Fiji has secured a $37.3 million grant from the Asian Development Bank to strengthen coastal protection and help vulnerable communities adapt to the growing impacts of climate change.
Responding to a question in Parliament from the Assistant Minister for the office of Prime Ministers, Sakiusa Tubuna, Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Sugar, Tomasi Tunabuna says the project will support 15 vulnerable coastal communities across Fiji, directly benefiting about 3,000 people, including men, women and children, with priority given to low income households and women-led families.
He says Fiji’s coastal communities continue to face serious threats from sea level rise, storm surges, coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion and increasingly severe weather, putting homes, food sources and livelihoods at risk.
He says the project will deliver practical solutions such as mangrove restoration, stronger coastal protection works, improved drainage systems and hybrid green engineering measures, while also supporting climate resilient livelihoods to help communities become more economically secure.
Tunabuna says phase one of the project will run from June this year to June next year and cover five communities, including villages in Namosi and Cakaudrove, while a further ten communities will be included in phase two from 2027 to 2032 following consultations and assessments.
He also confirmed that project consultants are now being recruited, with full implementation expected to begin in early June.
