Live and Learn Fiji Country Director, Doris Susau.

A Drought Recovery and Climate Resilient Project has been launched to build more adaptive and resilient communities in Fiji, particularly in the Northern Division.

The United States has committed close to $1million for this project, which will be implemented in collaboration with Live and Learn Fiji.

The project will help address the interlinked challenges of climate change, rural poverty, food insecurity, and land degradation.

Live and Learn Fiji Country Director, Doris Susau says their efforts are tailored address the current crisis faced by rural communities.

“This program will enhance the development of climate resilient communities through various activities such as climate smart agriculture training, food preservation training, community-based disaster risk reduction awareness and training, watershed management, and, through the project, we will help to connect our communities to markets.”

The U.S. Ambassador to Fiji, Marie Damour, says this will also benefit vulnerable communities.

“They will introduce community-based disaster risk management approaches and promote all of the inclusivity that the Director of Living, Lauren Fiji, has mentioned, because we know from experience that it’s often the people who live with disabilities and the children who feel these effects most often.”

The Ambassador is calling on relevant stakeholders to ensure these efforts are integrated and fulfill the needs of the individual communities on an individual basis.