"Na Neitou Qele Ga Qo" ("This Is Our Only Land"): Adaptation to the Effects of Climate Change in Rural Indigenous Fijians

Title
"Na Neitou Qele Ga Qo" ("This Is Our Only Land"): Adaptation to the Effects of Climate Change in Rural Indigenous Fijians
Publication Date
2024-02-09
Author(s)
Lykins, Amy D
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2930-3964
Email: alykins@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:alykins
Nunn, Patrick D
Kumar, Roselyn
Sundaraja, Cassandra
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1980-6867
Email: csundar2@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:csundar2
Cosh, Suzanne
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8003-3704
Email: scosh@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:scosh
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Leibniz-Institut fuer Psychologie,Leibniz Institute for Psychology
Place of publication
Germany
DOI
10.5964/gep.11239
UNE publication id
une:1959.11/58277
Abstract

It has long been recognized that the Pacific Small Island Developing States are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, emphasizing the urgency with which adaptation planning and efforts need to be realized. History supports the resiliency of Pacific peoples, though a number of challenges to adaptive capacity have been noted in the previous literature, which has largely focused on low-lying atoll nations. To provide a different perspective, we interviewed 71 Indigenous and other traditional Fijians living in rural villages across a range of geographical locations to collect information on observed environmental changes, and adaptation efforts and challenges. Following an inductive thematic analysis, results identified changing patterns of consumption and production related to unpredictable and extreme weather patterns, with impacts on both overall food security and the financial viability of these communities. A number of physical adaptations to the villages themselves had been effected, which were costly and met with equivocal success. Consideration of migration to different geographical locations was minimal and undesirable. We provide recommendations for the culturally responsive, co-production of knowledge, resilience building, and adaptation planning with Indigenous and other traditional communities that meaningfully integrates scientific knowledge and respect for the wishes of these communities

Link
Citation
Global Environmental Psychology, v.2, p. 1-30
ISSN
2750-6630
Start page
1
End page
30
Rights
Attribution 4.0 International

Files:

NameSizeformatDescriptionLink
openpublished/NaLykinsNunnSundarajaCosh2024JournalArticle.pdf 963.396 KB application/pdf Published Version View document