From shelter to strength: How new disaster shelters in Palau are protecting lives

This story was originally published in UN news.

As a boy growing up in Palau, Seth Techitong spent most of his days in the ocean. After school, he would dive into the clear blue water, swimming above coral reefs that seemed eternal, framed by dense green forests and quiet villages. Life on the island felt simple and safe, shaped by the rhythms of tides and seasons. Back then, the sea was a place of freedom.

Today, that same ocean tells a different story

“When I was a kid, the ocean was where we learned how to swim, how to fish, how to live,” Techitong recalls. “I never imagined that one day the sea itself could threaten the places we call home.”

Palau is often described as one of the last untouched paradises on earth. It is also among the countries least responsible for changing weather patterns, and yet one of the most exposed to natural hazard risks. Rising sea levels, stronger typhoons, storm surges and flooding are no longer distant projections. They are reshaping national planning and daily life, threatening homes, livelihoods and cultural identity.

From lived experience to leadership in climate action

For Techitong, these climate related hazards are deeply personal.

“I fear the places I grew up in might be underwater in the next decades,” he says. “That’s what drives me. I don’t want future generations to only hear stories about what Palau used to be.”

Today, he serves as Senior Programme Assistant with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Palau. Working with the National Emergency Management Office (NEMO), he oversees the strengthening of climate-resilient disaster shelters across the country.

Strengthening national resilience through partnership

Techitong’s work is part of a broader United Nations’ effort to support Palau’s resilience to the adverse effects of extreme weather events through an integrated, long-term approach. Under the UN Country Implementation Plan 2025–2027, the UN works alongside the Government of Palau and civil society across four interconnected pillars: People, Planet, Prosperity, and Peace. Building community resilience to extreme weather events and strengthening disaster risk reduction cuts across all four of these pillars, as resilience is not only environmental, but also social, economic and institutional.

The shelters Techitong oversees put this vision into practice. In close coordination with the Ministry of Education and supported by the United States Department of State, IOM's project on Inclusive Mitigation and Preparedness in Action for Palau is implemented in the states of Angaur, Peleliu, Kayangel, Ngchesar, Ngaraard, Ngarchelong, Ngiwal, Ngardmau, Ngeremlengui, Ngatpang and Aimeliik with NEMO, the US Civic Action Team, and the Palau Red Cross Society.

Advancing inclusive and risk-informed infrastructure

The shelters are designed to function as a connected national network of safe spaces during emergencies. Built to withstand high winds, heavy rainfall and flooding, they will be equipped with typhoon shutters, rainwater catchment systems, solar lighting, generators, and water filtration systems. Accessibility is central to their design. Four out of the eight shelters have already been strengthened and handed over to the community in Palau.

“The strengthened shelters consider the needs of persons with disabilities and other vulnerable people, so no one is left behind during emergencies,” says Alex Iyar, a community member involved in the consultations that led to the development of this project.

Government leaders recognise the importance of the project. 

“After the strengthening upgrades carried out by IOM, my community and I feel much safer and more secure with the designated shelter available in case of an emergency,” says Gibson Kanai Jr., Ngaraard Legislator.

Beyond infrastructure, the project is strengthening local capacity. Community-based Red Cross Disaster Action Teams are being trained to manage shelters before, during and after emergencies, reinforcing local leadership and ownership.

Addressing displacement risk and protecting social cohesion

Across the Pacific, climate displacement is increasingly common. According to IOM data on global displacement trends, weather-related disasters have triggered hundreds of millions of internal displacements over the past decade. Disaster events are fundamentally reshaping patterns of mobility worldwide, disproportionately affecting Small Island Developing States like Palau. 

While disaster shelters cannot stop the sea from rising, they can buy time, protect lives and help communities remain rooted for as long as possible.

For Di Maech, a local Palauan conservation worker, this matters deeply.

 “In Palau, our communities are learning, growing, and finding ways to be resilient in the face of disasters thanks to UN-supported projects. It gives me hope that my children will still be able to enjoy the best parts of Palau that I grew up with.”

Investing in youth leadership for long-term resilience

Techitong believes the shelters are central to national resilience.  “These shelters are not just emergency refuges, they are community hubs that support preparedness, connection and adaptation,” he says.

Young people serving in Red Cross Disaster Action Teams and as state volunteers assist with supporting evacuations in times of emergencies, sharing information across families and villages, and gaining practical skills through projects like IMPACT PALAU. These experiences are opening pathways into leadership, technical expertise and community service.

Techitong still swims in the ocean when he can. The water remains beautiful, powerful and deeply familiar, even as it carries new uncertainty.

“I grew up learning how to move with the waves,” he says. “Now my work is about making sure our communities can do the same. Adapt, protect each other, and keep Palau standing.”