Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands – The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is pioneering integrated solutions to safeguard water security, restore critical ecosystems, and strengthen climate resilience across the nation’s atolls, following the approval of a major new investment.

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) of RMI, in partnership with UN Development Programme, secured a landmark approval from the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) to design the “Blue-Green Atolls: Addressing Land Degradation, Groundwater Salinization & Coastal Erosion in RMI via climate resilient strategies” project during the recent biannual GEF Council Meeting.

The project’s approval comes at a critical moment in global climate governance. At the recently concluded 30th UN Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil, Parties underscored the urgent need to move beyond pledges to implementation, particularly for adaptation and resilience in the world’s most vulnerable countries. They highlighted the need to tripling adaptation finance and operationalizing mechanisms to turn climate plans into action on the ground.

UNDP Pacific Office Resident Representative, Munkhtuya Altangerel said:

“The Marshall Islands’ Blue-Green Atolls Project exemplifies what implementation looks like and showcases Small Island Developing States’ role in leading it. We appreciate EPA’s active and inspiring work to serve the people and communities of the Marshall Islands.” 

“The project concept is aligned with national policy, grounded in science and ecosystems, built with communities, leveraging blended finance. It is a model of resilience that other atoll nations can draw from.”

The Blue-Green Atolls Project emphasizes groundwater aquifer recharge and hybrid nature-based solutions (permeable salinity barriers and groundwater recharge swales) that reinforce the role of ecosystems as frontline climate defenses. By restoring coastal buffers such as saline-tolerant bushes, rehabilitating groundwater-protecting soils, and improving water infrastructure, the initiative reduces vulnerability while increasing biodiversity and ecosystem services. Complementary investments in climate-smart agriculture and local green enterprises will support sustainable livelihoods and community resilience.

GEF Operational Focal Point and General Manager of the RMI Environmental Protection Authority, Moriana Phillip said:

“For the Marshall Islands, climate impacts are existential.” 

“The project will support a strategic shift toward holistic, landscape-based approaches, mirroring global momentum for action over rhetoric. RMI is excited to demonstrate how integrated, community-driven solutions can secure our islands’ habitability.” 

Equally important, the project’s participatory design promotes inclusive governance, strengthening community committees, advancing women’s leadership in water and land stewardship, and fostering local operational capacity to sustain resilience gains. 

Ms Moriana Phillip added:

“Climate change is also a cross-cutting issue - being able to tie together moving parts, explore solutions across different contexts (urban and rural) is extremely challenging. We are, however, positive that this project will introduce interventions to do just that. President Heine's Administration is all about reaching the people, making positive impacts in everyday lives.”

Notably, the Blue Green Atolls project aligned its geographic scope served by the ongoing Green Climate Fund (GCF) project “Addressing Climate Vulnerability in the Water Sector (ACWA)” funded by the Green Climate Fund, Government of RMI, Australia, and the European Union. The project will augment the gains of the ACWA project by addressing remaining gaps in RMI’s long-term water and ecosystem sustainability, drawing on complementary support from the GEF Trust Fund and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF). 

The Blue Green Atolls project now enters an intensive preparation phase, including technical assessments, stakeholder engagement, and the mobilization of complementary public and private finance. Once fully underway, it is expected to deliver durable benefits for atoll water systems, ecosystems, and community resilience, positioning RMI as a leader in climate adaptation innovation.

For more information please contact:

Wanyi Wang, Programme Analyst-Head of Resilience and Climate Change, UNDP North Pacific, wanyi.wang@undp.org