Koror Resilience Projects increase capacity to resist, recover from, and adapt to stresses – Build Resilience
Climate change and pandemics have proven to be two (2) examples of significant sources of negative shocks that can derail a growing economy, impact and stress the different socio-economic aspects in communities, including destroying physical habitats, and unique and fragile eco-systems. Koror State Government (KSG) is refining its strategic response to address this challenge: it is building statewide resilience in governance, community engagements, and environmental protection application so that communities are prepared to “bounce back better” from the rippling impacts of current and new upcoming shocks.
“This is really a first-of-its-kind strategic proactive effort for Palau,” said Governor Eyos Rudimch, “We have already felt the impact of climate change disasters and will continue to feel these impacts. Global events beyond our control are putting our livelihoods and the physical existence of our islands at risk. The only way forward is to draw on our traditional and scientific knowledge to adapt and build our resilience so we are prepared for whatever uncertainty may come.”
KSG partnered with Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF) in 2021 on a Resilient Reefs Initiative (RRI) Project for the Koror Rock Islands Southern Lagoon (RISL) World Heritage Site. Although RRI targets healthy coral reef ecosystems, GBRF recognizes that resilience for a reef means resilience for the communities that are reliant on the bounties of the reef for livelihood, food source, and economic gain, which are the direct outcomes of effective and sound governance as well. Thus, RRI’s underlying strategy is focused on building society-wide resilience to better manage the entire RISL socially, economically, and environmentally.
From 2021 to 2023, KSG, in partnership with Palau Conservation Society (PCS), worked with Koror communities and NGO partners to survey and identify priorities, vulnerabilities, and strengths. The findings of this survey provided the base to develop a groundbreaking Resilience Strategy, subtitled “Bounce Back Better.”
This Resilience Strategy was launched by Governor Rudimch at a ceremony in December 2023. At the ceremony, Governor Rudimch thanked the many partners who helped develop the strategy and called for continued partnership. “We must face these challenges together with a resilience-based strategy if we are going to be effective in ensuring sustainability of the RISL and our communities who strongly rely on this resource” he said.
Koror’s Resilience Strategy aligns with the existing RISL Management Plan, and includes three (3) goals for strengthening KSG-wide governance; preserving community and cultural systems; and secure a healthy and productive environment. It is designed to be actionable, and centers on four (4) resilience challenges in (1) Sustainable Fisheries, (2) Cultural Preservation, (3) Adaptive Management, and (4) Sustainable Financing.
GBRF committed to funding actions to improve these identified resilience challenges. In January 2024, KSG and its departments launched four (4) Koror Resilience Projects, tasked to tackle each challenge. The Department of Conservation and Law Enforcement (DCLE) is leading a project on Fisheries Management to increase resilience on RISL’s fisheries stocks and implement sustainable fisheries harvesting and practices, and to further protect the continuity of biodiversity in marine protected areas. The Department of State and Cultural Affairs (SCA) is leading a Cultural Preservation project that is focused on both the preservation and maintenance of cultural sites in the RISL, and safeguarding the intangible values of the oral history and practices that are central to the cultural value of the RISL. The Department of Finance is leading a Sustainable Financing project to diversify revenue streams and identify potential alternative sources of income to strengthen overall financial performance and stability of state programs. The Office of the Governor is teaming up with KSG’s Administrative/Human Resource (HR) Unit in leading a project to increase the Adaptive Management capacity for the entirety of the operational guidelines for the different processes within KSG that has both a direct and indirect impact on the management of the RISL These projects will continue for the next 18 months.
A number of partners will be working with KSG to implement the resilience projects, including Palau Conservation Society (PCS), Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC), Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Environment (MAFE) through the Bureau of Fisheries (BOF), Ministry of Human Resource, Culture, Tourism, and Development (MHRCTD) through the Bureau of Cultural and Historical Preservation (BCHP), Small Business Development Center (SBDC), and The Nature Conservancy (TNC).
“These projects could not have come at a better time,” said Koror’s Chief Resilience Officer Andrea Uchel, “because scientists are predicting that the 4th Global Coral Bleaching Event will begin in the next few weeks, and global conditions suggest it may be worse than in 1997-1998. We have to be ready for it, because coral reefs are critical to our food security, tourism, storm protection, and cultural heritage. Through these efforts we will be able to resist or recover from negative impacts, or find a way to adapt to challenges so that we are stronger – it’s about building resilience for our reef systems and our communities that relay on it.”