The insights that RESCCUE has gathered over the past four-years will shape the design of future adaptation and resilience projects in the Pacific. Principal Professional of Sustainability and Resilience, Dr Rown Dixon managed and coordinated the project.
He said: "It's been a privilege to help these community, business and NGO and government leaders from across Vanuatu collaborate and design their own integrated coastal management framework, plans and actions." Dixon says this has led to the prioritisation and the local management of the marine and terrestrial environment, partnering with neighbouring tourism operators to develop a conservation trust, and the financing of the resilience activities and programmes.
"The last few months have marked a transition as the project closes and those local partnerships solidify, taking ownership and financial responsibility for their future resilience actions. It is a considerable achievement for these communities, such conservation finance mechanisms are not easily implemented."
What's next?
The success of these projects has ultimately helped the development and recent announcement of the Pacific Initiative for Climate and Biodiversity, which will scale up the adaptation and nature-based solutions and impacts across the Pacific.
