Paper short abstract:

The significance of culture, through the lens of the Fijian Vanua, is a key concept for improving risk management for climate change. Institutional approaches to climate change may be strengthened through greater appreciation for, and integration of, peoples’ cultural responses to climate risks.

Paper long abstract:

Fiji has been described by Fijian government officials in various climate fora as a 'canary in a cage'. As the climate warms, communities in Fiji are becoming economic refugees as subsistence agriculture and other economic sectors are affected by flood, draught, coastal erosion, saline intrusion, sediment discharges, cyclones that are growing in intensity, longer periods of hot weather and other events. Health concerns such as an increase in dengue fever, leptospirosis, typhoid and diarrhoea are attributed in part to water supplies and sanitation systems impacted by climate change. The greatest burden at this point is shouldered by the rural population owing to their dependence on agriculture and fishing, both commercial and subsistence. An extensive body of legislation, policies, plans and programmes supports the Government of Fiji in responding to risk and disaster preparedness. This includes extensive involvement of non-government organisations and other institutions. Concurrently, local villagers utilise their emotional attachment and loyalty to the land, and duty to protect it, as a key feature of their own disaster preparedness. This is encompassed in the term Vanua, which is an essential concept of Fijian society and culture. The Vanua has eyes to see you with and ears to hear you with, is both benevolent and malevolent, and provides a sense of and context for belonging. Based on the author's work in Fiji, this paper posits that the effectiveness of institutional approaches to climate change may be strengthened through greater appreciation for, and integration of, peoples' cultural responses to climate risks.