Fiji has committed US$10 million to the Pacific Resilience Facility, strengthening its contribution to a regional fund aimed at helping Pacific countries respond to the impacts of climate change.
This has been announced by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka during the Pacific Pre-COP in Nadi.
He confirmed the amount will be facilitated over a 5-year period.
Australian Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen welcomed the contribution, saying the Pacific Resilience Facility is designed by the Pacific for the Pacific.
Bowen also announced a AUS$3 million contribution to the Climate Infrastructure for Resilient Coastlines and Riverbanks project, which will support climate-resilient infrastructure in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati and Tuvalu.
Minister for Environment and Climate Change Lynda Tabuya says Fiji’s contribution demonstrates that Pacific countries are not simply asking the international community for assistance, but are also investing in their own resilience.
Tabuya says Fiji is committed to helping itself while calling on global partners to invest in the Pacific Resilience Facility.
The facility has a target of US$500 million.
Tabuya says the Pacific is united in taking its priorities to COP31, including keeping global warming within the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit.
She says the impacts of climate change are already being experienced across the Pacific, including through sea level rise, coastal erosion and damage to infrastructure.
Tabuya says Fiji’s US$10 million commitment is part of the Pacific’s effort to build its own resilience while encouraging greater international support.
Bowen says the Pacific Resilience Facility is being built step by step through contributions from countries around the world.
He says Australia’s additional $3 million commitment will support four projects, including upgrades to the Kings Road and Queens Road in Fiji.
Tabuya says some coastal roads in Fiji will need to be repaired, while others may eventually need to be relocated because of climate impacts.
She says Fiji will also need to contribute from its own national budget towards relocation and other resilience work.
The Pacific Pre-COP is continuing in Nadi ahead of COP31 in Türkiye next month.
