Climate Change is Affecting Everyone

Fiji has a high degree of vulnerability to climate extremes such as cyclones, storm surges, floods, and tsunamis.

Climate Change is deeply interconnected with the ongoing unpredictability, frequency, and intensity of these hazards.

Fiji is ranked 15^th (World Risk Index) amongst the countries in the world with high disaster risks due to its high exposure to extreme natural events and sea level rise.

In the past 37 years, Fiji reported a total of 124 disaster events. Tropical cyclones accounted for 50 percent of the events, floods 33 %, and earthquakes 8 %.

In 2011-2022, 69% of the disasters in Fiji were storms, 15 % flood, 8% Epidemic and 8% drought.

Climate projections indicate that cyclones are to be less frequent but more intense, whilst sea level rise will continue. There is little change in annual rainfall projected but an increase in the wet season, with more extreme rain events. Annual mean temperatures and extreme daily temperatures will continue and in Suva, El Nino events tend to bring dry seasons that are drier and cooler than normal, while La Nina events usually bring wetter than normal conditions.

Fiji could therefore anticipate more intense cyclones, high occurrence of storm surges and floods with more extreme rain events projected, and slow onset of droughts in areas experiencing drier than normal dry seasons.

Through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP) Fiji, in stepping up efforts and activities to strengthen communities’ absorptive and adaptive capacities in Disaster Ready 2.0, will continue to work in collaboration with its partners, and government stakeholders in addressing climate change issues by preparing communities to be resilient.

This was evident while working in support of the National Disaster Management Office in the facilitation of the first Fiji National Emergency Response Team Mechanism, which aimed to provide a mechanism to facilitate rapid deployment of emergency response teams inside and outside of the country.

The training was spearheaded by the Fiji NDMO with funding support from the Government of Australia through the Fiji Australian Humanitarian Partnership.

During a talanoa session a week ago with the Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, heard firsthand the impacts of climate change in Fijian communities and how the AHP partners were working towards preparing and building resilient communities.

Former Disaster Ready Coordinator Ratu Josefa Lalabalavu highlighted the impacts of climate change in Fijian communities.

“Disaster Ready 2.0 prepares communities to be disaster-prepared but more importantly to be disaster-resilient.” Mr Lalabalavu said.

“Fiji is in the top 20 of the World Risk Index Report, and because of that, we are susceptible or prone to the impacts it brings,

Mr Lalabalavu said that 91 percent of the communities across Fiji live approximately 10-15 kilometers away from the ocean, which amplified the vulnerability of the communities when it comes to cyclones and storm surges.

“The additional impacts on the Fijian communities could be felt at the very grassroots level, The AHP Disaster Ready Program is fixed on ensuring that inclusion is part of the program, so as we progress into preparedness, response, and recovery mechanisms, we ensure that inclusion is part and streamlined in all interventions that we provide,” he said.

In exchange, Mr. Bowen responded to questions on how climate change had also impacted Australia. Australia so far has experienced more flooding recently. He said that towns in Australia that used to experience flooding once in the last 100 years, had experienced it three times in the past 10 years.