International  Climate  Change  Adaptation  Conference,  Gold  Coast,  Australia,  29  June  –  1  July  2010  

Understanding  Percep/ons  of  Future  Climate  Change  to  Inform  Adapta/on  Needs:  A  Case  Study  of  the  Rewa  Delta,  

Vi/  Levu  Island,  Fiji  

Shalini  Lata  Patrick  D.  Nunn  

The  University  of  the  South  PaciDic  

Climate Change in the Pacific Context

Eroding  shoreline,  Kiriba/  

Inunda/on  affec/ng  agriculture  in  Tuvalu  

King  Tide  in  Kiriba/  

Floods  in  Nadi,  Fiji  

The Rewa Delta

THE  REWA  DELTA  •  sustains  a  popula+on  of  almost  80,000  

•  comprises  mostly  tradi+onal  villages  along  river  banks  

• people  rely  heavily  on  river,  land  and  sea  for  subsistence  foods  

STUDY  SITE  • Vu/a  community  (comprises  three  villages,  Muanaicake,  Muanaira,  Laucala)  

•  Socio-­‐economic  challenges  include  popula+on  growth,  poverty,  educa+on  

• Village  elders  (predominantly  male)  are  central  in  tradi+onal,  hierarchical,  decision  making  

• Communal  decision  making  is  nonetheless  generally  effec+ve  …  except  when  responding  to  environmental  stressors  

A  tradi/onal  yaqona  ceremony,  Vu/a  

Social context: Vutia Muanaicake  Village  periphery      

Current Environmental Challenges #1 The Rewa Delta is naturally vulnerable to floods, which have been occurring with increasing frequency over the past 10 years.

Floods affect •  Agriculture (through

salinization) •  River foods and sea foods

(through turbidity) •  Health (waterborne

diseases)

Current Environmental Challenges #2

River banks and shorelines are exhibiting rapid erosion, especially during floods and storm surges.

The principal effect of erosion is to reduce habitable land area and land for agriculture.

Future Vulnerability  

Community Risk Perception in Vutia •  Environmental  changes  are  perceived  as  normal  and  natural  (i.e.  climate  variability  rather  than  climate  change)  

•  Main  cause  of  climate  change  -­‐  god  punishing  people  for  their  sins  

•  No  long-­‐term  adapta+on  op+ons  are  being  considered  

•  Do  not  favour  re-­‐loca+on  •  Depend  on  government            for  short-­‐term  solu+ons    

       like  dredging  and            ar+ficial  shoreline            protec+on  structures  

Ar/ficial  river  bank  protec/on  (sand  wall)  in  part  of  the  Rewa  Delta  

Climate Change Adaptation in Vutia Reasons  for  low  risk  percep/on  and  adapta/on  •   Strong  tradi+onal  +es  with  the  land  

•         Spiritual  beliefs  •   Ignorance-­‐  wait  and  see  op+on  

•   ShiNing  the  blame  or  denying  personal  responsibility  for                                                adapta+on  

•   Confusion  between  climate  change  and  climate  variability  

Strategies for overcoming barriers to adaptation in Vutia #1

• Empower community for effective environmental decision making.

• Encourage ownership of climate-change adaptation through use of vernacular and familiar concepts.

• Target women for raising awareness.

• Disseminate climate-change information through churches.

Strategies for overcoming barriers to adaptation in Vutia #2

Tradi/onal  approach  to  preven/ng  river  bank  erosion  at  Vu/a  

• Exploit traditional knowledge for adaptation options to develop solutions that ensure community “buy-in” and are therefore sustainable.

• Encourage anticipatory adaptation (especially re-location).

Conclusions

•  Realis/c  percep/ons  of  risk  are  essen/al  for  effec/ve  adapta/on  in  Pacific  Island  communi/es.  

•  For  adapta/on  to  be  sustainable,  communi/es  must  develop  a  sense  of  ownership  of  climate  change  (not  perceive  it  as  a  foreign  construct).  

•  Effec/ve  communica/on  of  climate-­‐change  agendas  to  community  stakeholders  is  essen/al.  

•  For  the  Rewa  Delta,  the  only  long-­‐term  adapta/on  op/on  is  re-­‐loca/on.  

•  Thank you for your attention.