Climate change and disaster impacts

Australia is committed to working in partnership with Governments in the North Pacific to meet the needs and aspirations of their people to build resilience to climate change and disaster events. 

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and Republic of Palau are all highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The countries are susceptible to tropical cyclones, extreme rainfall, coastal erosion, drought, food and water insecurity, heat, storm surge, increased acidity of ocean waters and sea level rise. These climate-related hazards are projected to intensify over time.  

• Accessing clean drinking water in the North Pacific is already challenging, and as sea levels rise and storm surges increase, the fresh water lens is more likely to be contaminated by saltwater intrusion. The frequency and severity of droughts is also likely to intensify. 
• Climate change is making tropical storms stronger. Strengthening the capacity of national meteorological services to provide early warnings for extreme weather events will protect the lives and livelihoods of North Pacific peoples. 
• As climate change impacts intensify, the North Pacific nations will require significant external support to implement priority adaptation actions, like protecting coastal zones and safeguarding water supplies. 
• Climate change disproportionately impacts those already experiencing exclusion and marginalisation, including women, people with disabilities and people living in poverty. Australia is committed to supporting Gender-responsive and inclusive approaches to climate and disaster risk resilience result in better program outcomes. 
   

Bilateral programs

Australia integrates climate and disaster resilience through its bilateral development assistance to the North Pacific across all areas of programming, including in the infrastructure, health, and education sectors:

• Australia will contribute $2.5 million over five years to a climate initiative which will implement components of RMI’s National Adaptation Plan. It will strengthen water and food security and support climate governance and advocacy.
• Australia has contributed $1.73 million (through SPC) to an outer islands electrification project in Chuuk. This project supports FSM’s efforts to increase electrification and reach renewable energy targets by investing in remote solar mini-grid systems.
• The Ebeye Water and Sanitation Project ($5.3 million, 2015-2022) implemented by the Government of the RMI with support from Australia, helps ensure people have access to fresh water even in times of disaster and drought and has contributed to a reduction in the number of people falling ill from inadequate sewerage systems. 
• The Strengthening of Dispensaries and Health Centres in FSM Project ($0.4 million 2016-2021) was a partnership between Australia and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to improve community health dispensaries’ and health centres’ water capture and supply systems, and sanitation facilities. This project was undertaken in areas that are susceptible to drought and typically reliant on fresh water lenses or rain water capture.
   

Regional and global programs

A range of regional and globally funded climate change investments are working directly to build climate and disaster resilience in the North Pacific and across the region, including:

• Through Pacific Women Lead, Australia supports the Women’s Environment and Development Organisation (WEDO) to advance women’s leadership in climate change decision-making and negotiations ($700,000, 2022-2024). 
• The Australia Assists program ($94.7 million globally, 2017-2024) deploys technical specialists to work with governments, multilateral agencies and communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and conflict. A specialist is supporting adaptation of sustainable food and farming systems to climate change, through a deployment to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in FSM.

More information about the Australian Government’s commitment to strengthening climate change and disaster resilience in the Pacific is available on the Pacific Regional - climate change and resilience page.