Neef, Andreas

Climate change has become an existential threat to small island developing states in the South Pacific. Many Pacific Island residents have been predicted to be forced to move from coastal areas due to sea-level rise, coastal inundation from storm surges and a higher intensity of cyclones and floods. The Fijian government announced in 2017 that more than 800 coastal communities require planned relocation due to climate-associated risks over the next decades. Yet several case studies in Fiji have shown that a combination of tangible losses (access to fisheries, agriculture) and various forms of intangible losses (connection to place, cultural identity) can occur in planned relocation processes, even if physical risk is reduced. Community-based micro-mobility strategies, building on communal resources and collective action, may offer alternatives to government-initiated planned relocation. Drawing on place-based integrative research in collaboration with climate-affected communities in Fiji and Samoa, this study examines whether and how temporary and short-distance movements can contribute to climate-affected people’s ability to remain in their area of origin. A particular form of micro-mobility identified in Samoa is fa’a-'āigalua, a cultural practice that involves maintaining two or more residences, allowing people to shift between them as needed. This practice is enabled by the system of communal land rights where customary land can be allocated for different uses, such as residential areas, plantations, and forests. Fa’a-'āigalua allows Samoans to diversify both their livelihoods and living arrangements, often moving between coastal and inland areas or between different villages. This flexibility enhances their ability to adapt to climate change and associated risks. Findings from our study reframe Pacific Islanders as active agents who deploy micro-mobility strategies to adapt to changing environmental conditions. The study supports the revision of climate adaptation policies, displacement frameworks and planned relocation guidelines in Fiji and Samoa and across other Pacific Island nations.