The Asian Development Bank will provide more than $4 million in a grant to prepare the Nadi Flood Alleviation Project.

The ADB technical assistance (TA) was confirmed during the 52nd Annual Meeting of ADB’s Board of Governors in Nadi.

The grant comes from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, a financing facility provided by the Government of Japan.

Permanent Secretary for Economy, Makereta Konrote says urgent action is needed now on adaptation and building resilience.

Konrote says Fiji has experienced more than one flood annually for the last 40 years.

The January 2009 flood, which devastated large areas of Fiji, claimed 11 lives, left 12,000 people homeless and caused $113 million of damage.

The Nadi area was the worst hit, with total damage estimated at $81.2 million.

ADB’s Regional Director, Masayuri Tachiiri says they are pleased to partner with the Government of Fiji to help protect Nadi from increasingly regular flood events.

This partnership he says recognizes the economic importance of Nadi as a vital hub for logistics and tourism for Fiji, and the wider Pacific sub region.

The ADB assistance will identify an economically optimal flood alleviation investment that reduces economic and social losses and loss of life from floods in the Nadi area.

It will also consider future scenarios of population growth, changes in land-use, and climate change.