Abstract
Many Indigenous communities have sustained their societies against significant periods of environmental, political and social change. Climate change however poses a different threat - one that has rendered some traditional adaptation pathways partially ineffective as natural resources have become less abundant and natural systems more unpredictable. This study presents narratives compiled through ethnography and qualitative research with rural Indigenous communities in Fiji who describe the implications of ongoing climate change and displacement on the continuity of cultural traditions and rituals. This research responds to calls for empirical case studies that describe the cascading and enduring effects of climate impacts as they permeate through daily social life. In this study of Non-Economic forms of Loss and Damage (NELD), our findings draw attention to temporal, relational and gender specific factors that underpin the dimensions and extent of these impacts.
Presenters
Lila Singh PetersonSenior Lecturer, Program Director, School of Agriculture and Environmental Science, University of Southern Queensland, Queensland, Australia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2026 Special Focus—Unseen Unsustainability: Addressing Hidden Risks to Long-Term Wellbeing for All
KEYWORDS
SOCIAL RESILIENCE, CULTURAL LOSS, NON-ECONOMIC FORMS OF LOSS AND DAMAGE
