The Fiji Bureau of Statistics is taking a significant leap forward by compiling its first official climate change statistics, which marks a pivotal enhancement of the country’s climate data systems. To aid in this important initiative, the bureau has launched a two-day National Workshop on Advancing Climate Change-Related Statistics, which has brought together policymakers, researchers, and sector officials to assess progress and improve data quality.
Kemueli Naiqama, the Chief Executive Officer of the Fiji Bureau of Statistics, emphasized that this initiative is part of an ongoing collaboration with the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, which began last year. He stated that the program promotes a comprehensive, government-wide approach to ensure climate data encompasses the impacts across various sectors, including the environment, economy, infrastructure, and health.
“Climate change is not an abstract issue for us; it’s a lived experience for every Fijian,” Naiqama noted, articulating the significance of high-quality climate statistics in understanding the changes ahead, identifying vulnerable populations, and devising appropriate response strategies.
The workshop underscores the urgent need for reliable data to bolster climate resilience and development planning. This effort aligns with previous Fiji initiatives, including the launch of two key publications on climate statistics—the Climate Change-Related Statistics Release and the Gender-Climate Change Nexus Data Brief—which detail the gendered impacts of climate change and reinforce the importance of incorporating gender perspectives into climate policies.
This latest workshop will facilitate discussions around these publications and guide stakeholders in identifying data gaps and crafting an action plan for Fiji’s climate statistics journey through to 2028. As Fiji builds its capacity for data-driven decision-making, there is growing optimism that these measured steps will strengthen the nation’s climate resilience and sustainable development goals.
Moreover, this commitment to robust data collection echoes the findings from prior reports that revealed concerning gaps in tracking Sustainable Development Goals indicators, where around 42% remain unmonitored due to insufficient data. As Fiji moves forward, its collaborative efforts with regional and international partners are crucial in advancing data literacy and informed policy-making.
The strides being made in Fiji are indicative of a broader movement across small island nations to transform climate experience into actionable insights. With a focus on quality statistics and inter-agency cooperation, Fiji is poised to lay a strong foundation for addressing climate challenges effectively and inspires hope for a more resilient future for its citizens.
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