Gaunavou calls for maritime youths to be included in climate talks

Maritime youths should be included in climate discussions and kept informed about developments affecting their communities, a Lomaiviti youth representative said.

Mere Gaunavou, 31, who represented the Provincial Council of Youth Fiji, said young people in maritime communities were often unaware of developments in urban centres and needed more information about climate change and its impacts.

“I think because they are in the maritime, they are not aware of what is happening in the city,” she said.

Ms Gaunavou said she wanted to use the three-day regional climate conference to represent young people from Lomaiviti and bring their experiences and concerns to wider climate discussions.

She said Cyclone Winston had left lasting impacts on communities in the province, particularly on Koro Island, where some youths were still traumatised by their experiences.

Ms Gaunavou said she was part of the Alliance for Future Generations team that visited parts of Koro badly affected by Cyclone Winston.

“Some of them are still in shock with what happened. Some of them witnessed people dying when the waves came in, so they are still in shock from then until now,” she said.

She said the experiences of those communities showed the need for greater awareness and support at the grassroots level.

Ms Gaunavou said climate action groups should visit communities and speak directly with young people to better understand their experiences and what could be done to reduce the impacts of climate change.

She said she hoped to raise issues of climate change and climate justice at the conference.

Ms Gaunavou said she saw herself as a voice for young people in Lomaiviti and wanted to ensure their experiences were not overlooked in wider climate discussions.

She said her role with the Provincial Council of Youth gave her an opportunity to share what was happening in her province and advocate for greater engagement with maritime communities.