Waikalou villagers face loss of ancestral land

Waikalou villagers in Serea, Naitasiri, face the loss of their ancestral land, homes and cultural roots after decades of landslides reduced their land from about 60 acres to just 16 acres.

Village headman Akuila Tuinasau said the village had reached a critical point, with homes collapsing and villagers moving away as the land continued to deteriorate.

For the community, the threat goes beyond relocation. It raises concerns about whether future generations will retain a meaningful connection to their ancestral land, identity and heritage.

Mr Tuinasau shared the village’s struggles at the Pre-COP31 Never-Before Voices: Pacific Grassroots Climate Leadership side event at Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort and Spa in Wailoaloa, Nadi, last week.

“I grew up there. We once had about 60 acres of land, but now only 16 acres remain. Houses in the village are collapsing, and many people have moved out and relocated to other places. Now, we have only four steps of land remaining before reaching the river,” he said.

Mr Tuinasau said landslides had affected the village since the 1970s, leaving the community facing increasingly difficult decisions about whether it could safely remain on its land.

He said the community had sought scientific guidance, but the advice received indicated that relocation was the likely option.

“Geotechnical (Geotech) science can no longer support us in remaining where we live or advise us on what we can do to stay. We will relocate, but we are concerned about the future of those who will come after us,” he said.

Leaving ancestral land carries consequences beyond the loss of homes and property. For iTaukei communities, land is closely connected to ancestry, identity, culture and belonging.

Mr Tuinasau said the community had united through faith, fasting and collective action, after which the land had remained stable. However, the threat of relocation remained.

He wants the plight of communities facing these losses to be recognised by national leaders and raised at international climate discussions.

“I want our leaders to take the message of non-economic loss and damage to the leadership level at COP31 in Turkey,” he said.