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Rising seas force Pacific communities to seek urgent solutions

Pacific communities are being forced to move as climate change worsens, yet many governments still lack proper relocation frameworks.

Fiji Council of Social Services Executive Director Vani Catanasiga said this growing gap leaves families to fend for themselves in the face of rising seas and frequent flooding.

She said Fiji has set out its own relocation procedures but other countries have yet to develop theirs, despite communities already confronting the reality of climate mobility.

FCOSS noted that while state processes can take years, villages are living with immediate threats and need the tools to respond without delay.

“One of the key topics off the top of my head, if you consider climate change resilience, the PIANGO launched in Honiara the community minimum standards for community-led adaptation and relocation. And so that’s an issue in security that’s affecting Pacific Island communities.”

Catanasiga states this urgency is why civil society organisations are pushing community-led solutions, such as the minimum standards for adaptation and relocation launched in Honiara.

She added that these standards are designed to give people at the grassroots level a framework they can use while waiting for government systems to catch up.

She said resilience is not only about moving to safer ground but also about ensuring communities remain strong and cohesive during times of upheaval.

She explained that NGOs continue to provide support on the ground and also advocate for governments to act more consistently in addressing the climate crisis.

According to Catanasiga, civil society has been working on these challenges for decades and will not step back regardless of political changes or funding cycles.

She said the responsibility to help communities withstand and adapt to climate change is a duty that cannot be set aside, as the survival of Pacific people depends on it.

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