Mosese Raqio 
[Photo: Mosese Raqio]
Permanent Secretary for Environment Sivendra Michael says the Kiwa Initiative is already making a strong impact in Fiji, with more than 10 projects benefiting close to 200 communities.
He says the programme is driving a triple focus, including protecting biodiversity, supporting sustainable livelihoods and strengthening climate resilience.
Michael adds the initiative is now scaling up regionally, backed by major partners including France, the European Union, Australia and New Zealand.
He stresses Government’s role is to ensure projects align with national priorities.
“Where the government comes in is more of the strategic visioning and the alignment to national priorities. And so when AFD does the co-design process, they basically sit with us and say, what are your priorities and how can we support those priorities for implementation?”
Despite progress, Michael admits there are challenges in ensuring support reaches the communities that need it most.
“We need to take a step back and see, based on needs and profiling by the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs and the Ministry of Rural, how we align initiatives to benefit those who require it most.”
Meanwhile, European Union Delegation to the Pacific Team Leader Erik Lindebo says the initiative is also building capacity across the region.
“The Kiwa Initiative represents a community of stakeholders strengthening climate resilience, with nearly 200 organisations trained to implement nature-based solutions on the ground.”
With new projects set to be rolled out, the focus now shifts to closing funding gaps and ensuring communities remain at the centre of climate and biodiversity action.
