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Pago Pago, American Samoa— A Tongan researcher at the University of Waikato has found that in the Pacific, particularly Tonga and Samoa, people are reluctant to move despite the “stigma” associated with climate change.
Hosted by Lora Vaioleti Research conducted in partnership with the University of Auckland and Mana Pacific Consultantsdrawing on researchers and methods from across the Pacific.
She said the research had “yielded an interesting insight” that the people of Samoa and Tonga needed real-life support.
The survey found: “People clearly don’t want to move; they also want real, practical, in-person support,” but Vaioleti said they didn’t know why, so they followed up with some of the respondents.
Then they found that some families might own a piece of land but do not have the funds to build a house on that land.
“They are actually doing a long-term migration process where they move within Tonga, but because they can’t earn enough income in Tonga, they plan to stay in New Zealand for 10 to 15 years to raise income and then build houses somewhere else in Tonga.
“So we describe this as a dual flow process that’s happening as a result of climate change in Tonga.
“We noticed a link between internal and overseas mobility in Tonga that was related to climate change, and we also saw this in Samoa, but to a lesser extent.”
Climate mobility is an umbrella term that refers to the following: Climate Change and other environmental factors are drivers of people’s migration.
Research shows that climate impacts have become an important factor in deciding to relocate.
Vaioleti said climate change not only affects where people live, but also affects food security, fisheries and cultural links between New Zealand and its closest Pacific neighbours.
She said despite the difficult conditions, many Pacific Islander families had shown resilience and chosen to stay because their loved ones were buried in the area, or they felt a sense of belonging to their place, or because there was no other land to move to.
According to Vajoleti, one of the biggest concerns for many leaders, especially in Tonga, is the lack of land.
“We’re talking about relocation, or the movement of people from low-lying areas to higher ground areas. Land tenure is increasingly becoming a concern.
“The government does not have enough land to relocate people in areas they know are at high risk of further erosion.
“They simply don’t have the land options to move people out of these areas.”
She said a number of government and community leaders had stressed the need to review the land tenure system “to see if it is fit for the future, particularly as we see more people moving within Tonga and having to relocate from low-lying areas and coastal areas”.
But not everyone plans to stay put.
“For some areas, extreme conditions mean entire communities are planning to relocate.
“We know that people are planning to move in the next five years because of climate change.”
Vaioleti conducted the research with the help of colleagues Professor Sandy Morrison and Dr Timote Vaoileti, who provided important networks, leadership and expertise to the research, ensuring it reached out to communities and Pacific and Māori research methods.
The nearly 900 study participants came from all major island groups of Tonga and Samoa, as well as Tongans and Samoans living in New Zealand, Australia and the United States.
Research activities included surveys, one-on-one Talanoa exchanges with leaders, and targeted group Talanoa exchanges with women and youth.
The study also used creative methods to gather insights into future mobility, including future visualization sessions and future scenario planning workshops.
Vaioleti said one frustration with Talanoa is that it is mostly short-term projects.
“They might target a certain area, but it’s not clear why that particular area was targeted; but you know the program ended, the funding ran out, or something like that.
“People in Tonga and Samoa are asking for more in-depth awareness campaigns, especially sustained ones.
“We hear about climate change this, climate change that, you know, there’s a flurry of activity and then it’s over, but it’s an ongoing issue.
“This is going to be a growing problem for people in Tonga, Samoa and other Pacific islands, and they really need some sustained, long-term investment, awareness and adaptation support.”
The research was funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
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