Pacific Islands countries and territories (PICTs) are on the frontline of climate change, where rising sea levels, intensifying tropical cyclones, and coastal flooding threaten their very existence. Their geographic vulnerability and isolation, particularly the low-lying nature of atolls, exacerbates the devastating effects of climate change. This underscores the importance of addressing the irreversible impacts of Loss and Damage (L&D) - the harm caused by climate change that exceeds feasible adaptation.
Despite global commitments to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C, inadequate action has left many Pacific islands facing an increasingly harsh reality: their lands are becoming uninhabitable. Communities are being forced to confront difficult decisions about adaptation, relocation, and safeguarding their cultural identity. Addressing loss and Damage extends beyond directly measurable economic costs and conventional mitigation and adaptation efforts. It includes consideration of intangible yet deeply felt impacts, such as the loss of ancestral connections, traditional knowledge, and cultural heritage that define the essence of these island nations.
The dual impact of Loss and Damage
In Fiji and New Caledonia, environmental degradation is not only reshaping physical landscapes but also uprooting cultural practices that have defined communities for generations.
In Fiji, entire villages such as Vunidogoloa and Tukuraki have been forced to relocate due to severe environmental changes, including coastal flooding, saltwater intrusion, shoreline erosion, and landslides. Mosese Nabulivou, Climate Adaptation Officer with Fiji’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, emphasises these relocations are more than physical movements—they are a profound disruption to the communities’ ancestral ties, traditional customs, and cultural practices.
"One concrete example of climate change affecting traditional communities in Fiji is the relocation of the village of Vunidogoloa due to severe coastal flooding, salt-water intrusion, and shoreline erosion. Second, is Fiji's interior relocation of the Village of Tukuraki in Ba that was relocated due massive landslide caused by heavy rain."Mosese Nabulivou, Climate Adaptation Officer with Fiji’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change
While Fiji grapples with relocation challenges, New Caledonia faces similar threats to its marine ecosystems, food security, and associated cultural practices : Yolene Koteureu, an Indigenous Rights and Cultural Preservation Advocate, highlights the deep cultural and spiritual ties in the agricultural area :
"Rising ocean temperatures and acidification are disrupting whale migration patterns and reproductive habitats, affecting their food chain and cycles. For the Kanak people, this threatens cultural traditions, as whales play a vital role in myths, rituals, and agricultural markers like yam planting."Yolene Koteureu, Indigenous Rights and Cultural Preservation Advocate
Integrating traditional knowledge into resilience strategies at SPC
SPC is assisting countries to implement various strategies to address loss and damage while preserving traditional knowledge:
Building Safety and Resilience in the Pacific (BSRP II) project: TheBuilding Safety and Resilience in the Pacific (BSRP II) project, funded by the European Union and implemented by SPC, constructs of cyclone-resistant homes and evacuation centres in vulnerable communities, such as Tukuraki village, minimising potential loss and damage from extreme weather events.
SPC has also launched the "Traditional Knowledge Database Related to Weather and Climate in the Pacific." This initiative documents indigenous practices and wisdom passed down through generations. By integrating these time-honoured methods with modern scientific data, the project not only safeguards cultural heritage but also equips communities with innovative tools to cope with climate change impacts.
Addressing potential loss and damage to food systems, the Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community (POETCom) plays a pivotal role in empowering agricultural communities in ecosystem protection and preserving traditional knowledge. This membership-based initiative works across the Pacific to provide training, build capacity, and develop tools that promote organic agricultural practices.
The Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CePaCT), plays a crucial role in working with communities documenting, genetically preserving and distributing climate-resilient and culturally important crop varieties, helping Pacific communities restore important food crops after disasters, and reduce loss of species.
SPC is also working with Pacific communities in assessing the impacts of climate change on coastal and oceanic fisheries, including a major research study on climate change driven tuna migration and fish stock replenishment and its significant socio-economic loss and damage potential.
This multisectoral approach demonstrates the Pacific region's commitment to combining traditional wisdom, modern science, and sustainable practices to build resilience against climate change.
Cultural heritage and climate finance:
A critical intersection!
As Pacific Island nations confront the challenges of climate change, in balancing environmental resilience with cultural heritage preservation. Yolene Koteureu highlights
"Accessing climate finance is critical for Pacific nations to address Loss and Damage effectively, but significant barriers persist. Customary communities often struggle with the administrative complexity of international climate funds, as they lack the technical expertise to meet these stringent requirements.”
Nabulivou stresses the importance of tailoring climate finance mechanisms:
"We need to prioritise funding for community-led projects that integrate traditional knowledge and cultural practices into climate adaptation and mitigation strategies."
To address these challenges, SPC has formed key partnerships with New Zealand and Denmark to strengthen evidence-based approaches to Loss and Damage. Support from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) has facilitated dedicated Loss and Damage capacity-building initiatives. Denmark’s agreement with SPC focuses on comprehensive data collection at the community and household levels, providing insights that inform planning, policy, and readiness in the region. Espen Ronneberg, Climate Change adviser at SPC outlines future strategies:
“In the coming years, SPC aims to systematically map Loss and Damage capacities and assess regional needs to enable more targeted and effective responses. Through a comprehensive mapping process, in cooperation with other agencies, we will develop evidence-based solutions to strengthen both regional and local capacities to address Loss and Damage challenges. This work will play a critical role in supporting Pacific Island Countries in advancing their claims for climate justice.”Espen Ronneberg, Climate Change adviser at SPC
Addressing loss and damage in the Pacific requires combining traditional knowledge with modern science and improving access to fair climate finance. SPC's efforts provide practical solutions to these pressing challenges. The survival of Pacific communities and their unique identities is a shared global responsibility.