The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change today hosted a delegation from the Adaptation Fund as part of the Fund’s Portfolio Monitoring Mission to Fiji, reviewing the progress of investments aimed at protecting vulnerable communities from the impacts of climate change.
The delegation was led by Head of the Adaptation Fund Secretariat, Mr Mikko Ollikainen, and included Adaptation Fund Board Members of Germany and Sweden.
Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Dr Sivendra Michael, chaired discussions with representatives from the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, UN-Habitat, the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways and the Pacific Community (SPC).
A key focus was progress on two Adaptation Fund-financed projects currently benefiting communities in Fiji.
The USD 4.3 million Increasing the Resilience of Informal Settlements in Fiji Project is working to strengthen climate and disaster resilience across 16 communities in four urban centres.
The delegation also discussed the USD 5.7 million Nature-Based Seawalls Project, which is delivering coastal protection for 14 villages vulnerable to climate impacts. The project is implemented by SPC and executed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways.
For Fiji, these investments mean practical adaptation measures reaching communities that are increasingly exposed to climate and disaster risks from vulnerable urban settlements to coastal villages.
Discussions also covered the Adaptation Fund’s broader priorities and Fiji’s priorities heading into Pre-COP31 and COP31, including the importance of continued access to adaptation finance for vulnerable communities.
The Ministry acknowledges the Adaptation Fund Secretariat and Board, UN-Habitat, the Governments of Germany and Sweden, SPC, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government and the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways for their continued partnership in delivering these projects for Fiji.