Cook Islands

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The Cook Islands face growing risks from climate change, particularly through the intensification of tropical cyclones. Currently, the Cook Islands incur, on average, about USD 5 million per year (two per cent of GDP) in direct losses due to cyclone-related impacts, of which 90 per cent are to the building sector. Increasing cyclone intensity in the coming decades will further exacerbate these losses. This threat is critical, as nearly all buildings are privately owned and highly exposed to climate hazards.

The programme will provide direct climate finance through an Enhancing Direct Access (EDA) facility, with components ranging from technical support and building retrofitting to public awareness and capacity-building. It will be delivered under a unified framework to individuals, the private sector, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community groups. The programmatic model allows for scalable, country-owned solutions integrating technical, financial and institutional elements to build long-term resilience.

The programme is expected to protect a substantial portion of the population and reduce long-term damage to infrastructure, enabling faster post-disaster recovery and economic continuity. Improved access to clean water and better functioning of community facilities will improve public health, and regional learning will be enhanced by positioning the Cook Islands as a model for climate-adaptive building practices in other Small Island Developing States.

<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.

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