INTRODUCTION

Introduction

~ Vanua ~

“The Fijian concept of home that is “inclusive of the land with its flora and fauna, rivers and adjacent seas, the people (the ancestors, those living and those yet to be born) and their customs, norms, beliefs, social organization…and sacred sites”.

(Singh et al. 2020:7)

Displacement is increasingly becoming one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world, as a result of conflict, climate change and unsustainable urbanisation (IMDC, 2020). Disaster displacement, in particular, is having a tremendous impact on the Pacific Islands, with around 50,000 Pacific Islanders at risk of being displaced each year (ibid.). To address this issue, since 2014, the Fijian government have started planning for the relocation of multiple coastal villages in Fiji, a measure which, despite being acknowledged as the last resort, has started to gain traction as the only viable solution to climate-induced displacement and land loss. But is it the right solution for the communities affected?

Disaster displacement is a consequence of “the interaction between a hazard, exposure and vulnerability” (Disaster Displacement, n.d.). Relocation can be seen primarily as a strategy to address community exposure and physical vulnerability to hazards by moving to a safer site. However, the psychosocial, ‘non-economic’ vulnerabilities of some communities can often be either overlooked or intensified by the process. This essay explores the impacts of these vulnerabilities on the relationship that Fijians have with their land, known as place attachment. It then goes on to analyse how different shelter scenarios, aimed at tackling climate-induced displacement, can maintain place attachment by helping communities to stay in their existing location, as well as the strategies that can be used to retain cultural heritage and communities’ vanua in a situation where relocation is the only solution.

Despite only contributing a minuscule amount to global emissions, Fiji, along with other small island developing nations, is bearing the brunt of climate change. Hence, while international aid can be a contentious topic in other parts of the world, Fiji is in fact urging larger international economies to make up for their role in exacerbating climate change by helping to fund Fijian-led programmes (Ministry of Communications, 2018; Salem, 2020). Thus, this essay will also briefly investigate emerging cross-sectoral strategies which could be implemented with funding assistance from international donors and governments.