Pacific-American Climate Fund (PACAM) Mar 2015

PROJECT SUMMARY

Namdrik Atoll, located 270 miles from the capital island of Majuro,

faces challenges common to remote island communities. Its

population of 700 people depends heavily on imported goods, while

export potential is limited due to the high costs of transport and

shipping. Low-lying atolls such as Namdrik are also the most

vulnerable areas to the impacts of climate change. According to the

IPCC, rates of sea level rise in the Western Pacific are three times

higher than the global average of 3 mm per year. Seawater intrusion

in Namdrik has already contaminated groundwater tables and

threatened production of its most important agricultural crops,

bananas and taro.

With a grant from the Pacific-American Climate Fund, the Namdrik

Atoll Development Association (NADA) will expand pearl farming as

a sustainable alternative livelihood for the Namdrik community.

Working with an existing pearl farm, NADA will increase oyster

capacity from 3,000 to 20,000 seeded pearl oysters, the minimum

amount required to generate positive cash flow over five years.

NADA will also train farm workers and other community members

Continued >

Namdrik Atoll Development Association (NADA)

PROJECT SNAPSHOT

GRANT TITLE

Namdrik Atoll Pearl Farming:

Linking Adaptation and Livelihoods

OBJECTIVES

To reduce the vulnerabilities

associated with climate change

faced by the Namdrik Atoll's

coastal community through

income-generating, sustainable

small-scale aquaculture ventures;

lagoon management capacity

building; and resiliency

improvement.

LOCATION

Namdrik Atoll, Marshall Islands

GRANT AMOUNT

$375,980

DURATION

24 months

KEY PARTNERS

Namdrik Atoll Local Resource Committee

Namdrik Atoll Local Government and Leadership

College of the Marshall Islands

University of Hawaii at Hilo

Marine and Environmental Research Institute of Pohnpei

Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority

Marshall Islands Conservation Society

RMI Coastal Management Advisory Council

to produce high-grade pearls which take at least four years

of precision culture. The income from expanded pearl

farming will be managed by a community pearl farming

cooperative and used to support reinvestment or other

climate change adaptation initiatives. Women in Namdrik

will be involved in all aspects of pearl farming activities, as

well as in jewelry manufacture and pearl sales. Further,

NADA will align farming efforts with a plan to protect the

lagoon ecosystem, which is a Wetland of International

Importance under the RAMSAR Convention. As a result

of this USAID support, Namdrik will become more

resilient to climate change impacts with improved

alternative livelihoods, lagoon conservation, and

community governance.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

1. Train personnel on methods to collect pearl oyster juveniles (also called spat).

2. Harvest and transfer spat into nurseries.

3. Increase the number of pearl oysters being grafted each year to 20,000.

4. Build capacity of local residents to graft pearl oysters, make jewelry, and conduct pearl sales.

5. Develop a marketing plan to expand international market for Namdrik pearls.

6. Train community members on pearl farm management.

7. Revise lagoon resource management plan.

8. Raise awareness on climate change impacts facing Namdrik and the potential adaptation options.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

1. Increased the pearl farms operational efficiency and sustainability.

2. Strengthened livelihoods and increased capacity of local community to adapt to the impacts of climate

change.

3. Improved the technical and governance capacity of the community.

4. Lagoon resource management plan that more fully encompasses pearl farming activities.

ABOUT THE GRANTEE

The Namdrik Atoll Development Association (NADA)

is a legally registered NGO in the Marshall Islands.

Members consist of about 30 people from Namdrik

currently residing in Majuro who want to make a

difference on their home atoll. The organizations main objective is to seek funding assistance to support

various community-based projects focused on

sustainable livelihoods and conservation. The NGO

helps coordinate and works cooperatively with the

Mayor and Local Council on priority issues, including

climate change adaptation. NADA has partnered with a

variety of international agencies to preserve

biodiversity and natural resources, as well as to develop

new, sustainable livelihoods to minimize out migration

and over-extraction of resources.

Majuro Namdrik Community

Mattlan Zackhras

Namdrik Atoll Development Association (NADA)

Tel: +692 455 0051

E-mail: namdrikalele@gmail.com

ABOUT THE FUND

The Pacific-American Climate Fund (PACAM), is a

grant-making facility funded by the U.S. Agency for

International Development (USAID) and administered

by Partners for Global Research and Development, LLC

(PGRD) that assists twelve Pacific Island countries to

reduce long-term vulnerabilities associated with climate

change. PACAM awards grants to civil society

organizations in support of climate change adaptation

measures and related co-benefits, such as livelihoods enhancement, improved health, food security, disaster

risk reduction, or sustainable natural resources

management.

In addition to building climate resiliency, the Pacific-

American Climate Fund, through the awarded grants,

strengthens the managerial and financial capacity of civil

society organizations. The countries in which PACAM

operates are: Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji,

Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of

Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga,

Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

Peter Collier

Chief of Party, Pacific-American Climate Fund

1100 88 Corporate Center

Valero Street corner Sedeo Street

Salcedo Village, Makati City 1227, Philippines

Email: pcollier@pgrd.org

Web: www.pgrd.org/projects/pacam/

Winston Bowman

Global Climate Change Advisor

U.S. Agency for International Development

Email: wbowman@usaid.gov