Deputy Prime Minister Professor Biman Prasad has stated that the financial resources needed for Fiji and the wider Pacific region must exceed current availability by more than tenfold.
During a discussion with members of the COP29 delegation last week, he highlighted the pressing challenges that Fiji is facing due to climate change.
“We are looking at over 200 sea walls that need construction, more than 40 villages that must be relocated, and over 100,000 hectares of farmland that require protection from saltwater intrusion. Additionally, numerous village health centers and schools lack access to the national electrical grid and urgently need off-grid renewable energy solutions. There are around 80,000 children in Fiji who cannot complete their homework or read without electricity, underscoring the critical need for sustainable energy access,” he remarked.
He noted the long-term damage to infrastructure, including island airports, jetties, schools, and healthcare facilities, which are in dire need of repair and reconstruction due to a series of extreme weather events.
“We need to bolster the resilience of our health centers and medical facilities, and it is essential to establish food and water security that can withstand both current and future climate challenges,” Prof Prasad stated.
He mentioned that these measures are fundamental to achieving long-term climate security in Fiji.
Compounding the issue is the escalating debate regarding the contributors to climate finance.
“The traditional lines demarcating providers and recipients are increasingly contested,” he explained.
“Diplomatic navigation of these matters remains essential, but I firmly believe that when political barriers hinder progress, we must ground our efforts in scientific understanding and prioritize pragmatism and reasonable compromise.”
He stressed the importance of recognizing that the ambition set through the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) directly correlates with the goal of limiting the global temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
“The ambition outlined in the NCQG reflects how committed developed countries are to addressing the loss and damage we are experiencing now and will continue to face. It also indicates the potential for future climate-resilient development paths,” he added.
Professor Prasad is set to lead the Fiji delegation at COP29, which will take place in less than three weeks in Baku, Azerbaijan.