Excerpt from reliefweb.int
Communities in many of Kiribati’s most remote areas will receive much-needed support for climate resilience as part of a new US$20 million climate change adaptation project.
The Kiribati Outer Islands Resilience and Adaptation Project, approved by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today, will work with all 20 of Kiribati’s Island Councils, together with the three urban councils across Tarawa – to invest in community-level climate resilience measures that will directly support an estimated 14,000 people (12% of the country’s population).
Work through the project will provide communities with improved access to fresh water, drainage improvements, coastal protection, upgrades to public buildings and critical facilities, as well as maintenance equipment and climate-resilient solutions for flooding – a major concern given Kiribati’s low-lying geography.
“There are arguably few places in greater need of support and protection for the impacts of climate change than the communities living in Kiribati’s outer islands,” said Lasse Melgaard, World Bank Resident Representative for the South Pacific.
“Yet we are acutely aware that the impacts of climate change can vary significantly across communities and islands. This new project will see communities working closely with the national government and the World Bank to ensure those communities get the support they are most urgently seeking.”
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