📋 Tender Overview
The Governments of Australia and New Zealand are funding a second phase of the successful Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project (TCAP-II) to scale up climate resilient coastal protection efforts to combat climate change. Construction works will commence this month (September 2024) and be undertaken by Hall Contracting.
TCAP-II aims to reduce Tuvalu’s vulnerability to the adverse impacts of flooding, shoreline erosion, and rising sea levels along the southern lagoon shoreline of Fogafale Island, housing around half of Tuvalu’s 12,000 population. The project aims to protect 800 metres of vulnerable shoreline on the capital, as well as reclaim approximately eight hectares of new, safe, raised land.
The project also aims to strengthen the capacity of the Government of Tuvalu and civil society organisations to effectively plan and implement environmentally-sound coastal protection work. It will further demonstrate the feasibility of land reclamation work on atoll nations like Tuvalu, to inform similar efforts to beat sea level rise threats elsewhere.
Minister for Home Affairs, Climate Change, and Environment, Dr. Maina Vakafua Talia, said:
“We warmly welcome this additional support to scale up results already implemented during TCAP’s first phase, to safeguard our coastal communities from the impacts of climate change related sea level rise. We believe this work can provide valuable lessons for other atoll nations worldwide dealing with the adverse impacts of climate change.”
Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong said:
“Australia recognises that the climate crisis is the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of people in the Pacific. Australia has elevated our partnership with Tuvalu though our historic Falepili Union. Australia is investing in projects like the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project that will help Tuvaluans to continue to live and prosper in their homeland, retaining their deep, ancestral connections to land and sea.”
During a visit to Tuvalu in May 2024, New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters announced New Zealand’s contribution to TCAP-II. Minister of Climate Change Simon Watts, who was part of the high-level delegation, said:
“Climate change cooperation is one of the main pillars of New Zealand’s relationship with Tuvalu. As the impacts of climate change intensify, New Zealand is committed to supporting Tuvalu to progress its long-term resilience priorities. TCAP-II is vital to protect the lives, livelihoods, and culture of Tuvalu.”
Munkhtuya Altangerel, Resident Representative of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Pacific Office in Fiji, added:
“This funding comes at a critical time, when we must increase efforts to combat the adverse impacts of climate change that are devastating livelihoods, food security, and threatening life on small atoll nations like Tuvalu. This project is now taking its holistic approach further, to set a precedent for coastal resilience efforts globally. The lessons learned in Tuvalu can inspire work across small island and developing nations, representing a pivotal step towards securing Tuvalu’s future amidst unprecedented environmental challenges.”
