The Kiwa Initiative has expanded significantly, now channeling €80 million from five donors into 45 projects across 17 Pacific countries and directly benefiting more than 200,000 people, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Pacific regional office said, marking the latest development in regional nature-based climate adaptation efforts. The funding boost — up from €30 million in 2020 to €80 million by 2026 — has enabled a larger portfolio of restoration and livelihoods activities that donors say are being shaped by community feedback and on-the-ground ecological monitoring.
“This scale demonstrates broad social impact beyond environmental restoration, with ongoing efforts aiming to increase this reach further through new projects,” said Aurélie Ahmim-Richard, Regional Policy Officer on Biodiversity and Climate at AFD’s Pacific office. Ahmim-Richard emphasised that the initiative’s community-centred approach ensures benefits are meaningful and sustainable, and that donor decisions are increasingly informed by direct evidence of ecological and livelihood outcomes.
Donors and implementing partners are prioritising community feedback and ecosystem health as core criteria for project design and continuation. Site visits and community interactions have become routine elements of donor oversight, Ahmim-Richard said, helping shape future project priorities and partnerships. Coordination with regional bodies such as the Pacific Community (SPC), the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and IUCN is cited as key to ensuring efficient use of funds and stronger regional learning.
Concrete results are already being reported from restoration projects. In Navitilevu Bay, Ra Province, communities involved in the RESTORE mangrove rehabilitation programme report higher catches of fish and crabs — resources that are central to local diets and livelihoods. “Communities report catching fish and crabs, which are vital to local livelihoods, and donors appreciate firsthand evidence of nature-based solutions improving resilience,” Ahmim-Richard said, noting that such feedback loops directly influence donor discussions over which projects to scale or replicate.
The initiative also supports livelihood diversification that builds economic resilience alongside ecosystem recovery. Conservation International — one of the implementing partners — is backing small enterprises led by women that produce honey and coconut cream, providing supplementary incomes tied to restored ecosystems. Ahmim-Richard described these activities as part of a broader push toward dynamic, ecosystem-based livelihoods that can adapt to climate pressures while strengthening community food security.
Donors say continuous learning and adaptive management are central to Kiwa’s strategy. Feedback mechanisms linking community outcomes to project evolution include regular ecological monitoring and periodic reassessments of funding approaches, with ecosystem health increasingly treated as a primary resilience indicator. Direct donor involvement on site is credited with improving transparency, accountability and the timeliness of responses to emerging needs.
The funding increase and the emphasis on collaborative, evidence-led programming mark a shift from earlier, smaller-scale efforts. With the expanded budget and deeper regional partnerships, Kiwa aims to scale successful models across the Pacific, testing how community-refined nature-based solutions can sustain livelihoods while restoring critical coastal ecosystems.