Project profile — Kiwa Initiative – Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilience

• Oceania, regional (100.00%)

• Bio-diversity:
Bio-diversity (41030) (40.00%)
Environmental education/training (41081) (30.00%)
• Other Multisector: Disaster Risk Reduction (43060) (30.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (principal objective)
• Participatory development and good governance (significant objective)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (principal objective)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (principal objective)
• Urban issues (significant objective)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) (significant objective)
• Indigenous Issues (significant objective)
• Disability (not targeted)
• Nutrition (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (significant objective)

Pacific Island Countries are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to their proximity to the ocean and reliance on it for resources and transportation. The well-being and livelihoods of Pacific Island populations, particularly the poorest who depend heavily on land and marine biodiversity, are severely impacted. Kiwa works towards strengthening the climate-change resilience of Pacific Island ecosystems, economies and communities by promoting and supporting nature-based solutions (NbS) for adaptation to climate change. This project aims to make Pacific Islands ecosystems, economies and communities, particularly Indigenous women, more resilient to the impacts of climate change. Two regional organizations – the Pacific Community and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme and – International Union for Nature Conservation implement the initiative through its regional Oceania Office based in Suva, Fiji. The Kiwa Initiative - Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilience is a five-year, 40.6 million Euros multi-donor Pan-Pacific regional project funded by Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, and New Zealand.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) strengthened capacities of local and national authorities and civil society organizations to design and implement small- to large-scale biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation projects; (2) strengthened biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation at local, national and regional levels; and (3) improved regional cooperation between donors, regional agencies and national authorities on rights-based gender-sensitive biodiversity and climate change adaptation projects.

Results achieved as of March 2023 include: (1) 22 nature-based solution projects for adaptation approved for $54.6 million in funding to benefit more than 6,000 people (50% women), with 5,685 hectares benefiting from biodiversity conservation and restoration, and 21,898 hectares benefiting from sustainable resource management efforts; (2) improved capacities of more than 230 institutions, civil society organizations and government ministries in designing and implementing NbS for climate adaptation; (3) mobilized an additional $49 million to advance the work on climate adaptation and biodiversity in the Pacific Island Countries; and (4) improved regional cooperation on biodiversity and climate change adaptation among donors and local stakeholders through the Kiwa Initiative’s regional events and global high-level climate change and biodiversity conferences.

• Proactive disclosure