Climate change adaptation in Fiji : Local adaptation strategies to enhance national policy

As in other Pacific Island countries, coastal communities in Fiji face an urgent need to adapt to large-scale climate change risks, including sea level rise and extreme weather events. In response, Fijians are implementing adaptation strategies at various scales, from local to national. This study records current climate change adaptation strategies in three Indigenous Fijian (iTaukei) villages and compares them with Fiji's national adaptation strategies, identifying tensions and synergies between both scales. To bring the voices of Indigenous Peoples and local communities into the arena of climate change adaptation, the study used in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Fiji's 2018 National Adaptation Plan (NAP) was used to analyze national adaptation policies. The findings of the study revealed key synergies and gaps across 22 local and 160 national adaptation actions. The largest number of synergies were found in the areas of food and nutrition security, including adaptive changes within practiced livelihoods. The findings also revealed mismatches between adaptation measures at both scales. For example, local measures deviate from the NAP regarding reduced dependency on nature and reciprocity and sharing practices. Insights from this work may enlighten future interventions oriented to build the resilience of local communities. © 2024 selection and editorial matter, Victoria Reyes-García; individual chapters, the contributors.