Disaster Preparedness and the Abeyance of Agency: Christian Responses to Tropical Cyclone Winston in Fiji

Cox, John; Varea, Renata; Finau, Glen; Tarai, Jope; Kant, Romitesh; Titifanue, Jason; Neef, Andreas

doi:10.1080/00664677.2019.1647833

Cited by 14 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…In addition, they benefit from traditional inter-community relationships (known as veitauvutaki and veitabani) whereby they receive/give labour and non-labour assistance from/to villages with which they have traditional ties (Nakamura and Kanemasu, 2020). Five years after Winston, studies are finding that such iTaukei practices and mechanisms were also actuated in the post-cyclone period (Cox et al, 2019;Andersson-Tunivanua, 2020;Nakamura and Kanemasu, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to Kaniasty et al (2019), there has been little research on ethnic diversity in post-disaster response. In Fiji, as shown, there have been few studies on rural residents' responses, in particular those of Indo-Fijians, to an intense cyclone, the effectiveness of the aid received, or the measures taken before, during, and following the event (see, for example, Brookfield, 1977;Takasaki, 2011;Cox et al, 2019). As explained below, the residential patterns, livelihoods, and customs of the two major ethnic groups in rural Fiji-iTaukei and Indo-Fijians-are somewhat different (despite commonalities developed over time), and one cannot assume that all Fijians have ready access to locally-based or transmitted knowledge, resources, and skills.…”

Section: Minority Groups' Response To Severe Climatic Eventsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A minority group's response to a severe climatic event: a case study of rural Indo‐Fijians after Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016

Nakamura

Kanemasu

2021

Disasters

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This paper investigates the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Winston (2016) on rural Indo-Fijians and their response to the devastation. Studies have previously examined how rural communities in Pacific Island countries respond to severe climatic events, arguing that traditional knowledge of the climate, together with indigenous techniques, contribute substantially to recovery from a disaster. Strong communal bonds have also been identified as an influencing factor. Disaster risk reduction frameworks often assume the availability of such knowledge and capital. Yet, little research has been done on how minority groups with limited access to such knowledge and capital cope with disaster-related damage. The current study shows that rural Indo-Fijians responded to the consequences of Tropical Cyclone Winston differently to indigenous Fijians, owing to relatively limited access to traditional awareness of the climate, communal labour sharing, and intra-and/or inter-community networks. The findings point to the necessity to implement a more inclusive disaster risk reduction framework.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Minority Groups' Response To Severe Climatic Eventsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A minority group's response to a severe climatic event: a case study of rural Indo‐Fijians after Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016

Nakamura

Kanemasu

2021

Disasters

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“…However, this situation did not rectify the challenges of flooding that the small to medium enterprise (SME) companies in the town experienced. In the same way that the 2016 Cyclone Winston was the most powerful storm in living memory for the country, the 2012 floods were the worst for Ba (Yila et al, 2014;Cox et al, 2020). Extreme weather phenomena have also affected the habitats of marine animals and other essential food resources due to heavy sedimentation loads and large debris deposits along the river, estuary and the surrounding coralline marine environments.…”

Section: Livelihood Capabilities and Vulnerabilities To Flooding In V...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Qi no tu i baba ni qwali (living down by the river): Impacts of flooding and mining on ecosystems and livelihoods

2022

Self Cite

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A vast ocean rich with resources to maintain a sustainable livelihood surround Pacific Island Countries and Territories. In Fiji, coastal resources are a primary source of food, medicine, income and other necessities for livelihood security. Human-induced climate change places growing pressure on the quality of coastal resources due to the increased intensity and frequency of natural disasters like coastal erosion and flooding. Anthropogenic activities like coastal mining of earth minerals further threatens livelihood security with cumulative pressure on the coastal environment and its resources. This paper discusses the compounding impacts of mining in the flood-prone community of Vanua Votua in Ba (Fiji). They currently witness the degradation of their coastal environment and its resources (iqoliqoli). The people of Vanua Votua have a cultural and spiritual attachment to their coastal ecosystem as indigenous custodians. However, they are limited in their ability to conserve and protect their iqoliqoli due to an unfair legal duality of national coastal governance structures and processes between the state and indigenous custodians. We found that a central issue of coastal mining, governance, and the people’s livelihood vulnerabilities, is Fiji’s Mining Act [Cap 146] and associated environmental legislations and policies that consolidate much of the coastal governance authority with the state. The Fiji Mining Act is currently under review. This paper provides a timely case study using the Sustainable Livelihood Approach and the Vanua Research Framework, outlining the need for current and future legislation to be nuanced and sensitive to the realities of the local context.

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“…In the Pacific Island Countries (PICs), people often interpret natural hazards based on their religious beliefs [23,41,42]. For instance, severe flooding that occurred in Nadi (Fiji) in 2012 was viewed by indigenous Fijian Christians as an act of God to punish permissive sexual behaviours allowed by the tourist industry [23].…”

Section: Indigenous Disaster Risk Reduction and Response To Volcano E...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Volcanic disaster risk reduction in indigenous communities on Tanna Island, Vanuatu

Niroa

Nakamura

2022

International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction

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Disaster Preparedness and the Abeyance of Agency: Christian Responses to Tropical Cyclone Winston in Fiji

Cited by 14 publications

References 29 publications

A minority group's response to a severe climatic event: a case study of rural Indo‐Fijians after Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016

A minority group's response to a severe climatic event: a case study of rural Indo‐Fijians after Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016

Qi no tu i baba ni qwali (living down by the river): Impacts of flooding and mining on ecosystems and livelihoods

Volcanic disaster risk reduction in indigenous communities on Tanna Island, Vanuatu

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