A Fijian woman from the Yasawa Islands delivered a poignant message during the COP30 climate talks in Brazil, urging global leaders to bolster their efforts in protecting Pacific island communities that are facing the harsh realities of climate change. Lavenia Naivalu, the District Representative for Nacula and the only female representative in Fiji’s national legislature, shared the struggles of her community, which grapples with rising sea levels, frequent droughts, and increasingly severe cyclones.
Naivalu expressed her frustrations, stating, “Every year, before we can recover from last year’s storms, we are already faced with a drought, then followed by another cyclone.” She emphasized the pressing need for climate finance that is directly allocated to Indigenous and local communities to aid in recovery and adaptation efforts. “For me and my community, we are holding the line at 1.5 degrees to stay alive,” she said, underscoring the high costs associated with recovery from numerous climate-related disasters.
In her address, Naivalu called for phasing out fossil fuels and urged that the distinctive voices of Pacific communities be included in all global climate policy discussions. She expressed hope that future climate conferences, particularly COP31, would be hosted in the Pacific, allowing leaders and global communities to witness firsthand the resilience and struggles of those affected by climate change.
Her message aligns with earlier testimonies from other Pacific leaders, including Fiji’s Women Minister Sashi Kiran, who has highlighted the disproportionate impacts of climate change on women and marginalized groups in the region. Kiran pointed out that women, who constitute nearly 70% of market vendors in Fiji, are especially vulnerable to weather-related shocks but are often excluded from the decision-making processes regarding climate action.
As Pacific nations collectively face the existential threat of climate change, their leaders have called for justice and equitable climate financing, emphasizing that the countries contributing the least to global emissions are suffering the most. The narrative shared by Naivalu and leaders like Biman Prasad, Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister, reinforces the urgent need for a unified stance in international climate discussions to ensure that vulnerable communities receive the support they need.
The voices from Fiji and other Pacific islands represent a broader hope that increased advocacy and collaborative solutions will lead to meaningful action and resilience in the face of overwhelming climate pressures. As nations prepare for COP30, the shared determination of these leaders to shine a light on their realities offers a pathway towards a more equitable and sustainable response to the climate crisis globally.
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