Tuvalu’s National Adaptation Programme of Action.

Tuvalu’s National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) is a cross-sectoral national plan whose main objectives are: 1) to develop a country-wide programme that encompasses urgent and immediate needs of communities; 2) to implement immediate and urgent adaptation activities to climate change and variability; 3) to enhance communities awareness and livelihood; and 4) to mainstream adaptation measures into national and sectoral planning.
To enhance food security in Tuvalu is one of the long-term objectives of the Plan. Chapter 3.3.4 is devoted to subsistence, agriculture and food security. The latter will be ensured by transplanting local crops between islands. Food insecurity will be addressed also by promoting eating locally grown nutritious food.
The NAPA promotes the sustainable use of natural resources through breeding programmes, awareness and conservation. Subsistence and productivity of pit grown pulaka will be increased through introduction of a salt-tolerant pulaka species. Pulaka productivity will be enhanced also by transferring and establishing salt tolerant pulaka nursery. Highly vulnerable near-shore marine ecosystem conservation will be strengthened through community based conservation programmes. Coastal marine biological diversity will be protected. The marine resources productivity will be increased by developing traditional and modern conservation practices and a sustainable community-based coastal marine biodiversity management plan. Importance will be given to raising awareness and building capacity of communities. Coastal shellfish fisheries productivity will be increased by protecting shellfish population and coral reef ecosystems. To this end, a shellfish breeding programme will be established. Island experts will be trained and a National Shellfish and Coral Reef Ecosystems Conservation Plan will be adopted.
The Plan aims at reducing rural poverty through the provision of safe drinking water and income earning opportunities for communities. It will also enhance traditional subsistence economy through increasing yields through introduction of salt-tolerant species as well as other agricultural initiatives. Local farmers will be trained. Measures for increasing the productivity level of pulaka pit and shellfish are set out as well, to increase the income of local communities.
Specific attention is given to the resilience of livelihoods to disasters. The preparedness of communities and their response capacity to disasters will be strengthened by: a) developing a post-disaster resettlement and rescue plan; b) raising awareness on existing disaster plans; c) developing a disaster preparedness and response strategy; and d) enhancing and documenting traditional knowledge. Climate hazard risks will be reduced by the integration of risk reduction into national development and disaster risk reduction training. Climate monitoring and information systems will be increased by establishing new Automatic Weather Stations (AWS), developing stakeholder-friendly climate information and developing early warning systems. To increase resilience of coastal areas and community settlement to climate change, the coastal areas will be protected from erosion and the communities thereby will be protected from natural disasters. To this end, coastal defenses and channel current breakers will be built. Nurseries will be developed and a green-belt will be planted. Importance will be given to public awareness raising. Coastal reef buried by sediments will be decreased. Coastal resources will be enhanced and easy access of communities to these resources will be ensured. Sustainable use of water resources at all levels of society will be increased and community access to quality water will be enhanced. Measures will be taken regarding the adaptation to water shortages. These measures are as follows: a) increasing household water capacity, b) collection accessories, and c) enhancing water conservation technologies. To this end, plumbers will be trained in fixing water accessories and water storage structures. Experts will also be trained on water conservation technologies and importance will be given in raising public awareness. Pollution of groundwater from human wastes will be decreased by implementing water conservation technologies to minimize volume of water entering waste streams.
An environmental law will be drafted and enforced to address adverse impacts of climate change. The Ministry of Natural Resources is the main authority for the implementation of the NAPA and will ensure the cooperation between the Department of Environment and other ministries and departments, non governmental organizations and other stakeholders.