The Kiwa Initiative will provide technical and financial support to strengthen the resilience of Pacific countries and territories’ ecosystems, economies and communities.
The Kiwa Initiative local projects component, which is aimed at boosting climate resilience in the Pacific, was launched in Suva, Fiji last week.
Hosted by IUCN Oceania, the launch was attended by various partners from across the region including local and regional NGOs, civil societies, national and local authorities from the Pacific island countries and the three French territories.
The Kiwa Initiative, a multi-donor programme, aims at strengthening the resilience of Pacific countries and territories’ ecosystems, economies and communities by setting up a one-stop-shop for funding projects that promote Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for climate change adaptation and biodiversity preservation. This objective is achieved by providing technical and financial support.
“The Initiative is one of the few regional programme that foster the design and implementation of common solutions for island countries and the French territories in the Pacific to address climate change adaptation while preserving biodiversity for the well-being of communities” said Ms Caroline Edant, Regional Project Manager on Biodiversity and Climate Change.
Managed by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the Initiative of 35 million euros is the first international cooperation programme to bring together the European Union (EU), France, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The official launch comes after a three-day awareness workshop that was held on 15, 16 and 17 June specifically targeted at potential grant recipients of the Kiwa Initiative local projects component. The workshop provided participants with information regarding the grants portfolio and processes, including its eligibility criteria.
“The three-day awareness workshop is designed not only to raise the awareness of participants on the overall objectives of the Kiwa Initiative but also to provide clarification to potential grantees. The Kiwa Initiative local project component of EUR 6M is implemented by the IUCN Oceania Regional Office. It is important that the grant portfolio, eligibility criteria, timelines and process are presented to ensure grantees capacity in accessing funding that will support their ongoing work for climate resilience and biodiversity conservation in their local environment. The Kiwa Initiative team stands ready to provide technical assistance, build grantee capacity and assist with the overall grant process. My team and I look forward to closely working with grantees in the coming months”, said Mason Smith, Regional Director of IUCN Oceania.
This story was published at IUCN on 22 June 2021, reposted via PACNEWS.
