Experts are warning that global climate financing continues to fall short in supporting adaptation efforts, with funding still heavily weighted toward emission reduction projects.

They say this imbalance is making it increasingly difficult for communities in small island developing states, including Fiji, to build resilience against worsening climate impacts.

The concerns were raised during a technical workshop linked to Fiji’s climate commitments and a new Adaptation Fund-supported initiative.

In a presentation, the Pacific Community’s Climate Finance Coordinator Dirk Snyman highlighted the need to strengthen safeguards and risk assessments as climate projects are rolled out.

“We need to make sure that we are anticipating and assessing any new risks that may come from consulting those who might be affected, especially in environmental and social space.”

While financing for mitigation projects continues to grow globally, support for adaptation such as coastal protection, water security, and community resilience remains limited.

He also stressed the importance of ensuring that climate interventions do not negatively impact communities or ecosystems.

“Looking at the various elements of that, there are two questions that we ask ourselves: how do we assess these risks and how do we make sure that we’re implementing them in a way that it is not harmful to these various concerns.”

The Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change Dr Sivendra Michael added to the sentiments that many adaptation initiatives fail to reflect the realities faced by vulnerable communities.

“Most of the time, we design initiatives, but it’s not based on the realities of the vulnerable communities. So I think we need to take ourselves more on the ground, try and work from the bottom up approach, so that the top down approach can speak to each other.”

As Fiji advances its updated climate targets, officials say improving access to adaptation finance will be critical to delivering long-term resilience for communities most at risk.