Suva, Fiji: Fiji has joined a landmark multi-country initiative to strengthen early warning systems for climate-related hazards, with a focus on reaching the country’s most vulnerable communities. 

The Multi-country Project Advancing Early Warnings for All (EW4All), officially launched in Suva on 26 May, is supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and is part of the global Early Warnings for All initiative, launched by the United Nations Secretary-General with the goal of ensuring every person on Earth is protected by an early warning system. 

Fiji's exposure to climate hazards continues to intensify with large impact. Annual asset losses from tropical cyclones and floods exceed FJD 500 million, or more than five percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. Climate change is intensifying these risks. 

Daily maximum temperatures have increased by approximately 0.2 degrees Celsius per decade, and projections show increasing intensity of extreme rainfall, driving greater flood, landslide, storm surge, and coastal erosion risks across Fiji’s islands.

But the risk is not evenly shared. Many Fijians who live along coastlines, and in remote maritime and rural communities face a compounding challenge: greater exposure to hazards and less access to timely, actionable warning information. In a country of more than 300 islands, the last nautical mile is not a metaphor. It is the difference between a warning that saves lives and one that never arrives.

An early warning system only saves lives if the warning reaches the people who need it, and if it is understood, trusted, and actionable. The EW4All project explicitly addresses the barriers that prevent this from happening for women, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and other marginalised groups. These barriers include unequal access to information channels, mobility constraints, language and accessibility issues, and geographic isolation in areas with limited connectivity.

The project will work to ensure that warning systems are designed with Fijian communities, not just for them, embedding inclusion at every stage of the early warning chain, from hazard monitoring through to community-level response.

The EW4All initiative in Fiji represents a total investment of US$15.4 million, comprising US$12.9 million in GCF grant financing and US$2.5 million in co-financing. In Fiji, the project will reach approximately 416,000 direct beneficiaries. It directly contributes to SDG 13 on Climate Action and advances the ambitions of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, grounded in regional solidarity and collective action. 

“Early warnings save lives, but only if they reach every Fijian, no matter where they live. This project recognises that the communities most exposed to climate hazards are often the hardest to reach. We are committed to ensuring that no community, whether on a remote island or a highland village, is left without the warning and the time they need to stay safe," said Mitieli Cama, Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development, and Disaster Management.

“The project is an injection of valuable investment of US$15.4 million to ensure that every Fijian, and every community, has access to modern and reliable early warning systems. It is about protecting every life during natural disasters, and empowering our communities to be equipped with appropriate technologies, knowledge and skills to shield our most vulnerable citizens,” said Munkhtuya Altangerel, Resident Representative, UN Development Programme Pacific Office in Fiji. 

“Cyclones, flooding, and rising sea levels are placing increasing pressure on communities and critical infrastructure in Fiji. Reliable early warning systems are therefore essential to protect lives, livelihoods, and development gains. Through the Early Warnings for All project, the Green Climate Fund will help strengthen institutions and information systems so that people can anticipate climate risks and respond before disasters hit. This is the kind of country-led, practical resilience-building that Pacific island nations need as climate impacts accelerate,” said Hemant Mandal, the Green Climate Fund's Regional Director for Asia Pacific.

The EW4All project will be co-implemented by the UN Development Programme Pacific Office in Fiji together with key partners, including the National Disaster Risk Management Office under the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, the International Telecommunication Union, World Meteorological Organisation, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the Ministry of Communications.

For more information contact:

Nick Turner | Communications, Advocacy and Partnerships Specialist, UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji | nicholas.turner@undp.org

Kate Jean Smith | Communications Specialist for Climate Change Adaptation | kate.smith@undp.org 

Nawaraj Chhetri | Team Leader, Resilience and Climate Change | UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji | nawaraj.chhetri@undp.org