Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Unexpected and interesting - some observations

Fiji, 11. Sep. 2007

I am writing this note after having spent about three weeks in Taveuni, the smallest of the four major islands of Fiji. Taveuni, which as many other islands of Fiji is of vulcanic origin, still counts with 80% rainforest cover and is surrounded by pristine, unbleached reefs with an immense diversity of ecosystem.

Climate change - more questions than answers

"Climate change" - hmmm - can you tell me more?"

Walking along the beach I met Ida Shankaran (4 Jan - fotos - coastal erosion 1 and 2 please choose the better one), a primary school teacher. "We used to cross 40 meters of grass in our garden to reach the seashore". The sea has swallowed the land in front of her house. The family has now put a stone barrier to protect the house a bit from the waves. "We may need to another place, but we like living on the shore. Everybody here just comes to the beach and takes out sand for construction. We do not let people do this any more on our beach!" In her view there was far too little advice for local people available.

In Drekety village on Quamea, a small island near Taveuni I had the honor to be invited to the regional chief's home. He said "Climate change has affected our weather pattern. Before we had seasons, now you cannot predict. Everything has changed."

By boat I passed by a surfcamp resort under construction, an overseas investment on a remote beach. Noticing the power of the waves and erosion on the beach I happened to say to the builders that this investment might be taken away by the sea even before the first guests arrive. Days later I met them again. "You were so right. Can you imagine, we stored coconuts just next to the huts we are building and last night the sea took all the coconuts"

Passing through Suva, Fiji's capital city, I met Prof. William Aalbersberg who heads the Institute for Applied Sciences http://ias.fst.usp.ac.fj/ at the University of the South Pacific, the major information and training hub for the Pacific region. He has been working on adaptation to climate change for over a a decade. I was impressed by his experience and the way how the institute works in a people-centered and participatory way with local communities, e.g. and among many other activities within the ongoing Integrated Coastal Management Programme using vetiver grass http://www.vetiver.com/ which has about 1m long roots for soil erosion management. Climate change in Fiji as much as elsewhere in the world is just one overlying problem, one that aggreavates existing problems people have. Therefore listening to and starting from where the people stand is key to the Institute's work.

However, how to best factor adaptation to climate change into planning and investments remains a big challenge ...

Christine Röhrer

1 comment:

margit leuthold said...

Dear Christine,
thanks a lot for your interesting report and links!
Clima change seems to be an experience of insecurity . The experienced world seems to be someone/something else now ...
Thanks also for the interesting links! Prof. Aalbersberg and his team is working on very important issues - also the vetiver grass programme shows that people are willing to act!
I'll ask Jan for the pictures you mentioned!
All the best for your next experiences! Margit