To support countries in addressing these urgent challenges, GEF IW:LEARN, in partnership with the Pacific Community (SPC), convened a regional Pacific SIDS Twinning Exchange, on 28 November 2025, in Nadi, Fiji. The event brought together water directors, technical experts, and representatives from GEF International Waters (IW) projects to strengthen cooperation and explore opportunities for future collaboration under the Global Environment Facility’s GEF-9 programming cycle.
Pacific SIDS manage some of the world’s most unique and vulnerable water systems. Droughts, saline intrusion, floods, degrading groundwater quality, and ageing monitoring networks increasingly disrupt community resilience and water security.
Recent regional initiatives, including the Pacific Regional Hydrological Services Forum (2025) and the Roadmap for Advancing Flood Early Warning in Selected Pacific Island Countries,have amplified the call for stronger hydrological services, better early-warning systems, and improved institutional coordination.
This exchange provided an opportunity to bridge those regional priorities with new possibilities emerging under GEF-9, particularly in the areas of:
- climate-resilient water management
- enhanced data and early-warning systems
- protection of freshwater and coastal ecosystems
- strengthening institutional capacity
The workshop was built around active participation. Four thematic roundtable groups explored:
- Hydrological monitoring and data systems
- Flood and drought early-warning systems
- Climate-resilient water resources management, including groundwater
- Institutional coordination, capacity needs, and financing challenges
Each group identified national and regional priorities, mapped opportunities within the GEF-9 directions, and discussed concrete next steps:from potential project ideas to knowledge-sharing needs.
A final plenary session brought all perspectives together, creating a consolidated picture of where Pacific SIDS see the greatest needs and opportunities for impact.