1. Climate Change Adaptation in Fiji
Regional Training Workshop on National Adaptation Plans (NAPs)
for the Pacific
Novotel, Nadi, 10 – 13 July, 2017
2. Outline
• Areas of vulnerability
• Case study
• Current adaptation initiatives
• Financing adaptation
• National policy frameworks
• Challenges
• Way forward
3. Climate change adaptation
Areas of vulnerability
• Location in the Pacific Rim of fire;
• Smallness in size with fragmented
islands – surrounded by the ocean;
• Size (lack of economies of scale, small
market)
• Continuous increase in population
growth rate;
• Limited resource based sector; and
• Vulnerable to natural disasters climate
change
4. Focus – climate vulnerabilities
Sector Potential Climate Impacts
Agriculture
High rainfall, floods and droughts
affect crops and livestock, as well
damage farms.
Loss of arable land due to salt water
intrusion, and coastal and river bank
erosion.
Infrastructur
e
Cyclones, storm surges or other
extreme events can damage various
infrastructure (communication,
transport)
5. Focus – climate vulnerabilities
Sector Potential Climate Impacts
Tourism
Damage to buildings and infrastructure
due to Cyclones, storm surges or other
extreme events
Disruption of land, sea and air transport
to properties.
Increased costs to implement adaptation
measures that would be subsequently
absorbed by tourists and service
providers.
6. Focus – climate vulnerabilities
Sector Potential Climate Impacts
Urban
Area
Cyclones, Floods and extreme weather
can damage private and commercial
properties.
Pressure on urban services and utilities to
cope with demands brought by extreme
weather such as heat waves, water
shortages and disease outbreaks.
Squatter settlements and marginal
communities likely to be more severely
affected by natural disasters.
7. Case Study: TC Winston
• Category 5 tropical cyclone
• PDNA
– $1.29 billion in Damages
– $0.71 billion in Economic Loss
– Total Damage and Loss of $1.99 billion (1/5
of GDP)
9. Current adaptation initiatives
Addressing Sea level rise
• relocation of vulnerable
communities, schools
and heath facilities;
• Mangroves replanting
programme; and
• Construction of seawalls
and gabion basket.
10. Current adaptation initiatives
Building resilient
housing & infrastructure
• Construction of cyclone
proof housing for the
poorest residents;
• Fiji urban water supply &
waste water
management project
(ADB); and
• Nadi river flood control
project (JICA).
11. Financing Adaptation
• Accreditation of the Fiji
Development Bank to GCF;
• $100 million Green Climate
Bond;
• Environment and Climate
Adaptation Levy (ECAL);
and
• Establishment of
Environmental & Climate
adaptation fund
12. National Policy Frameworks
Mainstreaming climate change
adaptation to National
Development Plans and
Framework
• Fiji’s Green Growth Framework –
integrating environment & climate
change for inclusive green
growth;
• 5 & 20 Year National
Development Plan - World
Resource Institute has climate
sensitised Fiji’s 20 year
development plan.
13. Challenges
• Determine the extent of vulnerability nation wide;
• Lack of climate change adaptation strategy to address the
diverse impacts of climate change across all sectors;
• Funding sources;
• Mobilising development partners and stakeholders;
• Engagement of the private sector;
• Addressing the high cost of natural disasters; and
• Scarcity of resources to address adaptation needs.
14. Way Forward
• Engagement of the World Bank to conduct a climate
vulnerability assessment;
• Integrating and mainstream climate change into
sectoral policies and framework;
• Finalisation of the national relocation guideline; and
• Development of a sectoral/National Adaptation
Plan for Fiji.
