The Government of Comoros has launched a five-year, US $54 million climate resilience initiative to protect coastal communities and strengthen natural defenses against climate change. The project is funded through a US $10 million grant from the Global Environment Facility and US $44 million in co-financing from partners including the World Bank and the French Development Agency. Its goal is to safeguard 140,000 residents by restoring and sustainably managing 6,200 hectares of mangroves, beaches, and upper watersheds that serve as critical natural barriers.
The initiative is being implemented by the Comorian General Directorate of Environment and Forests in partnership with the UN Environment Programme, employing an ecosystem-based adaptation approach. This strategy leverages nature to reduce climate risks while enhancing food security, livelihoods, and biodiversity. As a Small Island Developing State in the Indian Ocean, Comoros faces rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and sea-level rise, with most of its population living close to the coast and vulnerable to flooding, erosion, and saltwater intrusion.
The project includes updating eight municipal development plans through inclusive and gender-transformative processes, alongside training 10,000 community members in Integrated Coastal Zone Management and climate-resilient planning. A participatory monitoring system will ensure local engagement and accountability, enabling communities to actively lead restoration and conservation efforts across mangroves, beaches, and watersheds.
To support sustainable livelihoods, the initiative will establish a Blue Economy accelerator platform targeting 300 micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises in fisheries, agroforestry, and eco-tourism. Tailored micro-finance mechanisms will encourage climate-smart practices, fostering innovation while boosting economic resilience.
Knowledge management and learning are central to the project’s design, with South-South exchanges, policy dialogues, and gender-responsive outreach facilitating the scaling of lessons from local to national levels, and sharing insights across the Western Indian Ocean region. This approach reflects the broader ecosystem-based adaptation efforts supported by UNEP, which currently aims to restore 271,000 hectares of ecosystems and benefit 4.6 million people worldwide, while contributing to climate change mitigation by preventing habitat loss and ecosystem degradation.
