Jan. 29 (UPI) -- The island nation of Nauru, among the world's smallest and most vulnerable to rising sea levels, gets backing for a climate-proof port, lenders said.
The Asian Development Bank approved a $21.3 million grant to overhaul a port in the island nation of Nauru, the island nation's main link to the rest of the world. Nauru's and Australia's government are also kicking in to help finance the $80 million project.
"The Nauru Sustainable and Climate Resilient Connectivity Project will transform the largely inoperable boat harbor into an efficient, reliable, and climate-resilient port which will improve the quality of life of all the people in Nauru," the ADB explained.
At the U.N. conference on climate change in 2015, the nation's government said that, as a low-lying island nation, it was "particularly vulnerable" to the impacts of climate change, most notably from rising sea levels.
Related
With less than 20,000 inhabitants, the government said it has very few resources of its own to respond to the threats. On its own, its environment has already been damaged by nearly 100 years of mineral mining.
Hoping to do its part on the fight against climate change, the government said it could tap into under-resourced forms of renewable energy. It faces a number of barriers, however, including the lack of funds at the national level for improvements like electrical grid updates and port infrastructure.
"At the national level, there are no nationally focused adaptation projects due largely to the very limited funds," its COP 21 report read.
Anton Jimwereiy, CEO of the Port Authority of Nauru, said the upgrade relieves a century-old problem of maintenance at the port.
"The people of Nauru as well as local businesses will benefit greatly from this upgrade," he said.
