Policy Briefs Books Journals

Policy Briefs on Climate Change and Conflict

Climate Change and Conflict

Climate Change-Induced Community Relocation in Fiji: Challenges and Ways Forward

Policy Brief  No.192 - June, 2024 • By Paulo Baleinakorodawa and Volker Boege

This report addresses the challenges of planned relocation, looking at cases in Fiji, and it presents a specific promising community engagement approach that is pursued by the peacebuilding NGO Transcend Oceania in its work with Fijian communities. Transcend Oceania’s approach encourages a shift away from the conventional ‘victimhood’ discourse; affected communities see themselves as active agents rather than entirely dependent on external assistance. This approach offers some insights that can provide guidance for other relocation endeavours in the Pacific and more generally.

Climate Change and Conflict

How Should States Manage Climate Mobilities And Planned Relocations? Early Lessons From Fiji And Vanuatu

Policy Brief  No.178 - November, 2023 • By Liam Moore

This Policy Brief addresses questions of how to manage situations of climate mobilities, both within and between respective states. Firstly, it looks at the guidance that exists in international law and principles and how this could apply to instances of climate mobilities. Secondly, it unpacks two examples of climate mobilities policies, in Fiji and Vanuatu, specifically the constitutive elements of the policies and what they say about their development. Finally, it draws out three lessons that can be learnt from these policies and attempts at their implementation: there must be adequate funding available, mobilities solutions must be community-led and these solutions must be forward-looking and pre-emptive.

Climate Change and Conflict

Climate Change and (Im)Mobility: Implication for PICTs at Home

Policy Brief  No.177 - November, 2023 • By John R. Campbell

This Policy Brief, the fourth of a series on matters related to climate change (im)mobility, addresses the prospective domestic consequences for Pacific Island Countries and Territories from which international climate change emigrants may depart. It outlines how emigration has affected PICTs not only in general socio-economic terms but also in terms of exposure and vulnerability to climate change effects and capacity to adapt to them. It will also consider the likely futures of those PICTs with high levels of (forced?) immobility. The Policy Brief concludes with a consideration of the key issues identified in this four-part series.

Climate Change and Conflict

The Pacific and its Peoples in a Changing Climate: Workshop Report

Summary Report  No.175 - October, 2023 • By Volker Boege

This Summary Report from the ‘The Pacific and its Peoples in a Changing Climate: Pasifika Wisdom and Relational Security’ workshop, co-hosted by the Toda Peace Institute and the Australian National University Pacific Institute. It was held in Canberra in September 2023 and attended by around 50 researchers, practitioners and policymakers from Pacific Island countries, Australia and New Zealand with expertise on climate change, its environmental, social and cultural effects, climate security and environmental peacebuilding. This report addresses the key issue areas, summarises core arguments made and focuses on selected findings with particular relevance for research as well as for policy and practice.

Climate Change and Conflict

Pacific Island (Im)Mobilities in the 21st Century: Issues and debates

Policy Brief  No.174 - October, 2023 • By John R. Campbell

This Policy Brief focuses on international migration from and within the Pacific region. Its aim is to clarify some of the issues that link climate change with migration as well as to provide a baseline understanding of contemporary migration patterns in the region. Hopefully this will provide some context for considering the role of climate change-influenced migration that may have already occurred in some instances, and which may be anticipated in the future.