Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) are vital in building long-term climate resilience across the Pacific region, according to Utulei Lui, Project Coordinator for Promoting Pacific Islands’ Nature-Based Solutions under the Biodiversity Conservation Programme at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in Fiji.
Speaking during a recent three-day media workshop on Loss and Damage held in Apia, Samoa, which began on May 19, Lui highlighted the importance of using nature as an ally, rather than opposing it, when addressing societal and environmental challenges such as climate-related losses and damages. She explained that NBS include actions like mangrove restoration, sustainable land management, and the rehabilitation of coastal ecosystems, which offer culturally appropriate, cost-effective, and ecologically sustainable solutions to combat climate impacts.
“By investing in nature, we are investing in both protection and prevention,” she said. “NBS can really help limit the losses that we can’t recover, and they offer solutions that are not only practical but also align with our Pacific values, our traditions, and our long-term resilience.”
Lui emphasized that beyond ecological benefits, Nature-Based Solutions address broader societal concerns, including food and water security, public health, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss. She also acknowledged the essential role of the media in raising awareness and mobilizing action across the Pacific region.
“The media plays a crucial role in raising awareness and in driving action on climate-related loss and damage, especially here in the Pacific where communities are facing climate change impacts every day,” she stated. “When media professionals cover these issues with care and consistency, they can shape narratives, amplify the experiences of vulnerable communities, and shine a light on the challenges and injustices they face. In doing so, the media becomes a catalyst for climate justice.”
Lui concluded by noting that effective communication and strong media engagement are essential to informing policy, garnering public support, and encouraging community-level participation in NBS projects. Through the Promoting Pacific Islands Nature-Based Solutions (PPIN) project, SPREP works in partnership with organisations such as the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the Pacific Community (SPC), and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to help Pacific countries integrate NBS into national policy and development frameworks.
Photo credits: Oceanus Conservation
