Introduction to the Vision of the Higher Ground Initiative

The urban vision for the Higher Ground Initiative, and its corresponding designs and policy recommendations delivered through this reporting, are intentionally comprehensive and strategically integrative, in response to the potentially catastrophic impacts of the global climate challenge that Nauru faces. Not only is there a demonstrated need to migrate vulnerable homes and critical infrastructure away from rising sea levels to the higher elevations of the island, but more broadly, there is a fundamental need to plan for the just transition to a future that ensures the security and resilience of the entire island for generations to come. In consideration of such a future, Nauru has structured its strategic approach to national sustainability around seven priority areas which are each distinctly vulnerable to the effects of the changing climate (Productive Land, Healthy and Productive People, Water Security, Food Security, Energy Security, Healthy Environment, and Good Governance), as outlined in the commitment made by the Republic of Nauru to the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2015.14 The country must now begin the generational transition to fully adapt based on these priorities, utilizing a strategic plan for the relocation of its people, its assets, and its communities to higher ground and centreed on the master plan specifically prepared to guide this process.

Through pledges from the Government, the Higher Ground Initiative Steering Committee, and additional allied groups, and with generous financial support from the Asian Development Bank,Nauru is currently positioned to begin this critical mobilization that will drive its economic, social,environmental, and cultural future. If delivered successfully, the initiative will serve as a model of sustainability for developing small island nations around the globe. In order to guide the implementation of this Higher Ground Initiative, the design team has prepared a master plan and strategic process for Nauru, to assess the restoration and subsequent land development of the higher elevations of the island, commonly known as “Topside,” and establish an innovative vision for a sustainable and climate-responsive future for the Republic of Nauru.

14 Republic of Nauru. (2021). Updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC): Paris Agreement to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Republic of Nauru.