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A Tongan researcher at the University of Waikato has revealed important insights into the impacts of climate change on Pacific communities, particularly Tonga and Samoa. Lola Vajoleti, who conducted the research with the University of Auckland and Mana Pacific Consultants, found that despite the daunting challenges posed by climate change, many people in these regions are determined to remain in their home countries, despite growing stigma against climate-induced migration.
Vaioleti’s research, which used a Pacific methodology involving nearly 900 participants in Tonga, Samoa, New Zealand, Australia and the United States, showed that people in these communities wanted real, tangible support, not relocation. “People clearly don’t want to be relocated; they want real, tangible, hands-on support,” Vaioleti said.
A key finding is that many households in Tonga and Samoa own land but lack the resources to develop it. As a result, some households have resorted to a “double mobility process”, where they temporarily migrate to countries such as New Zealand to raise the necessary funds to build homes in safer areas within Tonga. This trend highlights the complex relationship between internal and external mobility driven by climate change.
Climate mobility, or the movement of people due to environmental factors, is becoming an increasingly important issue in the Pacific. Vaioleti noted that climate change affects not only housing, but also food security, fisheries and cultural connections between New Zealand and its Pacific neighbours.
Despite these challenges, many Pacific families choose to stay because of their deep connection to the land, whether because of where their ancestors are buried or because there is no other land available. In Tonga, the scarcity of land available for relocation is a growing concern for leaders. “Government land is not enough to relocate people from areas with high risk of soil erosion,” Vajoleti explained, stressing the need to reassess land tenure systems.
The study also highlighted dissatisfaction within the community with the short-term nature of many climate change projects. Participants strongly desired sustained, long-term investment in awareness programs and adaptation support, and a recognition that climate change is a long-term issue that will only become more urgent in the future.
The study, funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, calls for a deeper and sustained commitment to climate change in the Pacific that reflects the voices and needs of the communities most affected.
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