Donor:  Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) |   Partners: eCoast and C2O Pacific |   Duration: October 2024 – July 2025 |  Location: Fiji

Project Background:

Fiji’s coastal habitats, including estuaries, mangroves, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and intertidal flats, are rich in biodiversity but increasingly threatened. These ecosystems are highly vulnerable to climate change impacts like sea level rise, storm surges, and intense cyclones. Riverine communities along major rivers such as the Rewa, Sigatoka, and Ba depend on these rivers for agriculture, fishing, and transportation. However, they face significant environmental challenges, particularly water quality degradation.

Ecosystem degradation and climate change impacts disproportionately affect rural and remote communities, especially women, children, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups. Strengthening the resilience of these communities to environmental degradation and climate change is therefore essential.

To strengthen climate resilience and protect local ecosystems, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change with support from the GGGI, is implementing a Green Climate Fund Readiness grant project titled “Mainstreaming Adaptation Planning at the Local Level in Fiji”. The project aims to facilitate the implementation of the National Adaptation Plan by mainstreaming adaptation at the local level across four themes: coastal areas, infrastructure, fisheries, and climate-smart agriculture.

As part of this project, diagnostic assessments are being conducted in 12 coastal and riverine communities across the Provinces of Ba, Lau, Lomaiviti, Nadroga-Navosa, Serua and Tailevu. The assessments seek to better understand the sources of coastal and riverine degradation and explore the application of nature-based solutions (NbS) and other adaptation measures to protect communities and the resources they depend on.