Launched in early 2021, the GFCR’s joint programme in Fiji leverages philanthropic and development finance to mobilize commercial investments, promote financial sustainability of coral reef conservation and accelerate reef-positive livelihoods. Principal transactions of the programme establish a locally managed Technical Assistance Facility to incubate a pipeline of reef-positive business models and institute Special Purpose Entities (SPEs) with revenue streams to manage Fijian Locally Managed Marine Area networks. The joint programme also supports a new initiative to source sugar cane plantations with a non-synthetic fertiliser and paired with educational programmes to reduce agricultural run-off and erosion harmful to nearby coral reefs. Additionally, the GFCR is supporting the development of a new sanitary landfill with a network of transfer stations to improve waste collection and prevent leaching of harmful pollutants that are detrimental to Fijian mangroves and coral reef ecosystems. “Building reef resilience protects a sustainable source of food and livelihoods for the Fijian people and a vibrant hub of biodiversity for the world, ”said Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, Attorney General and Minister for Economy, Fiji. “We hope this innovative financing initiative offers a scalable model that can support the conservation of marine ecosystems across our globally connected blue economy.” This joint programme, co-financed by the UN Joint SDG Fund, is a collaboration with partners that include UN agencies (UNDP, UNCDF, UNEP), the WWF-Pacific, Matanataki, Blue Finance, Fijian local actors and the Government of Fiji.

The video shares our latest updates on the progress of the programme.