ADB Approves $16.7M to Boost Climate Resilience in Fiji’s Coastal Communities

Community engagement will be a central feature of the project, ensuring that adaptation measures are locally appropriate, gender-inclusive, and aligned with community priorities.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $16.7 million grant to support Fiji’s efforts to safeguard coastal communities increasingly threatened by sea level rise, storm surges, and coastal erosion. The Enhancing Climate Resilience of Coastal Communities Sector Project aims to reduce climate-related risks while improving long-term sustainability for populations dependent on coastal and fisheries-based livelihoods.

Protecting Fiji’s Most Vulnerable

“The project’s primary goal is to support the Government of Fiji’s efforts to improve community resilience, particularly among those reliant on coastal and fisheries-based livelihoods,” said Aaron Batten, Regional Director of ADB’s Pacific Subregional Office. Approximately 15 vulnerable coastal communities will directly benefit, with particular focus on low-income households and women-headed families—groups disproportionately affected by climate impacts.

Fiji faces some of the highest levels of climate exposure in the Pacific. Government estimates show that cyclones and flooding cause average annual losses equivalent to 5.8% of GDP, undermining livelihoods, housing, food security, and national development gains.

Nature-Based Solutions at the Core

The project emphasizes environmentally sustainable approaches to coastal protection. Key interventions include:

• Revegetation and mangrove planting across 3,000 meters of coastline and riverbanks

• Nature-based coastal defenses to reduce erosion and buffer storm surges

• Strengthened community participation in adaptation planning

• Capacity-building for government agencies to implement integrated coastal protection strategies

Mangrove ecosystems, in particular, are known to reduce wave energy, stabilize shorelines, protect fisheries, and store significant amounts of carbon—making them vital to both climate adaptation and mitigation.

Building Local Capacity for Long-Term Resilience

Beyond physical protection measures, the project will enhance the institutional capacity of Fiji’s government to design, finance, implement, and maintain integrated coastal management systems. This strengthens the country’s long-term ability to mitigate climate risks and protect vulnerable communities as climate change accelerates.

Community engagement will be a central feature of the project, ensuring that adaptation measures are locally appropriate, gender-inclusive, and aligned with community priorities.

Financing Fiji’s Climate Goals

The initiative is primarily funded through a $15 million grant from ADB’s Asian Development Fund (ADF), which supports the poorest and most climate-vulnerable countries in Asia and the Pacific. Between 2021–2024, the ADF helped:

• 384,000 people escape poverty

• Create around 500,000 jobs

• Expand climate adaptation and resilience-building programmes across the region

The remaining financing supports technical assistance, planning, and implementation activities.

Strengthening Fiji’s Climate Preparedness

As climate change intensifies, Fiji’s low-lying coastal communities face increasing risks. The ADB-supported project reflects a growing recognition that nature-based, community-driven solutions are critical to protecting lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems.

By combining ecological restoration, community empowerment, and institutional strengthening, the project helps Fiji advance toward a more resilient, climate-ready future.