Seven years, 1,000 pages: Why Fiji struggles to access climate funds?

Getting climate funding to fix a school or rebuild a seawall in Fiji can take seven years and require more than 1,000 pages of paperwork — but a new Pacific fund could change that.

This was highlighted by Environment and Climate Change permanent secretary Sivendra Michael during a submission to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence yesterday.

Mr Michael said Fiji’s current applications to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the main global climate finance body, exceed 1,000 pages and take years to prepare at national cost.

“Some nights we are in the office at 3am or 4am only because we are reviewing a proposal that has comments from a person who has never come to Fiji and does not understand what we are going through,” Dr Michael said.

By contrast, three Fijian communities — Macuata-i-wai, Vuninuidrovu and Narata — recently received US$100,000 grants each after submitting just 12‑page applications through a direct access fund.

The Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF), a treaty currently under review by Fiji’s Parliament, uses the same simplified model.

Senior oceans officer Denzel Atumurirava said coastal communities were often the most underfunded despite relying entirely on healthy oceans and shorelines.

“Coastal resilience and marine ecosystems can be underfunded at times,” Mr Atumurirava said.

Committee chairperson Lenora Qereqeretabua said the contrast between the two approaches was stark and thanked the ministry for illustrating it clearly.

Fiji needs Parliament’s approval to formally join the PRF.

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