Student no: 19172452
DEVP7005 - Shelter after disaster
Assignment 2: 4000 words
Conclusion: “This is a special place, and we will do everything we can to make sure our future generation have the same benefts that we enjoyed, growing up near the ocean on royal ground.” ~ Meredani - Elder in Vunisavisavi Village ~ (World Bank, 2017)
It is often the case that shelter solutions to climate change impacts fall short of truly understanding the needs of the population. In Fiji in particular, the solution of relocation, while seemingly the best outcome, can fail to recognise the non-economic losses that can arise from the loss of the strong connection with their land. While shelter solutions cannot always completely prevent this, particularly in a situation where relocation is necessary for the immediate safety of the communities, the process can play a role in mitigating the impacts through engaging directly with different communities and helping to record and share the knowledge and value of traditional culture and skills that have proven to be resilient against natural hazards in the past. In the event of relocation, it is also vital that the government, and any other stakeholders involved in the organisation, engage in a Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) process after the community has settled in the new location to ensure that the negative impacts of the relocation do not outweigh the positives (Shelter after Disaster Lecture, 2021). It would be particularly important here to engage with the most vulnerable and perhaps marginalised groups such as women, children and disabled who may feel the impacts of relocation the most, as well as informal communities whose voices have almost entirely been left out of the relocation guidelines in the past. There is also scope for Fiji to act as a trial country for new, innovative, cross-sectoral interventions, through international funding provided to their ‘Climate Relocation and Displaced Peoples Trust Fund for Communities and Infrastructure.’ With their biggest hazards being recurring rapid-onset or slow-onset disasters, they have the benefit of foresight, at least to some level, which can and should allow for more disaster reduction and prevention programmes to be tested and implemented. By focusing on this, it could potentially help to both increase the resilience of coastal communities and strengthen natural barriers against hazards, thereby reducing the risk of displacement and the need to relocate. However, it is important to note here that while funding may come from international adaptation financing, the methods and interventions should be community-led as this is the only way to ensure sustainability and to value their own existing resilience and strong devotion to their vanua.
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