Perceptions of Climate Vulnerability, Tenure Security and Resettlement Priorities: insights from Lami Town, Fiji Islands

ABSTRACT

The future impact of climate change will be a considerable challenge for all countries, and in particular Small Island Developing States. Challenges related to climate vulnerability and tenure security are exacerbated in areas of rapid urbanisation and urban growth, with highly vulnerable informal settlements a common result. Drawing on research into vulnerable informal settlements in the Greater Suva Urban Area in Fiji, this research seeks to better understand perceptions of climate vulnerability, adaptive capacity, tenure security and options for resettlement. This research confirmed that there are important linkages at the settlement level between tenure security, perception of vulnerability, and people’s ability to adapt. Two critical factors in any decision to resettle people are (i) providing tenure security for all people affected, and (ii) considering livelihood impacts as a result of resettlement. We conclude that vulnerability, tenure security and resettlement decisions are complex issues and specific to individual settlements, and to specific households within settlements.

KEYWORDS:

• Informal settlement
• vulnerability
• tenure security
• resettlement
• disaster risk
• climate change
• adaptive capacity

Acknowledgements

We thank RICS and the RICS Trust for their support during this project. The fieldwork and data analysis were coordinated by Professor Dan Orcherton (Centre for Sustainable Technology and Development at Fiji National University). The authors also wish to acknowledge the contribution of Jale Tauraga (Forestry Department (West) Regional Manager and EU Intra ACP Masters in Environmental Management student (University of Guyana)) for facilitation of the fieldwork.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), and commissioned by the London Regional Board of RICS (RICS Trust).