Fiji spends almost 10% of their GDP to protect the country from natural disasters. They are calling other nations to curb carbon emissions so others can help them from the increasing threats of floods and cyclones. It is estimated that Fiji will spend $168 million relocating villages, building to improve bridges and roads, and responding to natural disasters, all because of climate change. There is also a rise in seas levels, more floods and landslides, destruction of crops and farm equipment, and an increase in diseases, like typhoid. The heaviest impact is on the farming sector. Fiji is still recovering from their tropical cyclone from March 2016, which was the most powerful storm to make landfall in the southern hemisphere; it cost the country 2 billion Fiji dollars. Fiji is asking other countries to implement “drastic action that limits greenhouse gas emission while supporting action to enhance resilience.”

Fiji’s Vulnerability Assessment shows the economy, livelihoods and poverty levels, health and food security together with key industries like agriculture and tourism will be impacted by climate change. The assessment shows that there are 125 measures the country can take to be more resilient. This includes building inclusive and resilient towns and cities, improving infrastructure services, climate smart agriculture and fisheries, conserving ecosystems, and building socioeconomic resilience. Looking into Fiji’s future, some parts of the country could soon be uninhabitable by the sea level rise and increased amount of storm surges. One way to help is building greenfield sites to house the growing population. These greenfield sites are usually undeveloped land in a city or rural area either used for agriculture or landscape design or left to evolve naturally. Along with the problem of housing, water borne diseases and respiratory diseases are expected to worsen. For a country that remains one of the smallest contributors of global carbon emissions, they face some of the most devastating consequences of extreme weather patterns. The changing weather impacts the island’s ecosystems. Ocean acidification would impact the country’s coral reef systems. Fiji has enacted a Green Growth Plan, in which they pursue and implement policies to promote sustainable development in the country, while partnering with private sectors and international organizations. They pledge to transition completely to renewable energy sources by 2030 and adopted a reforestation policy to store carbon from freshly planted trees. Fiji was the first country to ratify the Paris Agreement, seeking to limit the temperature below 2 degrees Celsius. They are also a part of the Under 2 Coalition, an international pact to limit the increase in global average temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius by either reducing their greenhouse gas emissions from 80% to 95% below their 1990 levels or holding emissions to less than 2 annual metric tons per capita by 2050. This is a country of which lacks sufficient technical expertise, human resources and financial capacity to implement protective measures, which is why it is imperative for them to receive help from other nations.

 

Reuters. “Fiji Spending Soars to Battle Climate Risks.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 9 Nov. 2017, www.nytimes.com/reuters/2017/11/09/world/09reuters-climatechange-accord-fiji.html.

Slezak, Michael. “Fiji Told It Must Spend Billions to Adapt to Climate Change.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 9 Nov. 2017, www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/10/fiji-told-it-must-spend-billions-to-adapt-to-climate-change.

How Fiji Is Affected by Climate Change. cop23.com.fj/fiji-and-the-pacific/how-fiji-is-affected-by-climate-change/.

“New Report Projects $4.5 Billion Cost to Reduce Fiji’s Vulnerability to Climate Change.” World Bank, www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2017/11/10/new-report-projects-us45-billion-cost-to-reduce-fijis-vulnerability-to-climate-change.