Planned Relocation as a Contentious Strategy of Climate Change Adaptation in Fiji

Abstract

‘Planned relocation’ has emerged in the international climate policy arena as an ‘adaptation’ solution with the potential to enhance resilience, address underdevelopment and debunk age-old narratives around migration as a risk to peace and security. In 2018, Fiji became one of the first countries to develop Planned Relocation Guidelines, with upwards of 80 villages thought to require relocation over the coming years due to the impact of climate change. Through interviews carried out with representatives from organisations involved in planning for community relocations in Fiji, this chapter explores the creation of planned relocation as a form of climate change adaptation and development. Looking specifically at the value-based challenges of implementation in Fiji, this research provides insight into what happens when dominant international policy narratives play out in practice. Through the presentation of culturally nuanced ways of understanding the problem of climate-induced migration, this chapter invites policymakers to seek out these voices when devising displacement solutions.

Citation

Benge, L. and Neef, A. (2020), "Planned Relocation as a Contentious Strategy of Climate Change Adaptation in 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. 193-212. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2040-726220200000022008