Fiji
This report was produced by NIWA to support the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) in developing an investment program for resilient ecosystems in the Pacific region.
Key findings:
- A total of 31 ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) or nature-based solutions (NbS) projects are currently underway or have recently been completed.
- The majority of projects are concentrated in Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, prioritizing the main islands and densely populated areas.
- The most common objectives include climate change adaptation, food security, ecosystem protection, and disaster risk reduction.
Challenges:
- Project implementation faces numerous obstacles such as: lack of consensus from governments and communities, limited capacity of implementing agencies, and high logistics costs.
- Over-focus on the impacts of climate change sometimes obscures the need to address actual environmental degradation.
- Measuring the success of EbA projects remains challenging.
Opportunities and Recommendations:
- Gaps to be filled include: Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES), leveraging indigenous knowledge, and strengthening public-private partnerships.
- Integrating nature-based solutions with hard infrastructure is necessary for more effective coastal protection and flood mitigation.
Potential investment options for MFAT include:
- New coastal protection/flood mitigation programs integrating EbA/NbS with hard infrastructure.
- Scaling up established EbA/NbS programs.
- Increasing financial contributions to regional initiatives.
Developing regional applied research programs to address knowledge gaps.
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