Generational retreat: locally driven adaption to coastal hazard risk in two Indigenous communities in Fiji

Abstract

The relocation and retreat of low-lying coastal communities are expected to increase in anticipation of, and response to, sea-level rise and subsequent coastal hazard risks. As such, there is burgeoning attention in research and policy surrounding relocation that is managed and supported through external sources. Yet there exists limited research into the ways Indigenous communities are autonomously retreating from emerging coastal hazard risk, despite long histories of mobility and inherent adaptive capacities. We contribute to this gap through qualitative data derived from two low-lying coastal iTaukei (Indigenous Fijian) communities that are exposed to coastal erosion, storm surges, and flooding events, alongside other socioeconomic pressures. We explore the approach of “generational retreat” which is emerging as a long-term relocation strategy employed by village residents. Generational retreat is a form of mobility whereby households, namely, younger generations, incrementally retreat in response to existing, emerging, and anticipated coastal changes while maintaining connections to place and village life. We show how communities are drawing on local processes and resources to direct autonomous adaptation pathways which are suited to local sociopolitical, cultural, and environmental contexts. We further explore opportunities for governments and external actors in supporting these locally conceived and driven forms of retreat as an adaptive and sustainable response to coastal change.