About RESCCUE
RESCCUE stands for the Restoration of Ecosystem Services against Climate Change, a regional project implemented by the Pacific Community (SPC). The RESCCUE project operates in two French Territories namely, New Caledonia, French polynesia and two Pacific Island Countries, Fiji and Vanuatu. The overall goal of RESCCUE is to contribute to increasing the resilience of Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) in the context of global climatic and environmental changes. RESCCUE aims at supporting adaptation to climate change (ACC) through development and implementing of integrated coastal management (ICM), resorting especially to economic analysis and economic and financial mechanisms.
The capacity to adapt and be resilient to the effects of climate change has been a major issue for Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). As the most vulnerable to the effects of climate changes such as ocean acidification, greenhouse gasses emissions and threats to biodiversity, the PICTs need to increase their capacity to adapt and also increase resilience to such changes.
RESCCUE Pilot Site Objectives
- Strengthen integrated coastal management and adaptation to climate change.
- Strengthen the use of economic analysis for integrated coastal management.
- Ensure economic and financial sustainability of integrated coastal management.
- Facilitate learning, dissemination and replication of experiences gained from pilot sites.
RESCCUE Project in Fiji
The operator in charge of the implementation of the RESCCUE project in Fiji under the supervision of both SPC and the Fijian Government is the Institute of Applied Sciences (IAS) of The University of the South Pacific. IAS is supported by Landcare Research New Zealand, Wildlife Conservation Society, Conservation International and Fiji Environment Law Association.
Five Components of RESCCUE
RESCCUE is divided into five components:
Component 1: Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) – supporting ICM implementation through ICM plans, ICM committees, and management activities concerning both terrestrial and marine ecosystems, capacity building and income generating activities.
Component 2: Economic analysis – using economic analysis to support coastal management and policy decisions.
Component 3: Economic and financial mechanisms – setting up economic and financial mechanisms to generate additional and sustainable funding for ICM: review of options (payment for ecosystem services, taxes, user fees, trust funds, quota markets, offsets, labels); feasibility studies; implementation and monitoring.
Component 4: Capitalisation, communication, dissemination of project outcomes in the Pacific – going beyond pilot sites activities in order to have impacts at the regional level, by fostering experience sharing between sites, cross-sectoral expertise, and communication and dissemination of the project outcomes.
Component 5: Project management – implementing and coordinating the project, by providing technical assistance, organising local and regional steering committees, conducting audits and evaluations (mi-term and ex-post), etc.
Funding
RESCCUE is funded primarily by the French Development Agency (AFD) and the French Global Environment Facility (FFEM) for a duration of five years (01/01/2014 to 31/12/2018).