Quality-of-life has drastically declined on Fiji island due to climate change, new study finds
A new study of the impacts of climate change on communities on the Fijian island of Ovalau has found declines of up to 60 per cent in many key measures of traditional village life, including farming, fishing, social cohesion, and wellbeing.
The research, published in Ecology and Society, found key indicators of social wellbeing and cultural value among Indigenous iTaukei communities on Ovalau Island have declined by between 40 and 60 per cent in the past 10 to 20 years.
Lead author, University of Melbourne Dr Nicholas Moran said the findings reflect what researchers have seen and heard from people on the island.
“There is a widely shared perception of severe and ongoing climate change-related damage to their environment, traditional farming, fishing, and cultural practices, with extreme heat a key driver,” Dr Moran said.
“The immediate effects of climate change are being felt right now across the Pacific region, and they are having real and serious impacts on the people of Ovalau, whose lives are closely tied to land and sea.”
The paper is the result of collaboration by the University of Melbourne and University of the South Pacific, with the support of the Lomaiviti Provincial Office and local community leaders.
Researchers used an innovative methodology, combining science and Indigenous knowledge to derive measures of historical and future climate change impacts.
Associate Professor Anca Hanea, University of Melbourne, said: “A key strength was our ability to incorporate the knowledge, expertise, and lived experiences of the local communities.
“This means we can capture impacts on cultural values, like Vanua - the multi-dimensional cultural connection between iTaukei people and land - as well as food sharing, traditional knowledge, and community and social cohesion.
“Cultural impacts are difficult to assess, so we need better ways to understand and measure these to inform climate policy.”
Dr Rosiana Lagi, University of the South Pacific, said the research reflects the realities experienced across Fiji’s island communities.
“The paper represents the voice of the Vanua o Ovalau—the people of Ovalau—speaking to our losses and the bleak future we face if no action is taken,” Dr Lagi said.
“By bringing our people’s voices to the world, we hope others can truly see and feel our lived experiences, and in doing so, be moved to take meaningful action.
“Only then can life become bearable once more, and our Vanua remain liveable, thriving, and prosperous for future generations.”
Co-author, University of Melbourne Professor Tom Kompas said what we’re seeing on Ovalau is not a distant future scenario.
“These communities are already experiencing significant loss and damage to both their livelihoods and their cultural life,” Professor Kompas said.
“Participants described declines that measure between 40 and 60 per cent across farming, fishing and cultural practices in just the past two decades. That’s an extraordinary level of change within a single generation.
“This isn’t just about crops or income. It’s about the erosion of cultural practices, knowledge, and connections to land that define community identity.
“These findings may prove to be invaluable as inputs for the calculation of compensation for communities most affected by climate change.”
The project was funded by Fairground Foundation, and facilitated by the Environmental Defenders Office (Sydney, Australia) and Fiji Environmental Law Association (Suva, Fiji).
The research titled Current and future climate change impacts on Indigenous lifestyle and cultural values in Ovalau, Fiji and published in Ecology and Society 31(1): 38. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-16933-310138