PACC Case Study: Fiji Vital Food Security and Food Production

Climate change in Fiji is causing a large increase in the incidence and intensity of extreme rainfall -- the ensuing floodwaters are simply overwhelming the current drainage systems in Fiji's low-lying agricultural areas, and when the rivers and creeks are unable to drain excess water, crops are ruined, healthy local foods become scarce, the local economy is threatened, and the staple diet (including cassava and taro) of the Fijian people is compromised.

Fiji's PACC pilot project aims to increase food security for local communities by demonstrating techniques that can ameliorate the effects of flooding, and even the flooding itself. Such methods include the use of dredging, water way management, use of flood gates, and plant breeding programmes to produce salt-tolerant crops. These efforts will have impacts on the food security of the local population, help to maintain the export market for the islands crops and maintain economic stability. Lessons learnt will be shared with other Pacific islands in the PACC project and around the world.

Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) project is working in 14 Pacific Island countries to reduce vulnerability and increase resilience to the adverse effects of climate change. The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is acting as the Executing Agency and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as the Implementing Agency for the project. Funding from GEF's Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), AusAID, and additional co-financing at the national level, is allowing PACC projects throughout the Pacific to integrate long-term climate change risks into coastal management, food production and water resource management.

The Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change Project in Vanuatu is a combined effort of: AusAID; Global Environment Facility - SCCF; Government of Vanuatu; Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP); and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with support from UNITAR C3D+ Programme.