Overview
Tuvalu is on the extreme front lines of the global climate emergency. As per Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change analysis, worst-case scenario sea level rise projections indicate nearly half of the land area of Funafuti will become routinely inundated during normal monthly high tides by 2050 – 2060. By 2100 less than 10 percent of land area will remain above the reach of annual high Spring tide events.
Building on UNDP's long-standing presence in Tuvalu, and from lessons learned from earlier work undertaken, UNDP's support to Tuvalu is aligned with the newly-formed government’s top priorities:
Combating Climate Change and Rising Sea Levels: UNDP's efforts focus on helping Tuvalu adapt to the long-term challenges of climate change and rising sea levels.
Mitigating King Tides and Coastal Damage: UNDP provides support for immediate and temporary measures to minimize the destructive impacts of king tides and storm surges on Tuvalu's coastlines.
TCAP
The Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project (TCAP), funded by the Green Climate Fund, is the key project in support of these priorities. With a budget of US$40.2 million, TCAP is a large-scale initiative protecting 3,090 meters of vulnerable coastline across three islands, including 730 meters in Funafuti.
The project uses various innovate methods suited to local environment, like building protection structure, to protect vulnerable shorelines and implements a climate risk information system to empower the government and stakeholders for future planning.
In addition, capacity building of all stakeholders – particularly government officials – will support the country’s work on climate change adaptation measures. The project also fully finances six students who are enrolled in Australian universities in programmes focusing on coastal protection and climate change adaptation.
TCAP is expected to be completed by December 2025, directly benefitting 60 percent of Tuvalu's population.
TCAP II
Building on the success of TCAP, the project has received further funding of US$17.5 million from the Governments of Australia, New Zealand, and the United States of America, for a second phase, TCAP II.
This new phase will focus on the southern side of Funafuti, constructing another 800 meters of vulnerable shoreline protection and reclaiming 8 hectares of land. TCAP II will also prioritize capacity building and analytical research to ensure long-term resilience.
TCAP II - with a scheduled completion date of mid-2026 - demonstrates our ongoing commitment to safeguarding Tuvalu's future.