MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE HON. MOSESE BULITAVU’S REMARKS AT THE LAUNCH OF THE LIVE & LEARN KIWA EMPOWER REGIONAL PROJECT

Ni Sa Bula Vinaka, and Good Morning

I am pleased to join you this morning to officiate the launch of the Live and Learn KIWA Empower project. 

As we all fully understand, climate change is the greatest threat we face here in the Blue Pacific. And we all recognise how important it is to work collaboratively and with urgency to mitigate the impacts and protect our people and environments from harm. 

The impacts of climate change for the Pacific region have many implications that will impact our future but the degree to which our future will be altered is largely contingent on the action we take and the foresight we employ to navigate these risks. From the loss of livelihoods to diminished food and water security, to the loss of biodiversity – there are no bounds to the disruption if we are not resolute in our efforts to embed climate protection and solutions into our development efforts and daily lives. 

Most of the population in Fiji, particularly in rural areas, depends heavily on agriculture and fishing. This makes them extremely vulnerable to rising sea levels, ocean acidification, extreme weather events, and shifting rainfall patterns. Unsustainable resource management practices further worsen the situation, threatening food, and water security, especially in isolated communities.
Today, this event—the launch of the Regional Kiwa EMPOWER Project implemented by Live & Learn Fiji in three Pacific countries—further underscores the shared commitment and dedication of our donor partners, national stakeholders, and communities to work together in addressing climate change through nature-based solutions.

The Kiwa EMPOWER Project will be implementedin Fiji, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu and will benefit approximately 20,000 people (both directly and indirectly) in twenty-four (24) communities. These twenty-four communities were identified by their governments as highly vulnerable to climate change.
The Kiwa EMPOWER regional project is supportedby five (5) donor countries namely Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, and New Zealand who have come together to support the Kiwa Initiative.

I am pleased to work closely with Live & Learn and give my blessing to this project, as it not only addresses climate change using Nature-based Solutions (NbS) but also is expected to yield a transformative impact on the lives and livelihoods of Pacific Islanders. 

This project will restore and revitalize forests, mangroves, and watersheds; it will undertake climate-smart agriculture and support sustainable land-use practices. These efforts are intended toempower the communities involved to adapt to changing environmental conditions, protect sources of food security, and improve the sustainability and resilience of their livelihoods. 
I believe this project's emphasis on community participation and the integration of Indigenousknowledge will foster a sense of ownership and prideand in doing so support the long-term sustainability of the interventions.

At its core – the overall objective of Kiwa EMPOWER is to empower communities from Fiji, Tuvalu, and Solomon Islands to thrive in a changing climate by restoring ecosystems, utilising Indigenousknowledge and innovative practices, and ensuring inclusive decision-making for a sustainable future.
In my capacity as Minister for Climate Change, I once again endorse and support this project and its approaches which is well aligned with the objectives of Fiji’s National Climate Change Policy as well with key regional and international strategies and frameworks including the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific (FRDP), the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Paris Agreement.

Once again, a big Vinaka Vakalevu to the donors and implementing partners that have made this project possible. 

Thank you all for being here today for the launch the Kiwa EMPOWER Project.