Like many Pacific islands, Tuvalu is considered one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change because the country’s nine islands are small low-lying atolls, with an average height of 1 meter-above-sea level. Natural ecosystems in Tuvalu – including mangroves, coastal forest and coral reefs – provide key defenses for communities against the impacts of sea level rise and storms. A project is aiming to increase the climate resilience of communities in Tuvalu through ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), an approach of using nature and ecosystems as part of an overall adaptation strategy. In addition to restoring damaged ecosystems, the project is building climate resilience through climate-resilient agricultural practices; supporting alternative, diversified livelihoods; and mainstreaming EbA into policies and planning through capacity building.
United Nations Environment Programme
