Pacific-American Climate Fund (PACAM)

Mar 2015

Namdrik Atoll Development Association (NADA)

PROJECT SNAPSHOT
GRANT TITLE
Namdrik Atoll Pearl Farming:
Linking Adaptation and Livelihoods
OBJECTIVES
To reduce the vulnerabilities
associated with climate change
faced by the Namdrik Atoll's
coastal community through
income-generating, sustainable
small-scale aquaculture ventures;
lagoon management capacity
building; and resiliency
improvement.

LOCATION
Namdrik Atoll, Marshall Islands
GRANT AMOUNT
$375,980
DURATION
24 months
KEY PARTNERS
Namdrik Atoll Local Resource
Committee
Namdrik Atoll Local
Government and Leadership
College of the Marshall Islands
University of Hawaii at Hilo
Marine and Environmental
Research Institute of Pohnpei
Marshall Islands Marine
Resources Authority
Marshall Islands Conservation
Society
RMI Coastal Management
Advisory Council

PROJECT SUMMARY
Namdrik Atoll, located 270 miles from the capital island of Majuro,
faces challenges common to remote island communities. Its
population of 700 people depends heavily on imported goods, while
export potential is limited due to the high costs of transport and
shipping. Low-lying atolls such as Namdrik are also the most
vulnerable areas to the impacts of climate change. According to the
IPCC, rates of sea level rise in the Western Pacific are three times
higher than the global average of 3 mm per year. Seawater intrusion
in Namdrik has already contaminated groundwater tables and
threatened production of its most important agricultural crops,
bananas and taro.
With a grant from the Pacific-American Climate Fund, the Namdrik
Atoll Development Association (NADA) will expand pearl farming as
a sustainable alternative livelihood for the Namdrik community.
Working with an existing pearl farm, NADA will increase oyster
capacity from 3,000 to 20,000 seeded pearl oysters, the minimum
amount required to generate positive cash flow over five years.
NADA will also train farm workers and other community members
Continued >

ABOUT THE GRANTEE

The Namdrik Atoll Development Association (NADA)
is a legally registered NGO in the Marshall Islands.
Members consist of about 30 people from Namdrik
currently residing in Majuro who want to make a
difference on their home atoll. The organizations main
objective is to seek funding assistance to support
various community-based projects focused on
sustainable livelihoods and conservation. The NGO
helps coordinate and works cooperatively with the
Mayor and Local Council on priority issues, including
climate change adaptation. NADA has partnered with a
variety of international agencies to preserve
biodiversity and natural resources, as well as to develop
new, sustainable livelihoods to minimize out migration
and over-extraction of resources.
Majuro Namdrik Community
Mattlan Zackhras
Namdrik Atoll Development Association (NADA)
Tel: +692 455 0051
E-mail: namdrikalele@gmail.com

to produce high-grade pearls which take at least four years

of precision culture. The income from expanded pearl
farming will be managed by a community pearl farming
cooperative and used to support reinvestment or other
climate change adaptation initiatives. Women in Namdrik
will be involved in all aspects of pearl farming activities, as
well as in jewelry manufacture and pearl sales. Further,
NADA will align farming efforts with a plan to protect the
lagoon ecosystem, which is a Wetland of International
Importance under the RAMSAR Convention. As a result
of this USAID support, Namdrik will become more
resilient to climate change impacts with improved
alternative livelihoods, lagoon conservation, and
community governance.
PROJECT ACTIVITIES
1. Train personnel on methods to collect pearl
oyster juveniles (also called spat).
2. Harvest and transfer spat into nurseries.
3. Increase the number of pearl oysters being grafted
each year to 20,000.
4. Build capacity of local residents to graft pearl
oysters, make jewelry, and conduct pearl sales.

ABOUT THE FUND

The Pacific-American Climate Fund (PACAM), is a
grant-making facility funded by the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) and administered
by Partners for Global Research and Development, LLC
(PGRD) that assists twelve Pacific Island countries to
reduce long-term vulnerabilities associated with climate
change. PACAM awards grants to civil society
organizations in support of climate change adaptation
measures and related co-benefits, such as livelihoods
enhancement, improved health, food security, disaster
risk reduction, or sustainable natural resources
management.
In addition to building climate resiliency, the PacificAmerican Climate Fund, through the awarded grants,
strengthens the managerial and financial capacity of civil
society organizations. The countries in which PACAM
operates are: Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji,
Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of
Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga,
Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
Peter Collier
Chief of Party, Pacific-American Climate Fund
1100 88 Corporate Center
Valero Street corner Sedeo Street
Salcedo Village, Makati City 1227, Philippines
Email: pcollier@pgrd.org
Web: www.pgrd.org/projects/pacam/
Winston Bowman
Global Climate Change Advisor
U.S. Agency for International Development
Email: wbowman@usaid.gov

5. Develop a marketing plan to expand international

market for Namdrik pearls.
6. Train community members on pearl farm
management.
7. Revise lagoon resource management plan.
8. Raise awareness on climate change impacts facing
Namdrik and the potential adaptation options.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
1. Increased the pearl farms operational efficiency
and sustainability.
2. Strengthened livelihoods and increased capacity of
local community to adapt to the impacts of climate
change.
3. Improved the technical and governance capacity of
the community.
4. Lagoon resource management plan that more fully
encompasses pearl farming activities.