Enviro Pro contributed to the Country led, medium term, prioritised National Infrastructure Investment Plan (CI-NIIP) by carrying out a high level assessment of the potential risks and vulnerability of proposed economic infrastructure to climate change and natural disasters. Enviro Pro collected and reviewed existing studies and reports on the vulnerability and risks of climate change and natural disasters for the Cook Islands and the possible effects on economic infrastructure.

The consultant reviewed sector plans and strategies from key agencies and formulated for each of the sectors the types of adaptation and mitigation measures to climate change and natural disasters that may apply to the proposed long list of investments in economic infrastructure and propose specific new projects to mitigate climate change or natural disasters to be included in the long list of projects. By reviewing the overall institutional arrangements to manage climate change adaptation activities in Cook Islands, the consultant identified capacity constraints for climate change adaptation planning and implementation and provided suggestion for a climate change adaptation capacity building programs in conjunction with the Climate Change Office of the Cook Islands.

For projects shortlisted by the Cook Islands government to be included in the CI NIIP, the consultant provided a short description of the climate change and natural risk adaptation and mitigation measures, which summarizes the type of action, how and when it could be implemented in the planning period of the CI NIIP and, where possible, an indicative assessment of the costs.

The consultant further contributed to the funding strategy of the SI – NIIP by identifying potential sources of funding from various climate change funding initiatives and the private sector for the Cook Islands and their possible contribution to funding of new infrastructure.