prepared for the possible effects. Immediate action must be taken to mitigate the effects that global warming will have on Pacific Island nations, as delays and lack of action will only place the people of the Islands in further danger.

Mosquitos and the diseases that these insects carry need attention in the Islands. The island environment provides ideal conditions for the mosquitos to breed, thus awareness needs to be spread amongst the population about the dangers of the diseases and how to deal with them.