Fiji launches $NZD17.9 million Pacific climate mobility program

Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Dr Sivendra Michael, has launched the Regional Pacific Climate Mobility Partnerships Programme. Funded by $NZD17.9 million from the New Zealand Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the initiative aims to address the challenges of climate change and protect vulnerable communities through community-led, rights-based processes. To date, officials have relocated six communities and are in the process of relocating two more.

The program is implemented through a partnership involving the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD), the Pacific Community (SPC), and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

Dr Michael has also criticized current climate financing models, stating that a “one-size-fits-all” approach fails to account for the unique geographical and logistical challenges of the Pacific. He noted that logistical costs, such as transporting workers and equipment to outer islands, often force local governments to bear significant expenses. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) echoed these concerns, noting a gap between pledged funding and actual project outcomes on the ground.