Extreme weather events in small island developing states : barriers to climate change adaptation among coastal communities in a remote island of Fiji

Abstract

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are heavily affected by climate change, challenging their economic development as a result. Although research on SIDS under climate change is gaining momentum, lack of data and research capacity remains a major problem. Similarly, little is known about the interactions between poverty and responses to climate change. In this chapter, we conduct a case study exploring how coastal communities on Rabi Island, Fiji, are affected by climate change. We identify reactive coping strategies to climate variability and change, and explore the extent to which these responses are conducive to climate change adaptation, adopting the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework and using the CRiSTAL tool. We find that the majority of shocks are of a climatic or weather-related nature. We also find that the communities tend to adopt sustainable coping strategies in response to climatic shocks. However, the increased frequency of such events, and the disproportionate burden on lower-income households, can act as barriers for the effective uptake of adaptation measures. This study can potentially inform local and regional policy as it pinpoints possible areas of intervention where strategic activities could support adaptation strategies to address climate change vulnerabilities.