Coastal communities in Fiji are having to move inland due to climate change. Their ancestral homeland is being engulfed by the rising waves of the sea.
Toguru village has lost half of its land. Around 10 years ago, it was discovered that Togoru was losing up to 1½ meters of land per year. What was once 10 acres is now 5.
Soon, the villagers of Togoru will join the other 5 villages — they will have to relocate before their homes are completely submerged.
New Zealand is helping by contributing to the establishment of Fiji’s Climate Relocation and Displaced Peoples Trust Fund for Communities and Infrastructure that was launched in 2019.
This is a world-first initiative that will sustainably and sensitively help Fijians relocate. Five communities have already relocated and 42 more have applied for aid.
This island is extremely vulnerable to rising sea levels. Many of the islands are low and remote. In fact, the only thing many people think of when they hear the word “Fiji” is water. Togoru, having been almost swallowed up by the waters, has already been wiped off of Google Maps.
This isn’t just Fiji’s reality, but also the fate facing Samoa, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and many other islands that are under climate-related threats.
Reference- Clean Technica, 1 NEWS Pacific