Climate Witness Accounts
WWF, working in Kabara, has begun to collect first hand observations, of how communities in Fiji are already being affected by the impacts of Climate Change. Below are some of these Climate Witness accounts.
WWF would like to invite YOU to be a Climate Witness also - and share your own experiences or observations, of how climate change is having an impact on the way that we live in the Pacific.
We would like to collect your stories and share them with governments and policy makers, to remind them that climate change is having an adverse impact upon the lives of Pacific people , and that action must be taken to prevent climate change from reaching more dangerous levels.
Jone Levaci, the Mata ki Kabara or Lau provincial District headman also added his own climate witness accounts, sharing that;
“the rainfall pattern has changed in Kabara in the last 3 yrs.”
“Our family home is located along the beach, five years back the high tide mark never reached us. Recently, I've noticed the high tide mark encroaching the foundations of our house, even more so
after last year's hurricane. This means a couple of years from now we will have to relocate further back into
the village, but we might not have anywhere to stay because we all have traditional house boundaries and this means
we have to get permission of others before we can build...Certain stretches of the beach used to be covered
in coastal vegetation and coconut trees but now these areas have been reclaimed by water.”
- Losena Marama - 38 (Naikeleyaga Village)
“Water shortage has always been part of our lives on Kabara, however in more recent years we have noticed
that our normal dry season seems to have extended and the weather during this period is far drier
and hotter!", said Penina to the crowded room of international delegates, who had come to hear her
story from distant shores. "Rainwater is collected in cement tanks which we build near our homes and
the water collected in these tanks can last us up to a month if it does not rain. If there is a really long
dry spell we begin to ration our water, using only tank water for drinking and using well water to cook and wash
our clothes, everyonee during that period has to bathe in the sea.”
- Penina Moce
“Our island has very poor soil for agriculture. We cannot plant inland because it's mostly
limestone outcrops, so our coastal land is very important for growing staple crops like sweet potatoes
and yams. Its already hard trying to grow our crops not only because of the poor soil but also because
of salt spray...that is why we've improvised by placing corrugated iron fences around our village gardens,
which seems to help. The problem is if we are pushed further back because of beach erosion we might not have
enough land for our houses and gardens...It was funny during the recent hurricane we all moved to houses
in the back of the village, knowing the house closer to the beach would mostly likely be inundated with huge
waves hitting the shore. What scared us was the waves actually went beyond the village green to some of the
houses in the back of the village. It's never happened before. Some of us had to run to neighbor's houses
further back.”
- Beitaki Buliyasi - 38 (Nakeleaga Village)
To share your own Climate Witness stories, please contact:
Diane McFadzien, Regional Climate Change Coordinator, WWF South Pacific Programme.