MANILA, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday said it has approved a 16.7-million-U.S.-dollar grant to bolster Fiji's initiatives to protect coastal communities vulnerable to storm surges, sea level rise, and coastal erosion.

The grant will fund a project to enhance the resilience of coastal communities and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to extreme weather events, the Manila-based bank said in a press release.

Citing government estimates, the ADB said that cyclones and flooding alone likely cause average annual losses equivalent to 5.8 percent of Fiji's gross domestic product.

The bank said the project will provide nature-based coastal protection measures and restore around 3,000 meters of coastline and riverbanks through revegetation and mangrove planting in the country. Enditem