Belém, Brazil — November 18, 2025 — The Global Centre for Climate Mobility (GCCM) and the Government of Fiji celebrated the launch of the first Communities Climate Adaptation Facility (C-CAF) grant project in Fiji, during a ceremony at the Climate Mobility Pavilion in Belém at COP30. The agreement marks a milestone in advancing locally-led climate action and supporting communities on the frontlines of sea-level rise.
The inaugural C-CAF grant – one of 18 projects supported by the C-CAF – will support the Macuata-i-Wai community in northern Fiji—one of many coastal villages confronting the growing impacts of saltwater intrusion, flooding, and extreme weather. Through this partnership, the community will receive targeted support to restore freshwater tanks to secure safe and reliable water access; repair and strengthen homes to withstand at least Category 3 cyclones; and purchase a fiberglass boat to ensure reliable access to essential services and restore small-scale tourism activities that support local livelihoods. The Macuata-i-Wai community is contributing USD $10,000 and locally sourced timber toward the project, demonstrating strong local ownership on the project.
“Communities like Macuata-i-Wai are on the frontlines of the climate crisis, but they are also leading the way with locally-grounded solutions,” said H.E. Mosese Bulitavu, Minister for Environment and Climate Change of Fiji. “This partnership shows how international collaboration can strengthen community resilience and dignity in the face of climate change.”
The C-CAF is a new facility established by the GCCM to directly channel resources to communities navigating the realities of climate mobility—from adaptation and resilience-building to planned relocation. It aims to scale up community-led solutions across Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other climate-vulnerable regions.
“This first grant in Fiji is an important step toward empowering communities to adapt on their own terms,” said Kamal Amakrane, Managing Director of the GCCM. “By investing in practical resilience measures—like safe housing, clean water, and mobility options—we’re helping ensure people can thrive.”
The Macuata-i-Wai project, a first of three communities to be enabled in Fiji, will serve as a model for future community-led adaptation projects supported by the C-CAF across the Pacific and beyond.
About the Global Centre for Climate Mobility
The Global Centre for Climate Mobility (GCCM) is a global entity at the intersection of climate action and human mobility, enabling positive adaptation journeys for people and communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis, upholding their adaptive capacities and the Right to Stay. Hosted at the United Nations Office for Project Services, the GCCM is supported by champion countries, UN Agencies, the World Bank, regional organizations, philanthropies, civil society, and research institutions. The GCCM advances positive community transitions in climate-vulnerable regions through regional initiatives that support governments and frontline communities to anticipate, plan for, and respond to climate mobility, including the Africa Climate Mobility Initiative (launched in 2021), the Greater Caribbean Climate Mobility Initiative (2022), the Pacific Climate Mobility Initiative (2023), and the Coastal Cities Initiative (2025). The GCCM also enables the Rising Nations Initiative (RNI), which is dedicated to addressing the existential threats posed by sea-level rise. The GCCM is structured around four core Practices: the Knowledge & Policy Hub, the Solutions Lab, the Communities Climate Adaptation Facility (C-CAF), and the Climate Mobility Academy, through which the Centre delivers modeling & research, co-creates locally led solutions, informs policy, fosters partnerships, and builds capacity across the climate mobility ecosystem. It serves as the secretariat for the Coalition for Addressing Sea-Level Rise and its Existential Threats (C-SET), the Ocean Rise & Coastal Resilience Coalition, and the Climate Mobility Elders Group (C-MEG).
Media Contacts:
Jaclyn Licht
Global Centre for Climate Mobility
licht@climatemobility.org
Matereti Mateiwai
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Fiji
matereti.mateiwai@environment.gov.fj