Habitat for Humanity announces new climate readiness programme to turn the tide on shelter resilience

Habitat for Humanity New Zealand is launching its new climate readiness programme, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s newly announced climate finance funding.

The programme is designed to work alongside in-country partners, Habitat Fiji and ADRA Samoa, and Pacific communities with locally led workshops as they adapt their homes and community infrastructure to growing climate risks to maintain economic, social, and cultural values.

"The Pacific Islands are living with the effects of climate change now,” says Alan Thorp, Group Chief Executive Officer, Habitat for Humanity New Zealand.

“Homes, land, traditional ways of life, and livelihoods are under threat. Alongside our local partners, Habitat is looking forward to implementing our climate programme in Fiji and Samoa so Pacific communities are able to adapt now, not react later.”

The US National Science Foundation reports that despite contributing just 0.03% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the small island states of the Pacific are confronting the brunt of climate change's impacts, such as sea level rise, worsening cyclones and their subsequent affects, flooding, and other extreme weather events.

To prepare for these shelter risks, Habitat’s programme upskills community participants in identifying hazard in their environment and supports them in planning and developing projects to minimse these risks. The programme also supports improvements in water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities and builds financial literacy to enable communities to manage resources to improve their housing and shelter.

Through Habitat’s existing programming, recent community projects have included the construction and repair of sea walls, evacuation centres, drainage, water supply and sanitation facilities.

Habitat has experience working in the Pacific for the past 30 years. Its climate readiness programming will help Pacific communities adapt to changes in everyday life in the coming decades.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has committed NZD $1.3 billion in climate finance for 2022–2025, of which Habitat New Zealand has been awarded NZD $1.94 million for an initial two-year programme.

Prior to 2024, Aotearoa New Zealand was already financially supporting climate action throughout the Pacific region through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The 2019–2022 commitment of NZ$300 million was delivered through the International Development Cooperation (IDC) programme, half of that ($150 million) through a dedicated Climate Change Programme.