Papua New Guinea will provide K25 million over five years to support Tuvalu’s coastal adaptation and land reclamation as rising sea levels threaten the Pacific island nation.
Prime Minister James Marape announced the commitment at a joint press conference with Tuvalu Prime Minister Feleti Teo in Funafuti on Monday.
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Under the commitment, K5 million will be allocated from each annual national budget over the five-year period.
The first K5 million instalment has already been transferred to Tuvalu’s treasury to support immediate coastal defence measures.
The funding will directly support the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project; a national initiative aimed at strengthening coastlines and reclaiming safe land for communities affected by rising sea levels.
The announcement was made during the leaders’ segment of pre-COP31 planning meetings focused on addressing the Pacific’s growing climate vulnerabilities.
Mr. Marape, who arrived in Funafuti early Monday from Port Moresby as the first regional leader to attend the two-day leaders’ segment, said Pacific Island countries needed practical action rather than waiting for international climate financing.
“This is an indication that whilst we wait for everybody else to respond, let’s do what we have to do,” Mr. Marape said in a statement from the island nation.
He said Papua New Guinea was also prepared to provide physical materials for Tuvalu’s reclamation efforts, including rock boulders and soil from PNG’s mountains if requested.
Prime Minister Teo acknowledged PNG’s contribution, saying the financial resources would help Tuvalu secure its highly vulnerable coastline.
He said while international bodies had recently adopted a political declaration on sea-level rise at the United Nations General Assembly, declarations alone could not physically stop coastal erosion without substantial funding.
Mr. Marape also criticized what he described as limited practical progress at global climate forums, referring to them as “talk fests” with few serious commitments.
He said he would not attend the upcoming COP meeting in Turkey, choosing instead to focus resources on regional solidarity and local climate adaptation projects.
Mr. Marape also appealed to industrialized nations, including the United States, China, Japan, India and the United Kingdom, to provide direct financial assistance to small island states facing immediate threats from climate change.
The pre-COP31 leaders’ segment continues through Tuesday in Funafuti, with Pacific leaders scheduled to inspect Tuvalu’s land reclamation and engineered seawall projects before broader planning meetings move to Fiji later this week.
Tuvalu has a total land area of about 26 square kilometers, consisting of low-lying islands highly exposed to rising sea levels and coastal erosion.
The rising waters threaten infrastructure, coastal communities and the country’s long-term ability to maintain habitable land.
Local officials have reported rising waters affecting residential areas, with waves reaching structural foundations.
The ongoing erosion and regular inundation of low-lying areas have increased the need for seawalls, land reclamation and other physical adaptation measures to protect communities and prevent displacement.