Atoll Resiliency

The Atoll Resiliency Project (ARP) seeks to reverse the declining health and resilience of the RMI’s atoll forests, people and biodiversity as vital agroforestry trees such as seeded breadfruit have ceased to be replanted. In urban and rural areas, sparse or cleared costal forest allows salt spray to travel further inland burning vital agroforesrt tree crops and during storm surges and high waves which are increasing with climate change and sea level rise, sparsely forested coastal land is eroding as opposed to islands being build up by dense shoreline trees trapping coral rocks and sand.

Community based coastal-shoreline forest and mixed agroforestry tree crop demonstrations on four Marshallese atolls are aimed cooperatively at revitalizing landowner, community, and local government stewardship of trees and forest for improving local foods, land protection and boosting resilience in the face of climate change, sea level rise, costly imports and demographic changes in the Marshall Islands. Based on traditional practices the project will be a first to demonstrate possible means of adapting to climate change, also helping RMI meet Micronesia Challenge goals of conserving (and buffering) over 20% of forest land.

Through a partnership with Ministry of Resources and Development (MR&D), the Marshall Islands Conservation Society (MICS) will work with island councils, landowners, College of Marshall Islands (CMI), Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), Taiwan Farm and communities of Majuro, Wotje, Jaluit and Kwajalein and neighboring atolls to:

• Demonstrate effective planting of native coastline- shoreline trees to reduce impacts of salt spray, help control shoreline erosion and enhance atoll land-building processes thereby increasing Marshallese use of practical adaptations to climate change and sea level rise, based in part on the traditional forest and land management practices; and
• b) Improve coordination of atoll-wide replanting of traditionally grown mixed agroforestry tree crops leading to renewed self reliance, food security, healthier local diet, and conservation of atoll forests, forest resources and biodiversity.