Indigenous Peoples and local communities are heavily affected by climatic changes. Investigating ... more Indigenous Peoples and local communities are heavily affected by climatic changes. Investigating local understandings of climate change impacts, and their patterned distribution, is essential to effectively support monitoring and adaptation strategies. In this study, we aimed to understand the consistency in climate change impact reports and factors influencing consistency at site and individual levels. We conducted cross-cultural research among iTaukei (Fiji), Dagomba (Ghana), fisherfolks (Tanzania), Tsimane' (Bolivia), Bassari (Senegal), ribeirinhos (Brazil), Mapuche (Chile), Mongolian (China), Tibetan (China) and Daasanach (Kenya) communities using semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and surveys among 1860 individuals. We found that cross-culturally more than two-thirds of individual reports of climate change impacts match site-confirmed reports. Consistency in reports is higher for changes related to pastoralism than crop production and wild plant gathering. Individual's experience with nature, Indigenous and local knowledge, and local family roots are not significantly associated with consistency across sites, but site-specific associations are prevalent. Despite high average consistency among sites, there is considerable variation caused by site-specific factors, including livelihood activities, socio-cultural settings, and environmental conditions. Site contexts and related consistency in climate change impact reports need to be taken into account for climate change monitoring and adaptation planning. Climate change is a major driver of changes in nature 1 that heavily affects nature-dependent Indigenous Peoples (IP) and local communities (LC) around the globe 2,3 . IP and LC observe and report these climatic changes and their impacts on physical and life systems in their surroundings . In particular, they monitor changes in the atmospheric system and on biophysical elements that support their livelihood activities 7 and take measures to address the effects of these impacts by modifying their livelihood strategies . Therefore, documenting IP and LC climate change impact reports enhances understanding of localised past and ongoing atmospheric and socio-environmental changes and their impacts on communities and can provide support for culturally-relevant adaptation strategies . Besides documentation, assessing how climate change impact reports are patterned among community members is essential to understand communities' adaptive capacities and how to effectively support adaptation in given sites . These reports are contingent on both site-and individuallevel factors influencing the cognition of community members . Site level
The effects of climate change depend on specific local circumstances, posing a challenge for worl... more The effects of climate change depend on specific local circumstances, posing a challenge for worldwide research to comprehensively encompass the diverse impacts on various local social-ecological systems. Here we use a place-specific but cross-culturally comparable protocol to document climate change indicators and impacts as locally experienced and analyze their distribution. We collected first-hand data in 48 sites inhabited by Indigenous Peoples and local communities and covering all climate zones and nature-dependent livelihoods. We documented 1,661 site-agreed reports of change corresponding to 369 indicators. Reports of change vary according to climate zone and livelihood activity. We provide compelling evidence that climate change impacts on Indigenous Peoples and local communities are ongoing, tangible, widespread, and affect multiple elements of their social-ecological systems. Beyond potentially informing contextualized adaptation plans, our results show that local reports could help identify economic and non-economic loss and damage related to climate change impacts suffered by Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
Indigenous Peoples and local communities are heavily affected by climatic changes. Investigating ... more Indigenous Peoples and local communities are heavily affected by climatic changes. Investigating local understandings of climate change impacts, and their patterned distribution, is essential to effectively support monitoring and adaptation strategies. In this study, we aimed to understand the consistency in climate change impact reports and factors influencing consistency at site and individual levels. We conducted cross-cultural research among iTaukei (Fiji), Dagomba (Ghana), fisherfolks (Tanzania), Tsimane’ (Bolivia), Bassari (Senegal), ribeirinhos (Brazil), Mapuche (Chile), Mongolian (China), Tibetan (China) and Daasanach (Kenya) communities using semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and surveys among 1860 individuals. We found that cross-culturally more than two-thirds of individual reports of climate change impacts match site-confirmed reports. Consistency in reports is higher for changes related to pastoralism than crop production and wild plant gathering. Individual’s experience with nature, Indigenous and local knowledge, and local family roots are not significantly associated with consistency across sites, but site-specific associations are prevalent. Despite high average consistency among sites, there is considerable variation caused by site-specific factors, including livelihood activities, socio-cultural settings, and environmental conditions. Site contexts and related consistency in climate change impact reports need to be taken into account for climate change monitoring and adaptation planning.
Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change
Coastal cities are under severe threat from the impacts of climate change, such as sea-level rise... more Coastal cities are under severe threat from the impacts of climate change, such as sea-level rise, extreme weather events, coastal inundation, and ecosystem degradation. It is well known that the ocean, and in particular coastal environments, have been changing at an unprecedented rate, which poses increasing risks to people in small island developing states, such as Fiji. The Greater Suva Urban Area, the capital and largest metropolitan area of Fiji, is expected to be largely impacted by climate-related risks to its socioeconomic , cultural, and political positions. In the face of these threats, creating a resilient city that can withstand and adapt to the impacts of climate change and promote sustainable development should be guided by a holistic approach, encompassing stakeholders from the government, the private sector, civil society organizations, and international institutions. This study assesses the risk profile of Suva city using an innovative risk information tool, the climate and ocean risk vulnerability index (CORVI), which applies structured expert judgment to quantify climate-related risks in data-sparse environments. Through comparative quantification of diverse risk factors and narrative analysis, this study identifies three priority areas for Suva's future climate-resilient actions: development of climate risk-informed urban planning, harmonized urban development and natural restoration, and enhancing the climate resilience to the tourism sector.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
International journal of humanities and social sciences, 2016
In an endeavor to fathom the distinction between first language acquisition (L1), to that of seco... more In an endeavor to fathom the distinction between first language acquisition (L1), to that of second language acquisition (L2), scholars have examined and drawn attention to myriad theories. These theories can aid language facilitators here in Fiji to comprehend and recognize language learning and to assist their students in their language learning process. More so, this paper aims to discuss and weigh the diverse teaching approaches that exist and can promote Second Language Development (SLD). Firstly, it will consider four approaches namely the Grammar-translation, Reading, Community Language Teaching and the Total Physical Response. Secondly, it will highlight ideas from an instructor’s perspective on what needs to be done in the classroom to support SLD. Thirdly, it will look at the curriculum based on Fiji’s context and what the Ministry of Education (MOE) can do to encourage SLD in languages like English, French and Chinese that are offered to students in Fiji. Finally, it will...
Small Island States (SIDS) are among the nations most exposed to climate change (CC) and are char... more Small Island States (SIDS) are among the nations most exposed to climate change (CC) and are characterised by a high degree of vulnerability. Their special nature means there is a need for more studies focused on the limits to CC adaptation on such fragile nations, particularly in respect of their problems and constraints. This paper addressed a perceived need for research into the limitations of adaptation on SIDS, focusing on the many restrictions which are unique to them. The main research question raised by this study was that how and to what extent the challenges by human activities (e.g., agriculture and tourism) posed to coastlines of SIDS could be addressed. This paper identified and described the adaptation limits they have, by using a review of the literature and an analysis of case studies from a sample of five SIDS in the Caribbean and Pacific regions (Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Cook Islands, Fiji, Solomon Islands, and Tonga). The findings of this research showed tha...
The indicators of climate change pose multiple challenges for the inhabitants of the Pacific Isla... more The indicators of climate change pose multiple challenges for the inhabitants of the Pacific Island Nations. The remoteness and the limited resource base of the South Pacific Island states makes them particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. The response to sea level rise and extreme weather events due to climate change in the South Pacific region targets on adaptation in preference to mitigation. Over the past decade, community-based climate change adaptation has gained momentum and several successful projects have been implemented and evaluated. However, several publications still exist as grey literature. This paper attempts to congregate current best-practice in climate change adaptation, primarily focusing on community and ecosystem based approaches. Based on the available literature and case studies, widespread adaptation methods to overcome the vulnerability and conceivable impacts of climate change in the South Pacific region is determined. Conversely...
Tropical coastal zones have rich marine ecosystems; however, they have been enduring severe envir... more Tropical coastal zones have rich marine ecosystems; however, they have been enduring severe environmental hazards, particularly from anthropogenic activity and the effects of climate change. Seagrass ecosystem is one of the most productive yet undervalued marine ecosystems. The residents of Komave village, located on the mainland of Fiji have witnessed marked losses in seagrass cover over the last decade. Several of the village men in Komave are unemployed and rely on the coastal resources through fishing, livestock and agricultural farming for their socioeconomic livelihood. This research explores the impact of loss of seagrass cover on the villagers’ livelihood. This paper highlights the observations and experiences of the Komave villagers, in light of the interviews and discussions carried out at the community. A random sampling method was also used over a period of two years (March, 2015 – April, 2017) to monitor the seagrass habitat. The possible anthropogenic and natural facto...
Tourism-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are a central driver of anthropogenic climate chan... more Tourism-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are a central driver of anthropogenic climate change. At the same time, climate change has both direct and indirect impacts on tourism, varying from damages of tourist assets due to extreme weather events, to losses of biodiversity. Small island developing states (SIDS) heavily depend on international tourism as a source of revenue and income. Therefore, much could be gained by assessing the vulnerability of the SIDS tourism sector and by identifying measures that may assist these islands in their sustainable adaptation efforts. Against this background, this interdisciplinary paper provides a review of tourism development and the implications of its emissions on the global climate, linked with observed and projected influences of climate change in the Pacific region, to explain the growing vulnerability of the overall sector, with a particular focus on SIDS tourism. A description of the effects of COVID-19 on international tourism and i...
Indigenous Peoples and local communities are heavily affected by climatic changes. Investigating ... more Indigenous Peoples and local communities are heavily affected by climatic changes. Investigating local understandings of climate change impacts, and their patterned distribution, is essential to effectively support monitoring and adaptation strategies. In this study, we aimed to understand the consistency in climate change impact reports and factors influencing consistency at site and individual levels. We conducted cross-cultural research among iTaukei (Fiji), Dagomba (Ghana), fisherfolks (Tanzania), Tsimane' (Bolivia), Bassari (Senegal), ribeirinhos (Brazil), Mapuche (Chile), Mongolian (China), Tibetan (China) and Daasanach (Kenya) communities using semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and surveys among 1860 individuals. We found that cross-culturally more than two-thirds of individual reports of climate change impacts match site-confirmed reports. Consistency in reports is higher for changes related to pastoralism than crop production and wild plant gathering. Individual's experience with nature, Indigenous and local knowledge, and local family roots are not significantly associated with consistency across sites, but site-specific associations are prevalent. Despite high average consistency among sites, there is considerable variation caused by site-specific factors, including livelihood activities, socio-cultural settings, and environmental conditions. Site contexts and related consistency in climate change impact reports need to be taken into account for climate change monitoring and adaptation planning. Climate change is a major driver of changes in nature 1 that heavily affects nature-dependent Indigenous Peoples (IP) and local communities (LC) around the globe 2,3 . IP and LC observe and report these climatic changes and their impacts on physical and life systems in their surroundings . In particular, they monitor changes in the atmospheric system and on biophysical elements that support their livelihood activities 7 and take measures to address the effects of these impacts by modifying their livelihood strategies . Therefore, documenting IP and LC climate change impact reports enhances understanding of localised past and ongoing atmospheric and socio-environmental changes and their impacts on communities and can provide support for culturally-relevant adaptation strategies . Besides documentation, assessing how climate change impact reports are patterned among community members is essential to understand communities' adaptive capacities and how to effectively support adaptation in given sites . These reports are contingent on both site-and individuallevel factors influencing the cognition of community members . Site level
The effects of climate change depend on specific local circumstances, posing a challenge for worl... more The effects of climate change depend on specific local circumstances, posing a challenge for worldwide research to comprehensively encompass the diverse impacts on various local social-ecological systems. Here we use a place-specific but cross-culturally comparable protocol to document climate change indicators and impacts as locally experienced and analyze their distribution. We collected first-hand data in 48 sites inhabited by Indigenous Peoples and local communities and covering all climate zones and nature-dependent livelihoods. We documented 1,661 site-agreed reports of change corresponding to 369 indicators. Reports of change vary according to climate zone and livelihood activity. We provide compelling evidence that climate change impacts on Indigenous Peoples and local communities are ongoing, tangible, widespread, and affect multiple elements of their social-ecological systems. Beyond potentially informing contextualized adaptation plans, our results show that local reports could help identify economic and non-economic loss and damage related to climate change impacts suffered by Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
Indigenous Peoples and local communities are heavily affected by climatic changes. Investigating ... more Indigenous Peoples and local communities are heavily affected by climatic changes. Investigating local understandings of climate change impacts, and their patterned distribution, is essential to effectively support monitoring and adaptation strategies. In this study, we aimed to understand the consistency in climate change impact reports and factors influencing consistency at site and individual levels. We conducted cross-cultural research among iTaukei (Fiji), Dagomba (Ghana), fisherfolks (Tanzania), Tsimane’ (Bolivia), Bassari (Senegal), ribeirinhos (Brazil), Mapuche (Chile), Mongolian (China), Tibetan (China) and Daasanach (Kenya) communities using semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and surveys among 1860 individuals. We found that cross-culturally more than two-thirds of individual reports of climate change impacts match site-confirmed reports. Consistency in reports is higher for changes related to pastoralism than crop production and wild plant gathering. Individual’s experience with nature, Indigenous and local knowledge, and local family roots are not significantly associated with consistency across sites, but site-specific associations are prevalent. Despite high average consistency among sites, there is considerable variation caused by site-specific factors, including livelihood activities, socio-cultural settings, and environmental conditions. Site contexts and related consistency in climate change impact reports need to be taken into account for climate change monitoring and adaptation planning.
Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change
Coastal cities are under severe threat from the impacts of climate change, such as sea-level rise... more Coastal cities are under severe threat from the impacts of climate change, such as sea-level rise, extreme weather events, coastal inundation, and ecosystem degradation. It is well known that the ocean, and in particular coastal environments, have been changing at an unprecedented rate, which poses increasing risks to people in small island developing states, such as Fiji. The Greater Suva Urban Area, the capital and largest metropolitan area of Fiji, is expected to be largely impacted by climate-related risks to its socioeconomic , cultural, and political positions. In the face of these threats, creating a resilient city that can withstand and adapt to the impacts of climate change and promote sustainable development should be guided by a holistic approach, encompassing stakeholders from the government, the private sector, civil society organizations, and international institutions. This study assesses the risk profile of Suva city using an innovative risk information tool, the climate and ocean risk vulnerability index (CORVI), which applies structured expert judgment to quantify climate-related risks in data-sparse environments. Through comparative quantification of diverse risk factors and narrative analysis, this study identifies three priority areas for Suva's future climate-resilient actions: development of climate risk-informed urban planning, harmonized urban development and natural restoration, and enhancing the climate resilience to the tourism sector.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
International journal of humanities and social sciences, 2016
In an endeavor to fathom the distinction between first language acquisition (L1), to that of seco... more In an endeavor to fathom the distinction between first language acquisition (L1), to that of second language acquisition (L2), scholars have examined and drawn attention to myriad theories. These theories can aid language facilitators here in Fiji to comprehend and recognize language learning and to assist their students in their language learning process. More so, this paper aims to discuss and weigh the diverse teaching approaches that exist and can promote Second Language Development (SLD). Firstly, it will consider four approaches namely the Grammar-translation, Reading, Community Language Teaching and the Total Physical Response. Secondly, it will highlight ideas from an instructor’s perspective on what needs to be done in the classroom to support SLD. Thirdly, it will look at the curriculum based on Fiji’s context and what the Ministry of Education (MOE) can do to encourage SLD in languages like English, French and Chinese that are offered to students in Fiji. Finally, it will...
Small Island States (SIDS) are among the nations most exposed to climate change (CC) and are char... more Small Island States (SIDS) are among the nations most exposed to climate change (CC) and are characterised by a high degree of vulnerability. Their special nature means there is a need for more studies focused on the limits to CC adaptation on such fragile nations, particularly in respect of their problems and constraints. This paper addressed a perceived need for research into the limitations of adaptation on SIDS, focusing on the many restrictions which are unique to them. The main research question raised by this study was that how and to what extent the challenges by human activities (e.g., agriculture and tourism) posed to coastlines of SIDS could be addressed. This paper identified and described the adaptation limits they have, by using a review of the literature and an analysis of case studies from a sample of five SIDS in the Caribbean and Pacific regions (Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Cook Islands, Fiji, Solomon Islands, and Tonga). The findings of this research showed tha...
The indicators of climate change pose multiple challenges for the inhabitants of the Pacific Isla... more The indicators of climate change pose multiple challenges for the inhabitants of the Pacific Island Nations. The remoteness and the limited resource base of the South Pacific Island states makes them particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. The response to sea level rise and extreme weather events due to climate change in the South Pacific region targets on adaptation in preference to mitigation. Over the past decade, community-based climate change adaptation has gained momentum and several successful projects have been implemented and evaluated. However, several publications still exist as grey literature. This paper attempts to congregate current best-practice in climate change adaptation, primarily focusing on community and ecosystem based approaches. Based on the available literature and case studies, widespread adaptation methods to overcome the vulnerability and conceivable impacts of climate change in the South Pacific region is determined. Conversely...
Tropical coastal zones have rich marine ecosystems; however, they have been enduring severe envir... more Tropical coastal zones have rich marine ecosystems; however, they have been enduring severe environmental hazards, particularly from anthropogenic activity and the effects of climate change. Seagrass ecosystem is one of the most productive yet undervalued marine ecosystems. The residents of Komave village, located on the mainland of Fiji have witnessed marked losses in seagrass cover over the last decade. Several of the village men in Komave are unemployed and rely on the coastal resources through fishing, livestock and agricultural farming for their socioeconomic livelihood. This research explores the impact of loss of seagrass cover on the villagers’ livelihood. This paper highlights the observations and experiences of the Komave villagers, in light of the interviews and discussions carried out at the community. A random sampling method was also used over a period of two years (March, 2015 – April, 2017) to monitor the seagrass habitat. The possible anthropogenic and natural facto...
Tourism-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are a central driver of anthropogenic climate chan... more Tourism-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are a central driver of anthropogenic climate change. At the same time, climate change has both direct and indirect impacts on tourism, varying from damages of tourist assets due to extreme weather events, to losses of biodiversity. Small island developing states (SIDS) heavily depend on international tourism as a source of revenue and income. Therefore, much could be gained by assessing the vulnerability of the SIDS tourism sector and by identifying measures that may assist these islands in their sustainable adaptation efforts. Against this background, this interdisciplinary paper provides a review of tourism development and the implications of its emissions on the global climate, linked with observed and projected influences of climate change in the Pacific region, to explain the growing vulnerability of the overall sector, with a particular focus on SIDS tourism. A description of the effects of COVID-19 on international tourism and i...
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