For thousands of years Palauans have maintained an intricate relationship with nature – what you do to nature comes back to you, good and bad. This reciprocal relationship reflects profound interdependency with natural resources and the importance of minimizing negative impacts from any environmental degradation. 

The INSPIRE project
The INvasive SPecIes management for Resilient Ecosystems and communities (INSPIRE) is a three-year regional project focuses on limiting invasive species threats at priority sites and increasing capacity to deliver and sustain invasive species management as a Nature-based Solution (NbS) for environmental, socio-economic, and climate resilience outcomes. Implemented in Fiji, French Polynesia, Palau and Samoa it links the management of invasive species and other threats through a (new) Pacific Ecosystem Resilience Learning Network. In doing so, it will connect Pacific countries and local communities through peer-to peer learning and strengthen capacity building to improve regional resilience to climate change impacts.

The project is supported by the Kiwa initiative and managed by the BirdLife International regional office in Suva, Fiji (BirdLife). 

​The Kiwa Initiative, officially started in March, 2020, the “Kiwa Initiative – Nature-based Solutions for climate resilience” (www.Kiwainitiative.org) is the first program ever to gather five donors (France, the European Union, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) and regional/national partners around a common objective : to enhance access to funding for rights-based gender-sensitive and socially-inclusive climate change adaptation through nature-based solutions for Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs), including local, national and regional authorities as well as civil society organizations. Taking action to manage/protect biodiversity and developing Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) to anticipate, reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen adaptive capacities of Pacific Island Countries and Territories in the face climate change are the core governing principles of the Initiative.

In Palau, the INSPIRE project is led by the Palau Conservation Society (PCS). Palau Conservation Society has partnered with BirdLife International for more than 20 years to deliver activities that protect the natural heritage of Palau.

The project aims to support the Sates of Kayangel and Koror to:
  1. Establish biosecurity for the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon (RISL) and Kayangel Atoll; including biosecurity planning, coordination, and governance structures;
  2. Facilitate biosecurity implementation including capacity- and capability-building;
  3. Raise awareness among all stakeholders (people and groups with an interest in, or who benefit from biosecurity); and
  4. Share practices and lessons that support scalable and replicable inter-island biosecurity. 

Climate change and invasive species
Managing invasive species is an achievable, pragmatic and Nature-based Solution (NbS) intervention to increase climate resilience. The management of invasive species is relevant to at least 10 of the Sustainable Development Goals, and can amplify impacts on poverty reduction, food security, human health, water security, climate change, economic development, industry, and equity concerns. Invasive species management therefore helps increase climate resilience through a more stable environment, better access to food and natural resources, improved health, and enhanced opportunities for economic development.

What is a Nature-based Solution?
Nature-based solutions (NbS) work with nature to respond to social and environmental challenges.
Nature-based Solutions can be found in many types of environments, including:
  • Forests: Provide clean air and water, and help regulate the climate by removing carbon from the atmosphere 
  • Wetlands: Can be restored to help with climate change and disaster risk 
  • Mangroves and coral reefs: Can be protected to help with climate change and disaster risk 

Nature-based Solutions can be applied to: 
  • Climate change: Can help mitigate and adapt to climate change
  • Disaster risk: Can help prevent, mitigate, and limit exposure to hazards
  • Biodiversity: Can help protect and restore biodiversity
  • Community resilience: Can help build community resilience
  • Economic efficiency: Can be cost-efficient

Website for the project: kiwainitiative.org/en/projects/inspire-invasive-species-management-for-resilient-ecosystems

The INSPIRE web pages are hosted by Pacific Biosecurity on behalf of the Palau Conservation Society.
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