NOAA, Biden-Harris Administration announce $2 million for Federated States of Micronesia project as part of Investing in America Agenda

Today, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced that the Department of Commerce and NOAA have recommended $2 million for a project in the Federated States of Micronesia to make the country’s coast more resilient to climate change and other coastal hazards. The project encompasses the states of Chuuk and Yap. The awards are being made under the Biden Administration’s Climate Resilience Regional Challenge, a competitive, $575 million program funded through the nearly $6 billion total investment under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.  

“As part of President Biden’s commitment to combating the climate crisis, we are investing $575 million to help make sure America’s coastal communities are more resilient to the effects of climate change,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “As part of this historic investment in our nation’s climate resilience the Biden-Harris Administration is investing $2 million to help underserved communities in the Federated States of Micronesia develop and implement new strategies to protect themselves from impacts of climate change.” 

Administered by the Department of Commerce and NOAA, the Climate-Ready Coasts initiative is focused on investing in high-impact projects that create climate solutions by storing carbon; building resilience to coastal hazards such as extreme weather events, pollution and marine debris; restoring coastal habitats that help wildlife and humans thrive; building the capacity of underserved communities and support community-driven restoration; and providing employment opportunities.

“Micronesia's population has experienced the severe impacts from climate change on coastal communities, including threats to food and water supplies,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “Equity remains at the center of all we do. This funding will bolster new ideas and opportunities that build on existing efforts to prioritize resilience and carry those priorities into implementation.”

The recommended project, Strengthening Opportunities for Adaptive Response, includes $2 million for work with Catholic Relief Services. The project will elevate the voices and priorities of vulnerable people in the coastal areas and remote islands of the Federated States of Micronesia and provide the technical and financial resources needed to jumpstart priority resilience projects. The project aims to reach 30,000 individuals across 39 coastal communities (14 in Chuuk and 25 in Yap), where they will build a network of learning and foster coordination that leverages existing research, encourages the stewardship of natural resources and creates the evidence needed to expand coastal resilience work in the near and long term. This effort will work to address the challenges of sea level rise, including the impacts on drinking water and food insecurity. 

Additional information is available on the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge website. 

Climate, weather, and water affect all life on our ocean planet. NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict our changing environment, from the deep sea to outer space, and to manage and conserve America’s coastal and marine resources.