A Participatory Approach to Understanding the Impact of Multiple Natural Hazards in Communities along the Ba River, Fiji
Climate-Induced Disasters in the Asia-Pacific Region: Response, Recovery, Adaptation
ISBN: 978-1-83909-987-8, eISBN: 978-1-83909-986-1
Publication date: 9 November 2020
Abstract
The Ba River catchment and delta on the island of Viti Levu, Fiji, supports a wealth of livelihoods and is populated by diverse communities who are living with an increased frequency and intensity of hydro-meteorological hazards (floods, cyclones and droughts). Participatory mapping as part of focus group discussions is a tool that can be used to elucidate communities’ understanding of the differing impacts of multiple hazards, as well as the strategies used to prepare and respond to different hazards. In this chapter, the authors present the results of qualitative research undertaken with members of three communities along the Ba River, from the Nausori highlands to the coastal mangroves, with a particular focus on recent floods (2009, 2012) and Tropical Cyclone Winston (2016). The communities draw on a wide range of livelihood strategies from fishing and agriculture to tourism and outside work. Natural hazard events vary in their impact on these livelihood strategies across the landscape and seascape, so that community members can adjust their activities accordingly. The temporal ‘signatures’ of ongoing impacts are also variable across communities and resources. The results suggest that taking a broad, landscape (and seascape) approach to understanding how communities draw livelihoods is valuable in informing effective and inclusive adaptation strategies for environmental change. Furthermore, documenting how the landscape is used in a mapped output may be a valuable tool for future social impact assessment for resource extraction activities.
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Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements
We extend our thanks to the Ba Provincial Council, and the leaders and residents of the villages of Nawaqarua, Votua and Navala for permitting and participating in the research, and especially thank Viti and Celestino for hosting authors, G.I. and R.V. The authors would like to thank Dr Peter Jones, Prof. Andreas Neef, Dr Eberhard Weber, Kahukura Bennett, Talica Nauvi, Robert Varea, Dr Eleanor Bruce, Dr Floris van Ogtrop, Dr John Duncan and Mark Williams for their involvement in the research. This research was made possible through funding and support provided by the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (CAF2016-RR05-CMY-Neef, ‘Climate Change Adaptation in Post-Disaster Recovery Processes: Flood-Affected Communities in Cambodia and Fiji’, led by Prof, Andreas Neef at the University of Auckland) and the University of Western Australia (Research Collaboration Award RA/1/1200/755, ‘Risk, resilience and recovery: A participatory approach to integrating local and scientific knowledge for disaster preparedness of communities in flood-prone catchments in Fiji’).
Citation
Irvine, G., Pauli, N., Varea, R. and Boruff, B. (2020), "A Participatory Approach to Understanding the Impact of Multiple Natural Hazards in Communities along the Ba River, Fiji", Neef, A. and Pauli, N. (Ed.) Climate-Induced Disasters in the Asia-Pacific Region: Response, Recovery, Adaptation (Community, Environment and Disaster Risk Management, Vol. 22), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 57-86. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2040-726220200000022003
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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