The Pacific island nation of Palau, often described as one of the world’s last untouched paradises, is taking decisive steps to protect its people from the growing threats of climate change. With support from the United Nations, the country is building and strengthening a national network of climate-resilient disaster shelters designed to withstand extreme weather events and safeguard vulnerable communities.
Palau, an archipelago of more than 500 islands in the western Pacific Ocean, is among the countries least responsible for global climate change. Yet it is one of the most exposed to its impacts. Rising sea levels, intensifying typhoons, storm surges and coastal flooding are increasingly shaping daily life and national planning.
For Seth Techitong, the changes are deeply personal.
Growing up in Palau, Techitong spent much of his childhood in the ocean, swimming above coral reefs after school and living in rhythm with the tides. The sea symbolized freedom and security. Today, it carries a different meaning.
“When I was a kid, the ocean was where we learned how to swim, how to fish, how to live,” he recalled. “I never imagined that one day the sea itself could threaten the places we call home.”
Now working with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Palau, alongside the National Emergency Management Office (NEMO), Techitong oversees efforts to strengthen climate-resilient disaster shelters across the country.
“I fear the places I grew up in might be underwater in the next decades,” he said. “I don’t want future generations to only hear stories about what Palau used to be. That’s what drives me.”
Building resilience through a national network
The shelter initiative is part of a broader United Nations effort to help Palau build long-term resilience against extreme weather events. Working with the Government of Palau and civil society, the UN’s approach is structured around four interconnected pillars: people, planet, prosperity and peace.
Disaster risk reduction cuts across all four pillars, recognizing that resilience is not only environmental but also social, economic and institutional.
The strengthened shelters are designed as a connected national network of safe spaces accessible to all during emergencies. Built to endure high winds, heavy rainfall and flooding, they are equipped with typhoon shutters, rainwater catchment systems, solar lighting, backup generators and water filtration systems.
So far, four out of eight planned shelters have been upgraded and officially handed over to communities.
Importantly, the shelters are inclusive in design.
“The strengthened shelters consider the needs of persons with disabilities and other vulnerable people, so no one is left behind during emergencies,” said Alex Iyar, a community member involved in consultations for the project.
Beyond infrastructure: Strengthening local capacity
The initiative goes beyond physical construction. Community-based Red Cross Disaster Action Teams are being trained to manage the shelters before, during and after emergencies. This approach reinforces local leadership and ensures that preparedness becomes embedded in community life.
“These shelters are not just emergency refuges, they are community hubs that support preparedness, connection and adaptation,” Techitong explained.
Across the Pacific region, climate-related displacement is becoming increasingly common. According to data from IOM, weather-related disasters have triggered hundreds of millions of internal displacements globally over the past decade, with small island States among the most vulnerable.
While disaster shelters cannot halt rising sea levels, they can save lives, reduce displacement pressures and help communities remain rooted in their ancestral lands for as long as possible.
For Di Maech, a Palauan conservation worker, the project offers hope.
“In Palau, our communities are learning, growing, and finding ways to be resilient in the face of disasters thanks to UN-supported projects,” Maech said. “It gives me hope that my children will still be able to enjoy the best parts of Palau that I grew up with.”
As climate threats intensify, Palau’s investment in disaster-resilient shelters represents a proactive approach to adaptation. By combining infrastructure upgrades with community engagement and institutional strengthening, the country is building a model of resilience tailored to the realities of small island nations.
Techitong still returns to the ocean whenever he can. Though its beauty remains, he understands the new uncertainties it brings.
“I grew up learning how to move with the waves,” he said. “Now my work is about making sure our communities can do the same adapt, protect each other, and keep Palau standing.”