LILISIANA COMMUNITY TO BENEFIT FROM CAUSE II CLIMATE-RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

The Community Access and Urban Service Enhancement (CAUSE II) project has pre-identified the Lilisiana community in Auki, Malaita Province, as a priority site for the first component of its roll-out this year and next.

Construction work is set to begin with the Lilisiana Road Drainage project in August of this year. The two other projects – maintenance of the community’s 886-metre (0.8 km) road and an upgrade to shoreline protection – are scheduled to commence in January 2026.

These upgrades are vital for this Langalanga ethnic community, known for its traditional stilt houses and fishing lifestyle, which has increasingly faced risks from climate change and rising sea levels. The planned infrastructure improvements aim to protect this community and bolster its resilience against the impacts of climate change.

CAUSE II team will collaborate closely with Ministry of Infrastructure Development, Malaita Provincial Government and stakeholders to ensure that the community’s needs and concerns are fully addressed throughout the duration of the project.

Auki communities have greatly benefitted from the previous CAUSE I project, which included the construction of essential infrastructure such as footpaths, Jacob’s ladders, bridges, and ablution blocks. This World Bank and Australian government-funded project also created job opportunities for local residents engaged in the construction phase, improving the economic prospects of recipient communities in Honiara, Gizo and Auki.

Ends///

– MID PRESS RELEASE