Samoa gets WB grant
The National, Monday January 6th, 2014
WORLD Bank’s board of executive directors recently approved a US$14.6 million (K35 million) grant to help 45,000 Samoans who live in coastal communities adapt to climate change.
The “enhancing the climate resilience of coastal resources and communities” project would develop and implement immediate adaptation activities to protect livelihoods of people; protect infrastructure and environment; and increase awareness of climate change impacts and adaptation activities among communities, civil society and government.
World Bank country director for Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and the Pacific Islands Franz Drees-Gross said coastal communities were particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change in Samoa and around 70% of Samoans live within one kilometre of the coastline.
“The World Bank, through the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), is proud to support Samoa in these efforts to secure the future of coastal communities by investing in the adaptation measures that are needed to cope with the impacts of climate change today and for the longer-term.”
The project would help strengthen capacity of targeted communities to update and implement local coastal infrastructure plans (CIPs) and would focus on increasing resilience of coastlines, near-shore areas, and coral reefs.