Coastal and marine ecosystems and the services they provide are the basis for Pacific Island countries’ (PICs) climate resilience, livelihoods, economic growth and cultural identity. They are currently under threat from climate change and its interaction with other forms of environmental degradation. A paradigm shift is needed from ad-hoc, stand- alone climate change adaptation initiatives that often focus on single issue, hard infrastructure adaptation responses, towards a holistic, long-term and integrated ecosystem-based system of resilient development.

The objective of the Melanesia Coastal and Marine Ecosystem Resilience Programme (M-CMERP) is to “Enhance the resilience and adaptive capacity of Melanesian Pacific Island people to climate change by protecting, restoring and managing coastal and marine ecosystems and the services they provide”.

M-CMERP will provide resource, technical and capacity support to enable holistic, long- term, effective and efficient climate resilient development planning, decision making and investments through:

1. Prioritisation and integration of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) in national planning and decision making, including long term (30-50 year) climate future climate impact and resilience scenarios and sharing information, best practices, and tools
2. Grants (Melanesia Blue Impact Facility) for EbA and resilient development investments

It will be underpinned programmatically by the regional Framework for Enhancing Coastal Resilience, with national on the ground actions and investments developed during the PPF, informed and driven by national level contexts and priorities.

Key project partners are IUCN (AE), SPREP (Executing Entity) and for each of the 3 participating countries, the national executing partners will be outlined in the separate country project proposals that emanate from the project preparation phase. Implementing and co-financing partners include the Pacific Community (SPC), USAID and PLAN International. Partnership discussions with other entities including National Development Banks and the World Bank Pro Blue multi donor trust fund, are currently under way or being planned.