Niutao Port Harbor

The project. The Outer Island Maritime Infrastructure Project – Additional Financing (the project) will continue the efforts of the Government of Tuvalu (the government) with support from Asian Development Bank (ADB) to rehabilitate and improve maritime infrastructure on outer islands. The Outer Islands Maritime Infrastructure Project is improving infrastructure on Nukulaelae, Nanumaga and Niutao which was damaged by Tropical Cyclone Pam in March 2015. The government has requested ADB to provide additional financing for: (i) cost overruns resulting from contract variations and foreign exchange fluctuations; and (ii) provision of passenger facilities at Nukulaelae and construction of a small boat harbor at Niutao.
The original project is financing (i) a small boat harbour construction in Nukulaelae and rehabilitating boat ramps in Nanumaga and Niutao, (ii) institutional strengthening for government’s asset management focusing on the sustainability of project deliveries, and (iii) the preparation of transport master planning. The ongoing project is being successfully implemented with all contracts awarded for the works, the project support and master planning, and project management staff have been awarded. There are no docking facilities on Niutao for either of the three government-owned ships or the small workboats used to transfer people and cargo from the ship to the shore. Passenger transfers between vessels are often dangerous while movement of cargo is very labour intensive and carried in manageable pieces though the water to the shore. The small workboat harbour will involve the dredging of a new channel and turning bay for the work boats. The construction of breakwaters involve using precast concrete elements, with wharf and jetty raised on piles to reduce the impact on coastal processes within the reef environment. There will be ancillary buildings for cargo near the jetty to assist in the safe movement of passengers and cargo from the land to the ship.