Fiji

Floods have been occurring and impacting Fijian communities regularly due to excessive rainfall events including tropical cyclones and depressions. This vulnerability is further exacerbated by poor watershed management, deficient urban planning, deforestation, poor farming practices, inadequate early warning systems and protocols and limited cross sectoral engagement and institutional capacity to prepare and respond to a rise in extreme events.

As part of the Alliance, the Fiji Red Cross Society, together with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), aims to enhance community resilience to floods and storms through local engagement and capacity building. It seeks to ensure equitable outcomes for all communities while leveraging experiences, lessons learned, and evidence to scale and influence policies at subnational, national, and regional levels.

The Alliance program will operate in three high-risk areas: the Province of Ba, the Rewa Catchment near Suva, and the Labasa River Catchment. These areas, home to approximately 300,000 people—one-third of Fiji’s population—are particularly vulnerable to river flooding, storm surges, and tropical cyclones. Informal settlements face heightened risks due to drainage issues, limited urban services, and land management challenges. The program, implemented in phases, begins with eight communities in the Province of Ba.