iTaukei Ways of Knowing and Managing Mangroves for Ecosystem-Based Adaptation

Abstract

Global concerns for Pacific Island Countries under a new climate regime and increasing development challenges has prompted many external agencies to intervene with climate change adaptation programs. Despite extensive funding and efforts, many external interventions tend to overlook the importance of Indigenous and local knowledge, and working in partnership with local people to co-produce sustainable and effective adaptation strategies. In many Pacific countries, mangroves deliver ecosystem goods and services that are essential to the livelihoods of local people and can enhance resilience to climate change. This paper explores how iTaukei (Indigenous Fijian) communities have sustainably managed mangrove ecosystems over time, and how this knowledge and experiences can enable future ecosystembased adaptation options that are more sustainable and effective. Across six rural villages in western Vanua Levu, a series of semi-structured household interviews (n = 41) were undertaken, coupled with participant observation. The findings demonstrate the importance of understanding, respecting and utilising Indigenous knowledge for managing and protecting local ecosystems as part of communities' response to climate change adaptation.

Climate change adaptation planning in remote contexts: insights from community-based natural resource management and rural development initiatives in the Pacific Islands

“…Approaches like CBA and EBA have been proposed as effective methods for navigating the complexities of implementing climate adaptation in communities that rely directly on ecosystems and natural resources as their main sources of livelihood (Kirkby et al, 2018;McNamara & Buggy, 2017;Pearson et al, 2020). While the Lomani Gau initiative analysed in this study was not explicitly formulated using CBA or EBA approaches, many of its successes align with their core principles.…”

“…Existing approaches to climate change adaptation such as community-based adaptation (CBA) and ecosystem-based adaptation (EBA) are well suited to Pacific Islands, especially rural/peripheral subsistence contexts (Clarke et al, 2019;Dumaru, 2010;Farrelly, 2011;Pearson et al, 2020;Remling & Veitayaki, 2016). Such approaches are also highlighted in national adaptation plans in countries like Fiji, as the optimal way to achieve climate adaptation goals (Government of the Republic of Fiji, 2018).…”

Indigenous Adaptation – Not Passive Victims

“…Both women and men identified separate tabu areas, community replantation and knowledge sharing through oral traditions as key mangrove management strategies (Pearson et al, 2020). Women were more likely to replant mangroves, and pass on their knowledge to younger generations about managing and taking care of them.…”

Minority-group incubators and majority-group reservoirs support the diffusion of climate change adaptations

“…R. Soc. B 378: 20220401 spread person-to-person [5]. Mangrove ecosystem management is likely a more successful strategy for mitigating rising sea levels compared to seawall construction often promoted by international development agencies.…”

“…homophily ). Even though anthropogenic global warming is accelerating and intensifying environmental change, local and Indigenous populations often already know of valuable adaptation strategies given that their livelihoods are directly associated with a constantly changing environment, as was the case for their ancestors [ 5 ]. Qualitative evidence suggests that existing strategies to promote climate change adaptation are most successful when local stakeholders participate, with community-based adaptation efforts being one important approach to community involvement in climate change adaptation [ 6 ].…”