The Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) President Hilda Heine delivered a passionate call to action Friday during her keynote address at UOG's 2025 Conference on Island Sustainability (CIS) in Guam. She urged Pacific leaders and partners to accelerate coordinated climate adaptation strategies amid rising sea levels and growing environmental threats.
"Today, in the face of climate change and rising sea levels, our nation is not merely trying to survive. We are working hard to be sustainable," Heine said. "We are working hard today so the future generations may thrive."
The Republic of the Marshall Islands — a remote atoll nation just two meters above sea level — faces a critical challenge: elevating and fortifying land fast enough to keep communities safe as climate change reshapes coastlines and ecosystems.
Aggregate as a Lifeline
Heine spotlighted the urgent need for sustainable aggregate — sand, gravel, and crushed stone — to support shoreline development and land elevation projects. A recent World Bank-funded study identified viable fine aggregate sources near Majuro and Ebeye, two of RMI's urban centers, which Heine described as “the primary pathway for climate change adaptation in atoll nations.”
"For small island atoll nations, there are no places to get aggregates. It's either you blast the reef or you get sediment from the lagoon area," Heine said. "And the studies confirm that it's better to get the sediment from our lagoon."
According to Heine, the identified Majuro site contains enough fine aggregate to raise one-third of the island's land area by roughly three meters. But she cautioned that it remains only a modest solution to a much larger problem.
A Dual Approach: Infrastructure and Nature
While seawalls and land elevation are necessary in urban areas like Majuro and Ebeye, Heine emphasized the need to pair hard infrastructure with nature-based solutions — including coral restoration, marine protected areas, and reforestation — especially in rural atolls.
“There is no one-size-fits-all strategy for our islands,” she said. “Nature-based solutions must be a central pillar of our adaptation strategy.”
The president also advocated for improved high-resolution mapping and early warning systems. A $400,000 investment in LIDAR topography data, she said, is already guiding up to $60 million in resilience planning.
Fisheries and Women’s Leadership
Heine highlighted the role of the tuna industry and regional partnerships — including the Pacific Island Tuna Tripartite Partnership signed with Micronesia and Papua New Guinea — as cornerstones of food security and economic development.
She also announced that 59 Marshallese women recently completed solar energy training, calling it a “powerful example of inclusive resilience.”
“Our goal is not just to protect what we have,” Heine said. “But to create a future where our islands are stronger, our people are empowered, and our way of life can endure.”
