The Cook Islands experiences a range of natural hazards, including tropical cyclones, tsunami, floods and droughts. It is increasingly vulnerable to slow and fast-onset events resulting from natural, man-made and climate related hazards such as coastal erosion from sea level rise, ocean acidification, tropical cyclones and drought. In addition, the existing socio-economic, infrastructure and environmental pressures intensify this vulnerability. The outer islands of the Cook Islands (known as Pa Enua) has been challenged to effectively implement disaster risk management, water and food security plans due to limited national coordination frameworks, information gaps, and duplication of effort resulting in poor and/or insufficient early warning systems and coping strategies.

The objective of the programme is to build and implement an integrated approach to further increase the adaptive capacity of remote island communities and ecosystems to disaster risk and climate change impacts. The sub- objectives for the programme are:

• Strengthening national and local capacity for monitoring and decision making to respond and to reduce risks associated with climate change
• Establishing climate resilient water management instruments using integrated and community based approach.
• Raising awareness and establish a knowledge exchange platform to increase adaptive capacity to revitalise agriculture production systems

The project consists of three components:

Component 1: Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk and enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response to “Build Back Better” in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction
Component 2: Integrated Water Security Management Planning and Implementation
Component 3: Revitalised agricultural production systems strengthening island food sources and livelihoods in the Pa Enua

Project document

At A Glance