Climate Change

Sustainable Development Goal 13 focuses on the integration of climate change measures into national policies, the improvement of education, awareness-raising and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warnings.....Climate Change is already affecting communities in small island states. In the Pacific poor environmental management of forests, marine resources and wetlands have lowered resilience in dealing with climate change. The Pacific Islands are highly vulnerable to the risks posed by climate change because of their size, isolation and narrow economic base. Climate projections are bleak, indicating the food insecurity will increase. Adaptive capacity is hindered by poor access to information and to innovative and appropriate technologies.


To address this, we are working with UNDP in Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu to strengthen the resilience of island states in the face of potentially catastrophic climate change events. This is achieved through supporting the mainstreaming of climate change adaptation into development planning and budgeting at all levels of government. We also work to strengthen community resilience to local level climate change through facilitating local adaptation plans, and establishing food banks and knowledge hubs to trial resilient crops and share knowledge and ideas on strengthening food security systems to adapt to climate change challenges.


Through the "Protecting Food Security through Adaptation to Climate Change Project" we worked in communities across Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to increase the uptake of climate resilient farm technologies and climate change leadership. We are also working with the support of USAID with communities in West New Britain, PNG, to secure biodiversity and reduce livelihood and habitat loss through forest fire management planning.


In Cambodia we have developed food production technology to combat increased flooding by using raised, mobile and floating gardens, and water efficient methods for dry season agriculture and drought resistance. In the Maldives we have worked with communities to improve resilience to rising sea levels through investment and education on alternative sustainable and safe water sources.


Building resilience to the impact of climate change in water, sanitation, hygiene, food security, income generation and gender equity is at the core of our work.