4 March 2026, Funafuti - The work to understand the economic and non-economic losses and damages caused by climate change in Tuvalu takes another step forward this week in Funafuti.
At the Tomasi Puapua Convention Center, key environment stakeholders are gathering for the Building Our Pacific Loss and Damage (BOLD) Response Project Inception workshop hosted by the Tuvalu Department of Climate Change, with the support of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and Climate Analytics.
The three-day meeting is attended by Tuvalu officials, village elders, and key stakeholders, setting the priorities to guide the implementation of activities in the coming years.
With just 26 square kilometers of land sitting an average of two meters above sea level, Tuvalu is amongst the most physically exposed nations on earth to the impacts of climate change.
Tuvalu is home to more than 11,000 people. Sea levels around the island group have risen by approximately 15 centimeters in the past 30 years and will continue to rise. Projections indicate that by 2050, half of Funafuti will experience regular tidal flooding, and by 2100 more than 90% of the landmass could be underwater.
“Our daily realities have been reshaped. Pulaka pits are turning brackish due to saltwater intrusion,” said Tuvalu Department of Climate Change Acting Director, Ms Faafetai Namoto.
“Burial grounds are being claimed by the sea, and some of our traditional knowledge systems are no longer applicable. For example, fishing calendars built across generations no longer match the rhythms of the ocean.”
These slow onset changes are compounded by devastating disasters such as cyclones. When Cyclone Pam struck in 2015, the damage exceeded one third of Tuvalu’s national GDP.
“While the economic losses were immense, they only told part of the story. The social, cultural, spiritual and environmental losses were not accounted for. These are non-economic losses. Losses that cannot be priced, measured, insured, and most importantly replaced. Losses that are at the very heart of our identity, who we are as people.”
The Acting Director added: “We are reminded every day that the climate crisis is here and intensifying. But it hasn’t silenced us or discouraged our determination to act. Rather it has strengthened our resolve.”
A key part of this work to build resilience and strengthen Tuvalu’s resolve involve working with key partners. SPREP's Climate Change Adaptation Adviser, Ms Filomena Nelson, said the workshop is an opportunity for SPREP and Climate Analytics to engage with key Tuvalu stakeholders.
“We know Tuvalu has been very active on the global stage when it comes to Loss and Damage so the workshop this week is really an opportunity for interaction amongst key project stakeholders to discuss the project and ensure the approach to achieving the agreed objectives are well-aligned with national priorities, needs, and existing efforts,” she said.
“The team from SPREP and Climate Analytics was in Vanuatu last week working with the Vanuatu government and one of the key takeaways from officials and participants was their willingness to understand loss and damage more, so we are really looking forward to working with Tuvalu officials to see where we can be of help. This will help us to develop resources that respond directly to local priorities and needs.”
The BOLD Response Project, a five -year project funded by the Federal Republic of Germany through the International Climate Initiative, aims to strengthen Pacific Island countries' resilience to climate-induced loss and damage.
Historically, loss and damage assessments have concentrated on tangible impacts caused by disasters such as infrastructure damage or agricultural losses.
But for Pacific communities, the consequences of climate change go far beyond the economic damages. Losing a burial site to erosion or being forced to abandon traditional fishing practices due to marine ecosystem changes, as well as the complete relocation of communities, have had profound cultural and psychological effects that defy monetary valuation.
The work in Funafuti this week will help to develop practical, innovative responses to loss and damage in Tuvalu and by doing so will support their climate resilience.
Tuvalu is amongst the countries covered by the BOLD Project. Other countries include Fiji, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa and Vanuatu.
For more information on the BOLD Project, please contact SPREP Climate Change Adaptation Adviser, Filomena Nelson filomenan@sprep.org , BOLD Project Manager, Malaki Iakopo malakii@sprep.org or Climate Analytics – Patrick Pringle patrick.pringle@climateanalytics.org