ADB Calls for Faster Pacific Climate Funding as Rising Seas Threaten Island Futures

ADB committed a record $13.5 billion in climate finance from its own resources in 2025 and is incorporating stronger resilience into every project it finances.

Asian Development Bank President Masato Kanda has called for climate financing to reach vulnerable Pacific island countries faster, following meetings with regional leaders and a visit to communities facing rising seas in Tuvalu. Attending Pre-COP31 in Fiji and Tuvalu, Kanda met Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Tuvalu Prime Minister Feleti Teo and other leaders, placing the protection of people, livelihoods and coastlines at the centre of discussions about funding and practical measures to strengthen resilience.

Pacific adaptation funding falls far below projected needs

Speaking at the Leaders' Plenary, Kanda said recent adaptation finance flows would meet only 26% of the Pacific's projected annual needs, highlighting a substantial gap between available support and the work countries must undertake. Governments face complex requirements to access existing funds, adding difficulty to securing timely assistance. He said Pacific leaders had made their priorities clear: financing needs to arrive faster and support practical action that protects communities and their futures from worsening climate impacts.

ADB committed a record $13.5 billion in climate finance from its own resources in 2025 and is incorporating stronger resilience into every project it finances. Kanda highlighted a major regional resilience programme developed with the bank's 14 Pacific members, which is due to go before the Green Climate Fund Board later in October for $250 million in financing. The proposed funding would leverage ADB projects to deliver $1 billion for adaptation, expanding support for the region's resilience needs.

Tuvalu visit brings coastal protection into focus

Kanda travelled to Tuvalu with other leaders as part of the Pre-COP31 programme, seeing firsthand how rising seas are affecting communities, livelihoods and shorelines, alongside efforts to protect vulnerable coastal areas. The visit connected discussions about financing with the concrete work needed to build lasting resilience. ADB is preparing the Funafuti Climate Adaptation and Disaster Resilience Infrastructure Project, which builds on earlier work to expand essential coastal protection in the country and help address the threats observed during the visit.

Fiji secures support for economic pressures and resilience

On the sidelines of the event, Kanda and Rabuka witnessed the signing of a $210 million ADB financing package to help Fiji manage economic pressures arising from the Middle East conflict and strengthen its resilience. The package will support the country's response to higher fuel, freight and other costs, connecting immediate economic assistance with reforms in digital payments, national identification systems, private sector development and disaster resilience.

Discussions with leaders and senior representatives from across the Pacific and beyond focused on resilience, access to finance and the region's priorities ahead of COP31 in Antalya in November. Kanda's message drew together the funding shortfall, the need for accessible support and the practical protection of island communities. The regional programme, Tuvalu's planned coastal infrastructure project and Fiji's financing package reflect different ways ADB is working with Pacific countries to respond to immediate pressures and prepare for longer-term risks.