Kiwa Initiative in Oceania
Context
The Pacific Island Countries and Territories boast exceptional terrestrial and marine biodiversity, providing invaluable services to communities. But this region of the world is particularly vulnerable to climate change: ecosystems and traditional ways of life are being directly impacted.
The Kiwa Initiative is a multi-donor programme that aims to strengthen the resilience to climate change of ecosystems, communities and economies in Pacific island states and territories through the practical implementation of Nature-based Solutions (NBS), by protecting, sustainably managing or restoring biodiversity. It is aimed at national authorities, local authorities, public institutions, regional organisations and local and international non-governmental organisations based in Oceania.
The Kiwa Initiative provides simplified access to climate/biodiversity financing and offers :
- Local calls for projects managed by the Oceania regional office of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with grants of between €25,000 and €400,000..
- Regional calls for projects (involving at least two eligible countries or territories) with grants of between €1.5 and €5 million. This component is managed by AFD with the support of the Kiwa Initiative Secretariat, which is provided by ONFI.
- Technical assistance (capacity building and support for project development and monitoring as well as for integrating SFNs for climate change adaptation into public policies) provided by the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
ONF International’s main objectives and role
The aim of the Kiwa Initiative is to support the Pacific Island States and Territories in implementing their climate change adaptation strategies through an original system of project funding (local and regional) and technical assistance for project development, with multiple ambitions:
- Reducing the vulnerability of Pacific populations and ecosystems to climate change.Improving access to SFN financing for climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation.
- Supporting the sustainable and efficient management of land and marine areas.
- Strengthen cooperation between donors, Pacific island states and territories and regional organisations.
ONF International has been selected following a call for tenders as the Project Management Unit for the implementation of the Kiwa Initiative Secretariat. Based in Noumea, New Caledonia, three experts from ONF International will be responsible for supporting AFD in the appraisal, monitoring and implementation of projects and for leading the Kiwa community:
- Mahé CHARLES: Technical manager and coordinator of the Kiwa Initiative Secretariat
- Margot BANTEGNY: Head of communications and logistics
- Jean-Etienne BLANC: Administrative and Financial Manager
- Carole SERVAS : Administrative and Financial Officer
- Jason DESCAMPS: Project Management Officer
- Florence BERNARD: Deputy Technical Coordinator
- Baptiste JAUGEON: Project manager, specialising in fisheries and coastal resources
- Liliane FABRY: Project manager, specialising in agriculture
Other ONF International experts, via the Kiwa Initiative Secretariat, also support regional project leaders in the development phases and participate in their monitoring, evaluation and promotion.
Expected results
The projects funded will cover a wide range of themes, offering numerous co-benefits, such as the promotion of agro-ecology and food security, ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change in coastal and urban areas, the preservation of water resources in relation to human health, the management of protected areas/marine ecosystems and the reduction of gender inequalities.
For example, the first regional project under the Kiwa Initiative, signed in 2021, involves developing a network of educational organic farms in Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Nauru and Tonga. These learning centres will teach small producers the benefits of Nature-based Solutions such as agroecology and agroforestry, and share the best organic farming methods and technologies. This project includes cooperation and exchange of expertise with Wallis and Futuna, French Polynesia and New Caledonia as part of the PROTEGE project, financed by the regional envelope of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) and implemented by SPC.
List of projects
Links to the description of the Kiwa initiative projects (signed projects whose list is subject to change):
– Gestion et restauration de mangroves, Fidji
– Mesures préventives contre le braconnage, Tonga
– Reforestation et restauration des récifs coralliens, Vanuatu
– Gestion et restauration du parc national O Le Pupu Pue, Samoa
– Mesures de pêche durable et conservation des mangroves, Timor Leste
– Résilience côtière / écosystèmes dunaires, Fidji
– Gestion d’espèces envahissantes, îles Salomon
– Solution hybride contre l’érosion côtière, Fidji
– Restauration du stock naturel de bêches-de-mer, Palaos
– Une gestion intégrée des bassins versants pour des bénéfices sur la biodiversité, la résilience climatique et la santé des communautés du Pacifique (WISH+)
– Adaptation au changement climatique basée sur les écosystèmes (PEBACC+)
– Un réseau de fermes biologiques pédagogiques pour renforcer la résilience des petits producteurs dans le Pacifique (POLFN)
– Gestion des espèces envahissantes pour des écosystèmes résilients (INSPIRE)
– Protection et Restauration des Ripisylves de la Néra, Nouvelle-Calédonie (PERENNE)
– Association pour la Conservation en Cogestion du Mont Panié, Nouvelle-Calédonie (ACCMP Dayu Biik)
– Préservation de la ressource en eau de l’atoll de Anaa, Polynésie française (ARU KOMO)
– Protection de la biodiversité de Ua Huka, Polynésie française (PROTECT UA HUKA)
More information on the website : Les projets soutenus – Initiative Kiwa (kiwainitiative.org)
Kiwa Initiative Leaflet (in french): Télécharger ici
Key data
Countries – 19 Pacific island states and territories, including the 3 French overseas collectivities: Fiji, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Timor Leste, Tokelau, New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna.
Themes: Nature-based solutions; adapting to climate change; community resilience to the effects of climate change; conserving and managing aquatic, terrestrial and marine biodiversity; reducing gender inequalities.
Project duration: 2020 – 2026
Partners: Pacific Community (SPC), Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Donors: European Union, Agence Française de Développement, Global Affairs Canada (GAC), Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).
Client: Agence Française de Développement (AFD)
Budget: 75 million euros
More informations
Kiwa Initiative website: www.kiwainitiative.org
Contact: kiwa_initiative@afd.fr
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