by Solange-Renée Puryear Thompson

For the majority of the world, when the South Pacific is discussed, what enters their minds is the thought of the populations that live in countries south of the Equator. For the communities that live in these countries, the South Pacific references the ethnographic regions of Micronesia, Polynesia, and Melanesia and the Indigenous populations that inhabit them. These populations are among the most vulnerable to the devastation caused by climate change, in fact, many of the consequences they experience are much worse than in other regions of the world despite their minuscule contributions to the greenhouse gases that have been and continue to pollute the globe.

According to “Climate Change and Indigenous People in the South Pacific,” an article written by Dr. Eric L. Kwa, an Environmental Lawyer and current Attorney General of Papua New Guinea, in the South Pacific, there were approximately 9.5 million Indigenous people in 2008. (Kwa, 1) While Indigenous people throughout the world have a long history of defending their land and people against those who attempt to disrupt their equilibrium, climate change is an enemy they cannot fight. Indigenous communities rely heavily on the biodiversity of their environment for survival, and many of the solutions to the various issues involved in climate change do not prioritize Indigenous South Pacific communities and their connections to their environments. The biodiversity of these regions is unparalleled, and as of 2020, they have faced at least a 20% decrease in that biodiversity since 1990. (Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme) Among islands in the South Pacific, there is an adage that is as follows, “land is life, without land there is no life.” This adage is a crucial component of Indigenous communities, it is an ideal that underlies the culture and lifestyle of these populations. There is an understanding among Indigenous people, especially in the South Pacific, that land does not belong to anyone and it is a privilege to interact with and experience the land around them.

Despite this, throughout the South Pacific, Indigenous communities have not been properly considered in the attempts to repair the damage done by climate change. While there has been some consideration of Indigenous populations and their rights to their ways of life, there has also been a failure to ensure that these populations will be able to preserve their lifestyles and historical interdependence with the environments they and their ancestors have inhabited for millennia. Much of the solution-oriented thinking surrounding climate change and its effects involves a determination that the only option for the populace of the South Pacific is relocation. Climate change is a novel and wildly complex issue faced by the entire world in different ways — novel problems require novel solutions. As stated by Kwa, “National climate change policies and laws which must be holistic in character are also imperative to protect indigenous people, their land, economies and cultures.” (Kwa, 13)

These solutions, unlike those for some other nations, must properly evaluate the cultural beliefs and practices of the Indigenous populations of the South Pacific and implement strategies to aid in their preservation. This requires an alteration of the legal and political frameworks of these countries.  Many of these communities have already come up with solutions, utilizing ecosystem-based adaptations (EBA). Ecosystem-based adaptations can be defined as, “combining biodiversity and ecosystem services into an adaptation and development strategy that increases the resilience of ecosystems and communities to climate change through the conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of ecosystems.” (Mcleod, Elizabeth, et. al., 2) Despite their hard work, much of their work has been ignored in scholarly works.

Jupiter, Stacy, et. al. ‘Conservation of Biodiversity in the Pacific Islands of Oceania: Challenges and Opportunities Pacific’. Pacific Conservation Biology 20 (08 2014): 206–220. Web.

Kwa, Eric L. ‘Climate change and indigenous peoples in the South Pacific: The need for regional and local strategies’. Climate Law and Developing Countries: Legal and Policy Challenges for the World Economy (01 2009): 102–124. Print.

Mcleod, Elizabeth, et. al. ‘Lessons From the Pacific Islands – Adapting to Climate Change by Supporting Social and Ecological Resilience’. Frontiers in Marine Science 6 (2019): n. pag. Web.

Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme. “Pacific Islands to Help Halt Biodiversity Loss.” Pacific Environment, 6 Feb. 2020, https://www.sprep.org/news/pacific-islands-to-help-halt-biodiversity-loss.

The Climate Reality Project. “Trouble in Paradise: How Does Climate Change Affect Pacific Island Nations?” Climate Reality, 14 Mar. 2019, https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/trouble-paradise-how-does-climate-change-affect-pacific-island-nations.