Synergies for Slums Upgrade in Fiji Opportunities to enhance resilience

1. Synergies for Slums Upgrade in Fiji Opportunities to enhance resilience • and climate change adaptation of informal settlements

2. Fiji and Informal Settlements in numbers • total population: 887.000 p. • 62% iTaukei/ 38% Indo-Fijian • 35% of Fijians live below the poverty line • > 50% of Fiji’s population in urban areas (2 cities and 10 towns) • Total of 250 informal settlements • 20% of urban population living in 171 informal settlements mapped by UN-H

3. Main characteristics & vulnerabilities of IS • High rates of unemployment and poverty; many IS inhabitants rely on fishing and farming (livelihood threatened by Climate Change) • Flooding • Sea level rise: impact of high tide and storm surge >> land erosion, flooding, pollution of water tables • Earthquake & tsunami • Cyclones • Exacerbated El-Nino • Located in urban and peri-urban areas, on • Steep slopes • Sea front • Land tenure security and the complex Fiji land ownership structure (iTaukei, Crown, Free-hold) • Poor access with very limited or no facilities for disabled and elderly • Limited or no access to basic services • Poor sanitation, with impact on health and particularly on children • Poor housing structure

4. Current Actions • Squatter Upgrading Programme 2,250,000 USD (fully funded by GoF) • Town-Wide Informal Upgrading Programme – 2,900,000 USD (GoF) • City-Wide Informal Upgrading Programme –150,000 USD (GoF) • Regularization of Informal Settlements - 150,000 USD (GoF) • Informal Settlement Relocation Programme - 650,000 USD (GoF) • Sustainable Income Generating Project - 150,000 USD (GoF) • Boosting home ownership (Debt Relief Scheme) – 250,000 USD (GoF) • PSUP phase III – 300,000 USD (UN Habitat/EU) • Increasing Resilience to CC and Disasters - 4,235,995 USD (UN Habitat/Adaptation Fund)

5. National Adaptation Plan • Goals of Fiji’s NAP process • Fiji’s NAP process will be a country-driven and contextually-defined vehicle that will seek to: • facilitate institutional coordination around adaptation • accelerate resource mobilization for adaptation, and • deliver effective and sustainable adaptation outcomes for Fiji’s people • Through: • Horizontal and vertical integration • Leveraging the private sector • Promotion of ecosystem-based adaptation options • Gender and human-rights based approach • Recognising rural and urban areas as separate but also linked areas • Guiding principles • Participation • Pro-poor • Identifying low-regret options • Managing trade-offs • Links with: NCCP (2017) - NDP (2017)

6. Capturing the community voice • Participatory approach • Inclusiveness • Focus on vulnerable groups • Women • LGBTQI • Youths & Children • Elderly • Disabled • ………… • Community meetings & workshops • Household surveys

7. Priorities • Informal settlements upgrading and resilience strengthening, including formalization of land tenure • Urban development and housing (e.g. resilient housing, community infrastructure, including WASH, access roads, flood protection etc.) • Communications and DRR (e.g. early warning system) • Food security and sustainable agriculture sector (e.g. food diversification) • Human health and welfare (e.g. mosquito exposure reduction) • Marine and fisheries (e.g. ecosystem management) • Waste and waste infrastructure (e.g. 3R) • Integrate DRR & CC Adaptation in Local Planning Schemes – with focus on the most vulnerable • Institutional strengthening and improved linkage within National and Local Government • Community awareness raising & Capacity Building

8. Thank you for your attention