How Fiji Is Using the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Process to Scale Up Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA)

Fiji has integrated Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) as a strategic priority within its National Adaptation Plan (NAP), which was formally communicated to the UNFCCC on December 12, 2018. The NAP identifies 160 adaptation measures across five priority sectors, emphasizing the role of healthy ecosystems as the foundation for economic growth and the protection of vulnerable groups. Practical implementation is exemplified by the use of vetiver grass for riverbank protection and erosion reduction, supported by a nursery opened in July 2020 in Labasa. The process aligns international commitments, including the Paris Agreement, Sustainable Development Goals, and the Sendai Framework, while engaging the private sector and utilizing both traditional and scientific knowledge.

• Fiji's NAP process formally integrated EbA as one of four "approaches underpinning the NAP process," positioning it as a guiding principle to inform the planning and prioritization of adaptation measures across sectors such as health, infrastructure, and tourism.
• The NAP identifies 160 climate adaptation measures across five priority sectors: biodiversity and the natural environment, human settlements, infrastructure, health, and food and nutrition security, with a time horizon from 2018 to 2022.
• Fiji is implementing EbA through the use of vetiver grass to stabilize riverbeds and reduce erosion, specifically through the opening of a nursery in Labasa in July 2020 with financial support from the Republic of Korea.
• The NAP process creates strategic alignment between various international frameworks, serving as a link between the UNFCCC, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, while operationalizing the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) process.
• The Fijian government is engaging the private sector—particularly the sugar industry, forestry, tourism, and companies like Fiji Water—to increase awareness of nature-based or hybrid solutions and their reliance on healthy ecosystems.
• Fiji's approach emphasizes a gender- and human-rights-based perspective, linking the degradation of ecosystems to the loss of vital goods and services for low-income and disadvantaged groups.

APA

Terton, A., Ledwell, C., & Kumar, S. (2021). How Fiji Is Using the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Process to Scale Up Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA). NAP Global Network. https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/napgn-en-2021-snapshot-fiji-using-nap-to-scale-up-eba.pdf

Chicago

Terton, Anika, Christian Ledwell, and Shivanal Kumar. How Fiji Is Using the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Process to Scale Up Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA). NAP Global Network, 2021. https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/napgn-en-2021-snapshot-fiji-using-nap-to-scale-up-eba.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Terton |first1=Anika |last2=Ledwell |first2=Christian |last3=Kumar |first3=Shivanal |title=How Fiji Is Using the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Process to Scale Up Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA) |publisher=NAP Global Network |date=May 2021 |url=https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/napgn-en-2021-snapshot-fiji-using-nap-to-scale-up-eba.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{terton2021how, author = {Terton, Anika and Ledwell, Christian and Kumar, Shivanal}, title = {{How Fiji Is Using the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Process to Scale Up Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA)}}, institution = {NAP Global Network}, year = {2021}, month = may, url = {https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/napgn-en-2021-snapshot-fiji-using-nap-to-scale-up-eba.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }