Suva – 15 May 2025 – The Government of the Republic of Fiji and the Global Centre for Climate Mobility (GCCM) have launched a transformative partnership to strengthen national responses to climate mobility. Over three days of high-level consultations in Suva, government leaders, experts, practitioners, and community representatives convened to identify urgent priorities and assess immediate needs of communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
“We welcome our collaboration with the GCCM to implement the Communities Climate Adaptation Facility (C-CAF) in Fiji,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Hon. Biman Prasad. “Through C-CAF’s quick-impact grants, our communities gain timely access to climate finance to build resilience and adapt with dignity, averting the risk of forced displacement. Anchored in community leadership, C-CAF offers a scalable model for national and global partners. It is time for global climate finance institutions to follow the GCCM’s lead by investing in community-driven action,” added Deputy Speaker and Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Lenora Qereqeretabua. “Traditional models that fund only large, long-term projects fail to meet the urgent needs of communities already confronting climate threats. We encourage global climate financing institutions to build on the GCCM approach and partner with the C-CAF to further community-led climate action.”
Under the Pacific Climate Mobility Initiative (PCMI), the GCCM and Fiji’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change will support coordinated planning across all 14 provinces, including for planned relocation. The GCCM Knowledge & Policy Hub will collaborate with national agencies to inform evidence-based policies through advanced modeling, field research, and in-depth field analysis. “Partnering with the GCCM will sharpen our capacity to anticipate climate mobility challenges and strengthen our national response,” said Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Mosese Bulitavu.
The GCCM cooperation with the Ministry of Rural & Maritime Affairs and Disaster Management will support a whole-of-society approach to climate mobility. The Ministry endorsed the Climate Mobility Academy as a national platform for training, collaboration, and knowledge exchange across sectors. “We value the GCCM’s inclusive approach that empowers stakeholders at every level,” said Permanent Secretary Isoa Talemaibua. “With the GCCM support, we aim to foster a national ecosystem of partners committed to protecting vulnerable communities.”
The Ministry of iTaukei Affairs praised the partnership’s emphasis on traditional knowledge and cultural preservation. The GCCM Solutions Lab will work closely with local authorities to co-develop tailored, community-led adaptation strategies. “We look forward to working with Provincial Councils and community leaders to craft concrete, culturally grounded solutions,” said Permanent Secretary Ratu Jone Navakamocea.
In Vuniniudrovu Village, Naitasiri Province, where homes are threatened by severe flooding and riverbank erosion, community leaders warmly welcomed the C-CAF engagement, “With C-CAF support, we will prioritise the construction of 3-4 homes on safer ground within the village boundary, and protect our heritage,” said the Turaga ni Koro – Mr. Apete Vodivodi. “This will allow us to remain rooted in the land our ancestors called home.”
Professor Kamal Amakrane, Managing Director of the GCCM, expressed gratitude to Fijian leaders and communities: “the GCCM’s people-centered approach supports every community’s unique journey toward adaptation and resilience. We are proud to stand with Fiji in its efforts to shape a future of dignity, justice, and opportunity amid the climate crisis.”
Contact: Jaclyn Licht, licht@climatemobility.org, Global Centre for Climate Mobility
About the GCCM:
The Global Centre for Climate Mobility (GCCM) is a global partnership at the nexus of climate action and human mobility to enable positive adaptation journeys for people and communities at the frontline of the climate crisis, prioritizing their adaptive capacities and right to stay. It is enabled by the United Nations and advanced by champion countries, UN Agencies, the World Bank, and regional organizations with support from philanthropy, civil society organizations and research partners. The GCCM supports community transition in the most vulnerable regions through regional initiatives that enable countries and frontline communities to anticipate, plan, and design responses for climate mobility. The GCCM is advancing the Africa Climate Mobility Initiative, the Greater Caribbean Climate Mobility Initiative, and the Pacific Climate Mobility Initiative. It also enables the Rising Nations Initiative, which supports the Small Island Developing States in preserving statehood, protecting sovereignty, and safeguarding the rights and heritage. The GCCM is the secretariat for the Coalition for Addressing Sea-Level Rise & its Existential Threats (C-SET), the Ocean Rise and Coastal Resilience Coalition to be officially launched at UNOC3, and the Climate Mobility Elders Group (C-MEG) led by former Heads of State and Government and other eminent global leaders working together to advance people-centered climate action amidst the climate crisis.