Lovoni Village, Ovalau, Fiji - On the island of Ovalau, a small youth-led initiative is proving that water security is climate resilience. The Lovoni Koro Youth Club (LKYC) recently welcomed government officials, development partners, and local community members for a field visit to see the project first-hand.

The visit also marked the soft launch of a new small grants initiative (SGI) delivered by the Government of Fiji and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Governance for Resilient Development in the Pacific (Gov4Res) project.  

The event was officiated by development partners providing funding support - the New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji, H.E Greg Andrews, and attended by the United Kingdom's Acting High Commissioner to Fiji, the Australian High Commission's Counsellor for Infrastructure and Climate Resilience and also supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). 

The second phase of the SGI combines risk-informed grant financing with mentoring, governance strengthening and technical guidance, helping community organisations turn climate finance into locally led action.

Prior to the project, Lovoni residents faced recurring water shortages and unreliable access to safe drinking water, increasing the risk of waterborne illness and affecting household hygiene. A community-led response to this ageing infrastructure and a degrading catchment, LKYC's project — Integrated Approach to Building a Resilient Lovoni through Enhancing Water Security Measures and Related Climate Risk Mitigation — will upgrade communal water systems, restore catchments through nature-based solutions including the planting of 1,000 native seedlings to curb soil erosion, and train the Lovoni Water Committee, including women and youth, in system operation and maintenance.  

Once complete, these measures are expected to provide reliable, safe drinking water year-round, improving community health and quality of life for an estimated 50 households (147 people) in Lovoni Village and 31 households (120 people) in neighbouring Vunivisavu village. The project is supported by a US$50,000 (FJ$111,510) Gov4Res SGI grant alongside US$20,500 (FJ$45,720) in co-financing, for a total investment of US$70,500 (FJ$158,000).

As Lovoni's first youth-led initiative to secure Gov4Res SGI funding, the project positions LKYC members as advocates for community-led resilience. Its members have already presented their nature-based solutions to the Lomaiviti Provincial Council, strengthening ties between community priorities and provincial decision-making.

The grant will be coupled with sustained, hands-on support. Alongside financing, community organisations will receive tailored mentoring, governance and financial management coaching, and technical assistance delivered by the Rocky Mountain Institute Climate Finance Access Network, helping grantees build the systems and confidence to lead well beyond the life of the project.