NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR BIODIVERSITY PROTECTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION
The Pacific is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change. It has exceptional terrestrial and marine biodiversity that provides invaluable services to communities. Yet the Pacific countries and territories lack resources to address this challenge, whereas their traditional ways of life depend on it.
The Kiwa Initative is a multi-donor program that aims to strengthen the climate change resilience of Pacific Island ecosystems, communities and economies through Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), that is to say by protecting, sustainably managing and restoring biodiversity. It is founded on an easier access to climate change adaptation and NBS funding for local and national governments, civil society and regional organizations in Pacific Island Countries and territories, including the three French overseas territories.
SPC and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) recently joined forces with the Kiwa Initiative to launch a technical assistance program aiming at:
- Identifying and developing large projects addressing climate change adaptation through nature-based solutions
- Assisting relevant stakeholders from beneficiary PICTs in project development to be submitted to the Secretariat of the Kiwa Initiative
- Promoting joint funding opportunities from the Kiwa Initiative and other climate action donors
Questions and answers
Three windows of opportunity are available for three different types of support:
- Calls for local project proposals : grants ranging from EUR 25,000 to EUR 400,000. This component is managed by the IUCN
- Calls for regional project proposals of over 1.5 million euros. This component is managed by the Secretariat of the Kiwa Initiative
- Technical assistance provided by SPC and SPREP to assist project leaders in the design of proposals for regional projects
The Initiative promotes strengthened cooperation between Pacific Island countries and French territories.
As of today, the Kiwa Initiative covers 19 PICTs, including 16 Pacific Island countries and 3 French territories:
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Federated States of Micronesia
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Fiji
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French Polynesia
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Kiribati
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Marshall Islands
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Nauru
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New Caledonia
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Niue
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Palau
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Papua New Guinea
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Solomon Islands
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Samoa
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Timor Leste
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Tonga
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Tokelau
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Tuvalu
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Vanuatu
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Wallis and Futuna
Applicants wishing to take part in calls for proposals must be legal entities of public or private not-for-profit organizations, natural persons are not eligible.
Applicants eligible to apply for small and medium grants are:
- Local or national authorities and public institutions
- Civil society organizations at the local level
- Organizations linked to local communities
- International NGOs
Applicants eligible to apply for regional projects are:
- Local or national authorities and public institutions
- Regional organizations (Council of Regional Organizations of the Pacific, CROP) recognized by Pacific Island States and territories such as SPC or SPREP);
- International NGOs
The 2024 call for regional projects will open on 15 July, 2024.
To apply to the 2024 call for ideas for regional projects, please visit the Kiwa Initiative website or go to the Kiwa Initiative's Youtube channel where you can watch a guided video on how to submit a regional project.
The call is open until 15 December, 2024.
SPC will assist eligible Pacific Islands Countries and Territories in:
- Building capacities to access Kiwa Initiative funding through the organization of informative sessions and the provision of technical advice and assistance
- Assisting in project identification, development, implementation, monitoring and reporting
Nature-based Solutions are defined by the IUCN as “actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively.”
For more information, please contact SPC Project Development Coordinator for the Kiwa Initiative: Rebecca Stirnemann or visit the Kiwa Initiative website.
