The remote coastal village of Waitabu on Taveuni

In the remote coastal village of Waitabu on Taveuni, a quiet crisis is unfolding.

Climate change-induced coastal erosion is imperiling the cultural identity and livelihoods of its residents.

The rising sea level, like a relentless intruder, threatens not only their shorelines but also their very way of life.

Adrea Maritino, a Waitabu village elder, reflects on the painful exercise of moving from the current village to a new location.

“It’s true that it’s always difficult to depart from a place that we’ve called home for thousands of years. But the government has advised us and identified a new site for us to move to. It will be difficult for us to maintain and keep watch on our marine park.”

Waitabu Village has long been a champion of conservation, which is why cultural tours are a cornerstone of their income-generation endeavor.

Village Headman Samuela Busena says it will be difficult for them to police their marine park from the new village site.

“Our marine park is one of our main source of income, as we host tourists and visitors for cultural tours and that gets us money.”

As the rising tide nibbles away at their shores, 55-year-old Maritina Tautauniuca voices her anxiety about an uncertain future.

Tautauniuca says their roles as caregivers and mothers will need to change.

“The rising tide continues to eat away our shoreline as you can clearly see that is why we need to move away from here but that will require adjustment in how we live and eat. I know it will be difficult for us women with small children as we cannot live them behind to come and fish but we don’t have much cshoice but to move.”

Waitabu is just one of 42 Fijian villages slated for potential relocation within the next five to ten years due to the climate crisis.

These communities grapple with an uphill battle, striving to preserve their cherished traditions and way of life.

In the face of relentless environmental change, the residents of Waitabu are standing at a crossroads where they must weigh the preservation of their cultural heritage against the inexorable forces of nature.

This story was produced with the support of Internews’ Earth Journalism Network.

Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.