Vanuabalavu in Lau is one of many maritime islands in Fiji facing the worsening effects of climate change.

For families who depend on the land and sea for survival, rising tides and shifting weather patterns are becoming a daily struggle.

Chiefs and elders say villagers are doing what they can to prepare for stronger cyclones.

Homes are being rebuilt to withstand powerful winds, even those near the shoreline. But despite their efforts, nature continues to push back.

Tui Dakuilomaloma Viliame Tucake shared that seawater now reaches into homes during high tides. He estimates that waves have pushed up to 15 meters into his village from the shoreline. He states this never used to happen.

“Villagers are not sitting idle. Many are planting mangrove and other indigenous trees along the shore. They have also started placing stones to break the waves before they reach land.”

Tucake said this was their way of trying to stop further damage, knowing that waiting for outside help can take too long.

He added that climate change is not just about stronger storms; it is about losing land, food sources, and, in the worst cases, homes. He said forced relocation is a real fear and one that can be very expensive.

Tucake believes climate finance should be based on the actual needs of island communities already battling these problems, not just on long reports and big promises.

Farmers on the island are also noticing changes.

They say the soil is not the same. Some parts of the land are no longer as fertile as they once were. Saltwater has made its way into the gardens, forcing farmers to try new methods. Some have moved their crops inland. Others are changing what they grow.

While big climate conferences and pledges continue overseas, villagers say that in places like Vanuabalavu, people are already adapting in silence.

They are protecting what they can with what little they have, hoping their actions will be enough to keep their homes from being swallowed by the sea.

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