Navigating the Rising Tide: Climate Security Initiatives in the Pacific Islands
? UNDP
13 September 2023
Pacific nations and their people are faced with the looming prospect of uninhabitable conditions driven by climate change-induced events, notably sea-level rise. Climate change directly jeopardizes the existence, identity, lives and assets of people in the Pacific Islands.
The recently concluded “Climate Security in the Pacific” project, funded by the 缅北禁地Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), is the region’s first initiative to enhance understanding of climate security. The initiative helped empower low-lying atoll nations by building local, national, and regional capacity to address climate security priorities and engage in global advocacy. Implemented by UNDP and IOM in partnership with the Governments of the three countries, and in close collaboration with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), the project received $3.2 million in funding and focused on three Pacific countries: Tuvalu, Kiribati, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
In the project’s initial phase, a survey of diverse groups, including community representatives, national governments and regional organizations, found 90% of 230 respondents recognizing climate change as a threat to peace and stability in the Pacific. Participants expressed concerns about land loss, droughts, resource scarcity, and migration, emphasizing the need for specialized and immediate support for atoll nations.
This was followed by consultations with 1,500 individuals including local leaders, women, youth, and people with disabilities in the three countries. These informal and inclusive consultations facilitated the selection, design and implementation of community-level initiatives to enhance resilience and address climate security priorities. The?initiatives directly addressed community-identified priorities such as food insecurity and land disputes.
As a result of these consultations, in Tuvalu, the local community of Nui strategically prioritized the Food Cube Gardening initiative, designed to enhance food security and reduce land disputes. This was the first time the Food Cubes were introduced to Nui Island, a particularly remote and fragile part of Tuvalu. Around 138 households were provided two food cubes each and around 24 food cubes were distributed in the Nui Kaupule community gardens. The Food Cube, a small box garden that can be easily assembled and transported, gives its users the choice to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables, thereby increasing nutrient diversity and reducing food insecurity.
??UNDP?The community in Nui had the opportunity to attend the training and learn the benefits and use of the food cubes.
In Kiribati, the fisheries and agriculture initiative included the upgrading of existing nurseries and fisheries centers on both Tamana and Marakei, as well as supporting two community milkfish ponds in Marakei. These interventions?address issues such as the lack of fishing equipment, difficulties faced by local fishermen and farmers in accessing markets due to the island's remoteness, and the negative impact of coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion on local crops. Various stakeholders, led by the Island Council, collaborated closely with island elders and key local decision-makers to make this initiative possible.
The project also supported the government of Kiribati in finalizing the demarcation of unresolved?maritime boundaries and protecting against illegal fishing. This support included providing specialized equipment and software, offering capacity building and partnering with the Pacific Community (SPC), a key regional organization in this domain.
On the Republic of the Marshall Island’s Mejatto Island, the project introduced climate-resilient agricultural practices.?The climate-smart agriculture technologies allow the community to cultivate short-term crops using solar-powered vertical aeroponic gardens. By doing so, they not only increase crop yields but also shield the community from climate risks that afflict conventional soil-based farming, such as erratic rainfall and saltwater inundation during environmental crises, hence reducing the potential for food-related conflict.
??UNDP?The climate-smart agriculture technologies allow the community to cultivate short-term crops using solar-powered vertical aeroponic gardens.
In its broader mission to drive policy change and enhance climate security, the project played a vital role in informing national and regional policy-making. This included producing specialized climate-security risk assessments. At the national level, these assessments assist in identifying key climate security risks and priorities, while offering valuable insights into the pathways and strategies to counteract these threats.
In the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the national assessment is helping with the ongoing development of the National Adaptation Plan. In Tuvalu, the assessment serves as a precursor to the dedicated National Climate Security Policy that the country aims to establish, among other initiatives. These documents not only inform national policies, but also provide a stronger evidence base and a comprehensive narrative for addressing the multifaceted climate change challenges that loom over the Pacific region.
The project helped produce the regional Pacific Climate Assessment Guide. The guide has created a methodology that countries in the region can use to develop their own climate-related security analyses and support outcomes based on national priorities. This guide was developed as a result of strong collaboration between the PIFS and the project, and in consultation with key regional and national level entities, including the UN, Council of Regional Organizations of the Pacific (CROP) agencies, PIF governments, NGOs and others.
The project also formed a strategic collaboration with a dedicated regional community of Practice on climate security, known as the . This network serves as a dynamic platform, facilitating the exchange of information, mobilizing relevant expertise, fostering collaborative efforts, and pinpointing key areas for climate security intervention within the region.
Simultaneously, the project employed a wide-ranging array of communication methods to raise awareness of climate security among targeted audiences, spanning from the local to the global level. It included the development of climate security-themed comic books tailored for school children and the dissemination of informative radio programs. These outreach efforts simplified complex climate-related challenges for local communities and translated climate security risks into easily accessible language, reaching individuals of all age groups.
??UNDP
In an effort to foster informed dialogues on the impact of climate change on communities, the project introduced ‘,’ a podcast that delved into evolving landscape shaped by climate change. This platform facilitated insightful conversations at both regional and global levels. It featured interviews with prominent figures, including the Honorable Seve Paeniu, Minister of Finance in Tuvalu, as well as representatives from Civil Society Organizations, amplifying the voices of youth, all contributing to a comprehensive exploration of climate-related topics. In this way, the project has generated important local and regional knowledge while also contributing to raising global awareness of the region’s challenges and the intricate connections between climate change and security, which are especially relevant and specific to this region. This, hopefully, paves the way for more targeted and concerted regional and global action.