The Green Climate Fund will provide $31m to the $222m project, while the Asian Development Bank will loan $67.7m. The European Investment Bank is also considering financing the project, which will benefit a third of the Fiji’s population.

ADB president Takehiko Nakao said: “We are happy to partner with GCF on this important project, which demonstrates how infrastructure loads can be blended with GCF grants to build climate resilience in vulnerable countries.”

The development of urban infrastructure and services in Fiji has lagged behind the rapid growth of its towns and cities. As a result, they are increasingly vulnerable to drought, floods and rising sea levels. Fiji is among the most at-risk countries in the world to the dangers of climate change.

The project aims to strengthen resilience by climate proofing the water system by moving water intake to avoid saltwater intrusion, strengthening pipes to withstand flooding and providing alternative sources of water. 

The project will build new infrastructure to increase clean water supplies by 20% and boost wastewater treatment capacity by 200% in Fiji’s main metropolitan centre, the greater Suva area. The Green Climate Fund grant will cover a third of the funds needed.

The Green Climate Fund is a multilateral effort established by 194 governments to respond to climate change. Its board is co-chaired by Henrik Harboe, Norway’s director of development policy, and Gabriel Quijandria, vice minister at Peru’s Ministry of the Environment.