Parametric Insurance for Niue and the Heart of Moana Mahu

During a recent mission to Niue, the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company (PCRIC) met with the Niue Ocean Wide (NOW) Trust to explore collaborative opportunities for enhancing coastal protection and livelihood resilience under the Government of Niue’s updated policy, effective 1 November.
Another exciting avenue discussed was the potential to design a new policy concept addressing losses from rough seas and high waves, a safeguard aimed at supporting tour operators and fisherfolk during times when unsafe conditions disrupt their operations. PCRIC confirmed that this option could be further scoped in partnership with the Government of Niue in the next phase of engagement.

This collaboration directly aligns with one of NOW’s key pillars, Sustainability, Climate Resilience & Risk Reduction. By exploring innovative insurance solutions and supporting climate-adaptive financial mechanisms, NOW reaffirms its commitment to protecting Niue’s people, blue economy, and ecosystems from the escalating impacts of climate change. Through partnerships like these, we are building pathways toward a more secure and sustainable blue future for Niue.

Celebrating Niue’s Progress in Climate Readiness & Ocean Safety

We’re excited to share highlights from the recent wave inundation workshop held by SPC in partnership with Niue Met Services.

During this incredible workshop we were introduced to the current work and amazing continuous efforts that Pacific-Community-SPC is doing in collaboration with local partners here in Niue and to help develop innovative tools and strategies that will play a crucial role in enhancing Niue’s climate risk readiness and preparedness and the safety of local fishermen and fisherwomen. These efforts are not just about monitoring cyclones and protecting our island but also about safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of our seafaring community. This initiative aligns perfectly with Niue Ocean Wide’s commitment to climate risk reduction and capacity building, ensuring that we preserve traditional knowledge while embracing modern solutions. We’re also proud to highlight the parametric agreements that contribute to the protection of our precious waters and ensure the safety of everyone who ventures out to sea. A huge thank you to SPC and all our partners for their unwavering dedication to protecting our oceans and our people. Together, we’re building a safer, more resilient future for Niue!

Hervé highlighted the progress in strengthening ocean forecasting and early warning systems for Niue. In partnership with the Meteorological Service, SPC has developed high-resolution wave and inundation forecasting tools that provide information up to seven days in advance. He expressed his gratitude for Niue’s warm hospitality and emphasized SPC’s commitment to supporting the island in building resilience.

“Those systems will provide seven days in advance high resolution wave information and inundation impact information seven days in advance.
We’ve developed in partnership with MET service some new prediction tools, high resolution wave forecast, and we have ongoing work working on inundation forecast. Those systems will provide seven days in advance high resolution wave information and inundation impact information seven days in advance.
It’s always feeling privileged when we have the opportunity to come to Niue and work in this beautiful island with people that are always so warmly welcoming us.” Hervé Damlamian – Team Leader of Ocean Prediction & Monitoring, SPC

Rossy Mitiepo shared how wave forecasts are advancing to meet Niue’s needs and priorities. She stressed the importance of these tools for fishermen and fisherwomen in ensuring safety at sea, supporting sustainable fishing, and protecting livelihoods against climate change. Rossy also welcomed the growing role of the Niue Ocean Wide Trust in sustaining long-term ocean monitoring and resilience efforts, noting her optimism for continued support in the years ahead.

“For Met Services, we want to see how that information will support fishermen or fisherwomen in terms of safe and security, in terms of sustainable fishing, in terms of subsistence living here in Niue, to improve our livelihoods and especially to protect ourselves from climate change and being climate resilient.
We’re happy that Niue Oceanwide is now coming on board. The Niue Oceanwide Trust, which has just been established and is now growing. We are very happy to hear from Brendon Pasisi that the support could continue for the year’s future in terms of increasing the number of waves to monitor our oceans.” Rossy Mitiepo – Niue Meteorological Service

Brendon Pasisi underlined the critical importance of wave and ocean predictions for Niue’s future. He noted their relevance not only for infrastructure protection but also for safeguarding reefs, marine ecosystems, and coastal communities. He emphasized the value of accurate forecasts for local fishers, as well as the role of parametric insurance in building resilience for Niue and Beveridge Reef. Looking ahead, Brendon called attention to the need for modeling runoff from coastal infrastructure to better protect the marine environment.

“It’s really of primary importance to what we’re doing because the impacts of wave inundation and ocean stuff not only provides for the potential damage to the island and infrastructure, but equally important, what the coastal development poses as a risk to the marine environment. Predicting what kind of impacts there might be physical on the reef and around the island, that’d be really important. Also in terms of the parametric insurance that we’ve started contributing towards with the Niue government for not only Niue, but Beveridge Reef as well. I think extrapolating from that to do some work around the runoff modeling and mapping, which, with the roading development and other infrastructure development on the coastal areas, means identifying what the risks are from them to the marine environment.” Brendon Pasisi – Niue Ocean Wide Trust

Niue Launches its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) at COP29

Niue Ocean Wide Trust representatives and project team help to ensure Ocean priorities and commitments are well represented in Niue’s updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Niue’s updated NDC has expanded to include 5 new sectors or issues – Oceans, waste management, invasive species, loss and damage and Gender. Amongst the key sectors and priorities, Niue’s NDCs in the Ocean space draw heavily on the achievements, commitments and objectives of the Niue Ocean Wide initiative and NOW Trust. These inNiue launched its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) at COP29 in Baku. An ambitious and forward-thinking blueprint that goes beyond emissions reduction. The NDCs strategically integrate ecosystem protection, marine conservation, and climate adaptation to strengthen island resilience. The Niue and Ocean Wide Trust – Ocean Conservation Commitments (OCCs) continue to set a regional benchmark topping the charts in sustainable management of 100% Niue’s EEZ – Nukutuluea Multipurpose Marine Park and Niue Moana Mahu MPA. On the global scale the OCCs is the first of its kind and only type of nature based credit that has sold to date. It has proven itself in the market and is making massive waves by impact. Emphasizing traditional knowledge and cultural alignment, this wholistic approach reinforces Niue’s leadership in sustainable ocean stewardship and the global blue economy.clude developing a climate resilient and sustainable blue economy; conserving a large part of Niue’s ocean real-estate (40% of our EEZ as Niue Moana Mahu) and protecting 100% of its EEZ; preserving traditional knowledge and practice associated with the ocean and its resources; strengthening food systems and security in the blue sector and leveraging the necessary finance to support this in perpetuity through its Sustainable Financing Mechanism – NOW Trust and Ocean Conservation commitments (OCCs).

NOW Trust & Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)