[Photo Source: Supplied]

The Asian Development Bank has approved a $750, 000 grant for an ongoing ADB-supported technical assistance program.

The program aims to reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities to the impacts of climate change.

ADB’s Pacific Subregional Office Regional Director, Aaron Batten says the project is supported by the Ireland Trust Fund for Building Climate Change and Disaster Resilience in Small Island Developing States.

Batten says this will help to pilot innovative community-led resilience approaches across many communities in Fiji which are at risk from the impacts of climate change.

The project will pilot at least 10 nature-based coastal protection activities across 10 villages to help build resilience against severe weather and climate events and to protect livelihoods.

This will include adopting integrated planning approaches that favour adaptive risk-based management approaches and considering the full spectrum of coastal resilience options.

The Ministry of Economy will be the executing agency while the Ministry of Waterways and Environment will implement the program.