Fijian Village Combats Rising Seas With Women-Led Climate Adaptation
Affiliate Disclosure
Hey fellow impactful ninja ?
You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. And that we love to link back to where we found all the information for each of our posts.
Most of these links are informational-based for you to check out their primary sources with one click.
But some of these links are so-called "affiliate links" to products that we recommend.
Why do we add these product links?
First and foremost, because we believe that they add value to you. For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. So we linked to where you can find them. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide.
And when there is an affiliate program for these products, we sign up for it. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.
What do these affiliate links mean for you?
First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission - but at no additional costs to you.
And when you buy something through a link that is not an affiliate link, we won’t receive any commission but we’ll still be happy to have helped you.
What do these affiliate links mean for us?
When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra costs to you).
And at this point in time, all money is reinvested in sharing the most helpful content with you. This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself.
What does this mean for me personally?
You may have noticed by the way Impactful Ninja is operated that money is not the driving factor behind it. It is a passion project of mine and I love to share helpful information with you to make a positive impact on the world and society. However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money.
Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. But that's still a long time to go.
Stay impactful,
At Impactful Ninja, we curate positive and impactful news for you. Follow us on Google News or sign up for our free newsletter to get these delivered straight to your inbox—just like our expert roundup below!
📰 The quick summary: A Fijian coastal village is successfully adapting to climate change through community-led initiatives including aquaculture projects, mangrove replanting, and marine conservation efforts, demonstrating local resilience against rising seas and declining fish stocks.
📈 One key stat: The leadership of women in the 60-person Bia-I-Cake settlement has proved crucial in launching adaptations like small-scale tilapia and carp farming, helping combat food insecurity caused by declining ocean fish stocks.
💬 One key quote: “Our relocation was smooth because […] we just moved to our own land, our mataqali land,” said one resident describing how traditional land ownership systems helped some villagers relocate after Tropical Cyclone Winston.
1️⃣ The big picture: The Fijian coastal village of Nagigi faces significant climate change challenges including rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and declining fish populations. Rather than being passive victims, villagers have responded with innovative adaptation strategies led by local women. The Bia-I-Cake Women’s Cooperative has developed fish farming ponds to supplement diminishing ocean catches, while community members have also replanted mangroves to slow coastal erosion. These efforts draw on traditional values and social structures while incorporating new approaches to environmental management, demonstrating how communities can respond collectively to climate threats.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: Women are taking leadership roles in climate adaptation, with the Bia-I-Cake Women’s Cooperative launching successful aquaculture projects that provide new food sources and income streams. The community is utilizing traditional knowledge and values like respect for Vanua—the interconnection of land, sea, people and beliefs—while adopting new conservation practices. Temporary closures of fishing grounds help fish populations recover, combining traditional stewardship with formal conservation approaches. Communities are showing remarkable agency and ingenuity rather than just experiencing loss, creating models that can inspire other coastal villages facing similar challenges. Their efforts highlight how local adaptation can succeed even with limited access to global climate finance.
3️⃣ What’s next: The village is considering declaring a locally-managed marine area (tabu) to further protect fish populations from climate impacts and overfishing. As adaptation efforts expand across the Pacific, supporting and recognizing local initiatives like those in Nagigi becomes increasingly important. Sharing these effective adaptation methods offers both practical ideas and hope to other communities facing climate pressures.
Read the full story here: The Conversation – As seas rise and fish decline, this Fijian village is finding new ways to adapt
