THE Pacific invested an estimated $USD3.7 billion across 115 maritime projects between 2016 and 2026.
More than 95 per cent of the funding directed to infrastructure, capacity development and new ships, according to the Pacific Maritime Database Project.
Australia was the region’s largest donor, largely because of its $USD1.5 billion Guardian Class Patrol Vessel project, followed by the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and the Government of Japan.
The Micronesian Centre for Sustainable Transport (MCST), a Marshall Islands government-owned research centre, generated the database to help Pacific policymakers and planners, researchers, and development partners understand the scale and financial cost of maritime investments in the region.
“Using publicly available data for the decade between 2016 and 2026,” the project indicates an “overall estimated spend of $USD3.7bn across 115 maritime projects.”
The database aims to inform the planning pathways and decisions of Pacific and Small Island Developing States as they work to decarbonise their transport ecosystems. It includes tables and visual charts highlighting data points and trends and is available to the public.
“This is a working project that will be updated and expanded over time,” MCST said.
The centre is working with regional donors and stakeholders to complete data validation and welcomes external corrections and contributions.
Since its establishment in 2015, MCST has supported Pacific governments and institutions through policy development, technical research, capacity building and advocacy on maritime safety, energy efficiency, climate resilience and greenhouse gas reduction in shipping.
The database is available at https://mcstrmi.org/pacific-maritime-database-project/.
