The Pacific Innovation Forum for Climate and Environment (PIFCE) 1st - 3rd July, 2026

Zoom Links

Please use these links to join each room. Each link is valid for each full day of the event.

Farea Pacifik 1

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Ballroom 1

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Ballroom 2

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09:00 - 10:30

Making It Locally: Fabrication as Climate Resilience in the Pacific Field Ready

Summary:

This session brings together practitioners, national disaster management offices, and regional partners to explore how local fabrication and repair capacity can strengthen climate resilience across the Pacific. Field Ready will present the Mobile Maker Space model — a deployable fabrication unit that enables communities to produce and repair essential items locally, reducing dependence on fragile import supply chains.

The session will combine a short presentation of the MMS model and its deployment across Vanuatu, Samoa, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands with display of locally produced items and direct input from local technicians and national partners about what local manufacturing capacity means in practice for disaster preparedness and response.

Expected outcomes include increased awareness of locally led manufacturing as a climate resilience strategy, practical knowledge of the MMS model and its replication potential, and connections between practitioners working on supply chain localisation across the region.

The session is designed to be interactive and grounded in real Pacific experience, with space for discussion on how the model can be adapted and scaled across different PICT contexts.

Unlocking Climate Finance in the Pacific: From Conceptualisation to Capitalization, KPMG Fiji

Summary:

This side event is an interactive workshop designed to build practical capability in climate finance and support participants to develop fundable business cases within the Pacific context. The session moves beyond conceptual overviews to focus on how climate priorities can be translated into structured financing processes and investment proposals. The workshop combines short, targeted presentations with hands‑on engagement, introducing a practical climate finance playbook that outlines key steps such as framing an investment rationale, identifying appropriate financing instruments, structuring financial components, and aligning proposals with funder requirements.

Real‑world examples, practical tips, and common pitfalls are used throughout to ground discussions in Pacific experience.

Participants will engage in an interactive exercise to apply the playbook to a simplified scenario, working through core elements of a funding‑ready business case.

The session also explores how climate finance can be applied to Loss and Damage as well as how it intersects with gender, social inclusion, and the just transition, demonstrating how climate impacts can be framed as actionable, investable initiatives.

Expected outcomes include increased confidence in navigating climate finance processes, stronger understanding of funding pathways for governments, NGOs, and the private sector, and clearer linkages between policy priorities, finance, and implementation to enable effective Pacific‑led climate action.

Speakers:

Rachel Armstrong, Principal Director, KPMG ASPAC
Muhammad Uzair Akhtar, Manager, KPMG Fiji

Pacific Guidance on Internal Planned Relocation: A Decolonized Approach Rooted in Pacific Values, International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Summary:

The session convenes policymakers, practitioners, community leaders, and development partners to advance shared understanding and action on climate mobility in the Pacific, grounded in the Pacific Regional Framework on Climate Mobility and its Implementation Plan (official framework page to be linked in promotional materials). The objective is to centre Pacific values, strengthen rights based approaches, and translate regional commitments and Loss and Damage into practical, people centred action.

Speakers:

Moderator Dr Merewalesi Yee, Planned Relocation Advisor, IOM Coordination Office for the South Pacific
Ms Leba Gaunavinaka, NDC Partnerships Advisor, Government of Fiji
Ms Anne Pakoa, Founder and Secretariat Vanuatu Human Rights Coalition

10:30 - 11:00

COFFEE BREAK

11:00 - 12:30

Innovation pitch Competition (Final) and Awards

Project Halo: Harnessing nature-based solutions and the blue economy to improve lives and livelihoods in urban and rural Pacific communities Water Research Laboratory, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univesity of New South Wales, Sydney

Summary:

This interactive side event will showcase Project Halo, a collaborative UNSW-USP research project demonstrating innovative approaches to restoring and conserving blue carbon ecosystems in the Pacific. The project is implementing two pioneering restoration methodologies: the tidal restoration of degraded agricultural lands and the integration of mangroves into coastal infrastructure, including floating mangrove systems. By restoring natural ecosystem functions in both rural and urban coastal environments, these approaches enhance biodiversity, strengthen natural coastal protection, improve water quality and fisheries productivity, increase carbon sequestration, and create opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.
Building on the experiences and lessons emerging from Project Halo, a project endorsed by the Government of Fiji as a pilot initiative to scale across the Pacific, the event will bring together policymakers, practitioners, researchers, community representatives, development partners, and other stakeholders from Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The event aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experiences on innovative blue carbon restoration approaches, sustainable financing mechanisms, and pathways for scaling nature-based solutions across the region.
Through expert presentations, country experiences, and facilitated world café-style discussion, participants will exchange lessons on conservation, restoration, monitoring, and financing mechanisms while exploring practical pathways to translate ecosystem values and co-benefits into sustainable development opportunities. The event will foster regional collaboration and help position the Pacific as a leader in nature-positive development, ecosystem restoration, and climate resilience.

Speakers:

Jasma Devi (Cotutelle PhD Candidate, USP-UNSW)
Muzammil Ali (Cotutelle PhD Candidate, USP-UNSW)
Deepitika Chand (PhD Candidate, UNSW)
Joshua Wilkinson (Cotutelle PhD Candidate, UNSW-USP)

Data-Driven Energy Planning for Climate-Resilient Pacific Island Grids Scinergy Pacific

Summary:

This side event will showcase a practical, data-driven approach to advancing climate-resilient energy systems in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). It will highlight Scinergy Pacific’s application of open-source capacity expansion modelling using tools such as PyPSA to support least-cost renewable energy planning, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and strengthen grid resilience to climate impacts.
The session will combine a short technical presentation with an interactive panel discussion featuring representatives from utilities, government agencies, and development partners. It will draw on real-world case studies from Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands to demonstrate how open-source tools can be embedded within national institutions to enable continuous, locally owned planning.
The key objective is to move beyond high-level strategies toward implementation-ready solutions by linking modelling outputs to project pipelines, financing pathways, and institutional strengthening. Expected outcomes include increased awareness of scalable, cost-effective planning tools; strengthened collaboration between stakeholders; and identification of practical next steps for replication across the Pacific. The event will also foster partnerships to support capacity building and long-term adoption of data-driven decision-making in the energy sector.

12:30 - 13:30

LUNCH

13:30 - 15:00

Innovative Loss and Damage Funding Mechanisms, Department of Climate Change, Vanuatu

Summary:

Overview of Vanuatu NCLDF Innovation, latest developments at the FRLD and it's unique setup and modalities, including direct budget support.

Speakers:

Hon. Ralph Regenvanu Minister of Climate Change
Willy Missack, Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC)
Moirah Matou, BOLD Project Coordinator
Brian Maltera, STRENGTH Project Lead
Professor Karen Macnamara, University of Queensland NELD Research Team (Online)
Dr Rebecca Bogiri, GGGI Vanuatu
Tuvalu Survival Fund Representative
Director General, Vanuatu Ministry of Climate Change

Dignified Pathways: Pacific Voices Shaping Climate Futures, Moana Tasi Project

Summary:

This interactive workshop presents the Moana Tasi Project’s community-led approach to climate engagement through the concept of “dignified pathways.”

Grounded in talanoa and sautalaga (dialogue), the session centres lived experiences of Pacific communities navigating climate change, mobility, and cultural continuity.

Participants will engage with short story-based insights drawn from community dialogues, followed by facilitated small-group discussions and a co-creation process.

Together, participants will explore what dignified climate pathways look like in practice and identify critical gaps in current policy and programming.

The session moves beyond traditional panel formats by creating a participatory space where lived experience, cultural knowledge, and policy thinking intersect. It demonstrates how community-led methodologies can generate actionable, policy-relevant insights grounded in Pacific realities.

Outputs from the session will contribute to the development of the “PIFCE 2026 Dignified Pathways Brief”, a short policy paper outlining community-defined principles and recommendations for dignified climate responses.

The brief will be shared with regional stakeholders and policy platforms to support more inclusive and effective climate action across the Pacific.

Expected outcomes include shared principles for dignified climate responses, strengthened cross-sector collaboration, and a clear pathway for translating community insight into policy and practice.

Speakers:

Naima Taafaki-Fifita, Founding Director, Moana Tasi Project

Unlocking Climate Resilience through Parametric Payouts, United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)

Summary:

This 75-minute interactive workshop, co-hosted by UNCDF and TISA Insurance, demonstrates how parametric insurance serves as a critical, actionable financial tool to address Loss and Damage (L&D) for climate-vulnerable communities.

Drawing on UNCDF’s extensive history of successful Pacific deployments and TISA’s initiative to bring vital coverage for cyclones, excess rainfall, and earthquakes to Vanuatu, the session bridges L&D theory and practice.

The format centers on an engaging, interactive simulation of the historic Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam. Through this scenario, participants will trace the exact flow of rapid L&D financing from an objective meteorological data trigger, through local underwriters, down to a "last mile" digital payout to an end-beneficiary.

Expected outcomes include a demystified understanding of parametric L&D mechanisms, increased stakeholder confidence in data-driven climate finance, and a clear recognition of how local private-sector underwriting combined with digital financial infrastructure prevents cascading loss and damage immediately following a disaster.

Speakers:

Billy Donovan - Climate Risk Insurance Expert for Samoa and Vanuatu with UNCDF's Pacific Insurance and Climate Adaptation Programme (PICAP)
Ali Wilkinson - Country Manager for TISA Insurance Vanuatu Ltd.

15:00 - 15:15

COFFEE BREAK

15:15 - 17:25

CLOSING

Abyss Vanuatu Ocean Institute

About

Abyss Vanuatu Ocean Institute (AVOI) is a science-led, community-driven initiative advancing marine restoration, climate resilience and sustainable blue economy development in Vanuatu. Through its Havannah Harbour pilot, AVOI integrates Reef Ball deployment, artificial reef design, drone-enabled monitoring and workforce training via the Vanuatu Ocean Rangers. The model combines innovation and local stewardship to restore ecosystems, strengthen biodiversity and support climate adaptation. By linking technology, community engagement and practical delivery, AVOI is developing a scalable national framework that helps translate ocean policy into measurable outcomes, creating jobs, building local capability and supporting long-term environmental resilience across island communities.

Abyss Vanuatu Ocean Institute (AVOI) delivers integrated, science-led services focused on marine restoration, climate resilience and sustainable environmental management. Its core services include the design and deployment of Reef Ball artificial reef systems and managed vessel reefs to restore degraded marine habitats, enhance biodiversity and support fisheries recovery. AVOI also provides drone-enabled monitoring and survey services, using autonomous and manned systems to track climate impacts, support conservation planning and improve data-driven decision-making across marine and coastal environments.

A central component is the development of the Vanuatu Ocean Rangers program, which builds local workforce capability in restoration, monitoring, conservation and environmental stewardship. AVOI also supports Marine Protected Area (MPA) design, ecological baseline assessments and long-term monitoring frameworks aligned with national ocean policy objectives.

Through community engagement, eco-tourism integration and applied innovation, AVOI connects environmental protection with economic opportunity. Its Havannah Harbour pilot serves as a scalable model to deliver practical climate adaptation, strengthen ecosystem resilience and enable coordinated, whole-of-government environmental outcomes across Vanuatu.

The Innovation

One of AVOI’s key innovations is the integration of the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger program with locally delivered marine restoration systems, including Reef Ball fabrication and deployment. This model combines workforce development, community engagement and practical restoration into a single, scalable framework designed for island environments.

Through structured Vanuatu Ocean Ranger Camps, over a 3 day period AVOI identifies and trains local Ni-Vanuatu participants in marine conservation, Scientific diving, restoration techniques, monitoring and stewardship. One aspect of the Rangers responsibilities is to support the fabrication and deployment of Reef Ball artificial reef systems using locally sourced materials and regional supply chains, significantly reducing costs and increasing local ownership. The approach enables degraded reef systems to be restored while simultaneously building in-country capability and employment pathways, guided by our National AVOI Play Book at its core.

This innovation directly addresses climate change by strengthening reef resilience, supporting fisheries recovery and enhancing coastal protection against storm surge and extreme weather events. It also improves ecosystem health, which is critical for food security and long-term adaptation in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs).

What makes this model particularly relevant for PICTs is its practicality and scalability. It does not rely on high-cost external inputs but instead builds local capacity, integrates customary stewardship and aligns with government policy frameworks. The system can be replicated across islands using a consistent training, deployment and governance approach.

Supported by drone-enabled monitoring and AI self learning data collection, AVOI’s model provides a cost-effective, community-led solution that connects restoration, climate resilience and sustainable economic opportunity in a way that is both locally grounded and nationally scalable.

How is this solution innovative?

AVOI’s solution is innovative because it integrates community workforce development, marine restoration and applied technology into a single, scalable delivery model tailored for island environments. Rather than treating conservation, employment and climate adaptation as separate challenges, AVOI combines them through the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger program and locally delivered Reef Ball restoration systems. This creates a practical pathway where communities are directly trained and employed to restore and monitor their own marine ecosystems. The model also incorporates drone-enabled monitoring and emerging AI-supported survey systems to improve data collection, ecological tracking and rapid response capability, including in remote and disaster-affected areas. This blend of low-cost, locally sourced restoration methods with advanced monitoring technology allows for both accessibility and scientific rigour. What makes the approach particularly innovative is its focus on scalability and replication. By developing a standardised training, deployment and governance framework, AVOI provides a repeatable model based on a National AVOI Play book that can be adapted across Pacific Island Countries, helping translate policy into measurable, community-led climate and environmental outcomes.

How can the innovation be replicated and scaled up in other PICTs

AVOI’s model is designed for replication across Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) through a structured, partnership-driven and capacity-focused approach. Following an initial two-year proof-of-concept in Vanuatu, AVOI will develop a refined National PICT Playbook outlining standard operating procedures (SOPs) and safe work method statements (SWMS), delivered in both English and Bislama, with visual and pictorial elements to ensure accessibility across diverse communities.

Scaling will be enabled through institutional partnerships with government agencies, regional bodies, scientific partners such as UTS, and local stakeholders, supported by blended financing models including public-private partnerships, eco-tourism revenue streams and conservation funding.

A key component is the development of a simplified, citizen science-based survey framework focused on key indicator species. This approach lowers technical barriers, enabling participation from communities with varying levels of formal education while strengthening data collection and stewardship.

By combining local workforce training, accessible science, and standardised systems, AVOI creates a practical, low-cost model that can be adapted regionally, empowering communities while supporting climate resilience, biodiversity restoration and sustainable economic development across PICTs.

Is your solution cost‑effective and affordable in the context of Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs)?

AVOI’s solution is designed to be highly cost-effective and affordable for communities, local governments and small operators across PICTs. A core principle of the model is the use of locally available materials, including aggregates from regional quarries and, where appropriate, surplus or repurposed government materials. This significantly reduces construction and deployment costs for Reef Ball systems and associated infrastructure.

From an end-user perspective, the model lowers financial barriers by building local capability through the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger Camp Initiative and subsequent program, reducing reliance on external expertise and enabling communities to deliver and maintain restoration activities themselves. The integration of eco-tourism also creates revenue-generating opportunities that can help offset ongoing costs.

Affordability is further strengthened through the development of a streamlined cross-departmental approval pathway within the AVOI Playbook. By providing clear guidance on site selection, environmental considerations and standardised processes, local governments can reduce delays, duplication and administrative costs, enabling more efficient project delivery at scale.

Together, these elements create a low-cost, accessible and sustainable model that is practical for widespread adoption across PICTs.

Where is this being piloted?

AVOI’s solution is being piloted in Vanuatu, with Havannah Harbour (North-West Efate) identified as the primary proof-of-concept site, supported by a permanent operational and training hub at Lot 149, Lapita Estate. While over 1,000,000 Reef Balls have been deployed globally across more than 80 countries, this will be the first integrated deployment of this system in Vanuatu. The pilot combines initial baseline surveys across 12 regions using Reef Life Survey (RLS Methodology) prior to any deployments. Once 6 of the sites are selected for deployment we will deploy 50m x 10m of Reef Ball habitat restoration—designed as a 500+ year solution—, allowing us to. Continue to conduct 6 monthly replicated surveys in exactly the same 50m transects to demonstrate recruitment changes providing proof of concept. Together with the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger program, which trains and employs local Ni-Vanuatu to deliver restoration, monitoring and stewardship, supported by drone-enabled surveying, community engagement and eco-tourism integration. The approach is intentionally holistic, linking marine restoration, climate resilience, workforce development, local supply chains and government coordination into a single, place-based model. The Havannah Harbour pilot will be used to refine systems, demonstrate measurable outcomes and establish a scalable framework for national and regional replication across PICTs, through the development of our AVOI National Playbook, helping guide replication across all our satellite sites. Initial training will be conducted through AVOI Headquarters in Havannah Harbour, with Ranger selection conducted through a multi-day conservation camp where participant will all leave with new knowledge and appreciation for the terrestrial and marine environment, and Ocean Rangers selected for employment within the AVOI team at the conclusion of the camps.