Lavenia Naivalu speaks at the Pre-COP31 Summit in Nadi.[PHOTO:BOSE VAVATAGA]

For Lavenia Naivalu, the climate crisis is not a distant warning.

It is something her community in Nacula, Yasawa, is already living with.

As Mata ni Tikina, Naivalu says stronger storms, rising seas and saltwater reaching gardens are changing the way people live, while ancestral sites and other places of cultural importance are increasingly at risk.

Speaking at the Pre-COP31 Summit in Nadi, she brought the experiences of her community directly to climate leaders, saying Pacific people cannot afford to wait for promises to become action.

But Naivalu says her community is not simply waiting for help.

People are restoring mangroves and forests, protecting reefs and passing traditional knowledge from one generation to the next.

She believes the communities doing this work should have a direct say in how climate and conservation funding is delivered.

“Put long-term climate and conservation finance directly into the hands of the communities already protecting our lands, waters, and ocean. Deliver on loss and damage, recognizing that it goes beyond damaged infrastructure. Non-economic losses cannot simply be built. Every community matters and every loss matters.”

For Naivalu, what is at stake goes beyond homes and infrastructure.

It is the loss of places, traditions and connections that cannot simply be rebuilt once they are gone.

She is also calling for stronger action to move away from fossil fuels, while ensuring Pacific communities can access clean energy that is affordable and reliable.

And as she prepares to return home, Naivalu says the message from Pacific communities is simple: they do not want to be seen only as victims of climate change.

They want to be recognised as leaders and equal partners in protecting their land, ocean and culture.

“The true test of leadership is not what you say in this room. It is what changes when you leave it. I have come here carrying the voices of my people, and I will go back home carrying your answer. So I ask you, will you stand with us, standing for our ocean, standing for our land, standing for our culture, standing for our children? We are still standing.”

For communities like Nacula, staying strong is no longer just a choice.

It is part of everyday life.