Cook Islands

<p>The project aims to strengthen climate resilience in Pacific Small Island Developing States by supporting locally led adaptation innovations through the Climate Innovation Co:Lab. It helps communities, youth, and local enterprises design, test, and scale solutions addressing climate risks like sea-level rise, droughts, and cyclones. Through stages of incubation, acceleration, and amplification, it promotes knowledge sharing, gender equality, and traditional knowledge, fostering inclusive, sustainable, and regionally coordinated adaptation across the Pacific.</p>

To strengthen the Cook Islands’ institutional, human, and technical capacities to enable transparent reporting and tracking of national Greenhouse Gas Inventory and NDC implementation for more effective climate action planning and implementation

The Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are vulnerable to climate change impacts due to threats from coral reef degradation and ocean warming. Higher sea temperatures are degrading coral reefs and reducing the amount of reef fish available for coastal populations’ food security. Ocean warming is also driving the redistribution of tuna stocks. Many PICs rely on tuna fishing access fees for government revenue, which is essential for funding national health, education, disaster preparedness, and post-disaster recovery programmes. The redistribution of tuna towards the high seas threatens to significantly undermine government revenue, with projections of severe economic losses by 2050.

This project will build resilience in tuna-dependent economies and communities by addressing food insecurity and economic risks caused by climate change. It will achieve this by enhancing access to tuna for coastal and urban communities, strengthening national fisheries systems, and improving forecasting to manage tuna redistribution effectively. Key activities will include technical support for Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) deployment, fisher training, post-harvest improvement; policy development, improved handling, and market opportunities; and using science-based forecasts and projections to reduce uncertainty in climate change-driven tuna redistribution.

This project covers 14 PICs and uses a comprehensive programmatic approach to address food security and the economic stability of tuna fisheries. It prioritises community-driven adaptation by deploying FADs, training fishers, and involving local stakeholders in decision-making. With women’s participation actively promoted, this inclusive approach ensures adaptation measures will align with local needs and traditional practices.

GCF's Project Preparation Facility (PPF) support was deployed to help develop the project.

Community-based and civil society organizations are technically and financially supported to design and deliver locally led initiatives that address complex socio-ecological challenges to foster resilience, enhance livelihoods and deliver global environmental benefits.

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