Govt adopts standard operating procedure for planned relocation in Fiji

either by office or sources.

Based on beneficiary and partner feedback, the initial product was enhanced with the addition of a rainfall trigger to add to the cyclone trigger, given that many vulnerable communities in Fiji are affected by flooding due to rainfall.

In the improvised product, the heavy wind trigger remains the same, while the rainfall trigger is based on minimum thresholds of precipitation recorded at a location over five consecutive days and confirmed by the Fiji Meteorological Service. the meteorological remotely sensed contributes tremendously to less income chances in the fish industry, coupled with pollution.

“When we are at sea, all we see are bottles and plastic bags,” he said.

“We have been taught about the harmful effects of these products, but some people continue to pollute the environment. “Before our expenses were really less but today, we are paying around $500 to $700 just to hire boats.

“We used to earn around $200 but now it is less.”

Mr Sasai said they could spend at least two weeks these days to pull in a good catch. “Because whether we meet our target or not, there are expenses that need to be paid,” he said.

STUDY

According to a recent World Wildlife Fund report, there was a 33 per cent decline in fish

For example, more than 450 millimetres of rain over a five-day period would qualify beneficiaries for a full payment of FJ$1000.

Based on increasing market demand, a FJ$2000 product (with a premium of FJ$200) was developed to cover both excessive rainfall and cyclones

Tower Insurance also joined up as private sector underwriting partner in 2022 and is now the third provider to offer parametric insurance products in Fiji and given their regional presence, will also offer similar products in Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Samoa and American abundance and sizes along the northern and western coasts of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. WWF reported that the vast size of mangrove plants was destroyed/lost between 1996 and 2016.

The study was conducted by a group of scientists including Conservation International Fiji.

It strongly advocated for additional marine protected areas and new fishing limitations. The study recommended legal protection and increased restoration be improved. “This could include reviewing minimum size limits for fish, adjusting fisheries closure seasons, or increasing the size or closure duration of tabu areas,” said WWF. “Communities implementing LMMAs should agree on targets for fish biomass they wish to achieve to underpin sustainable fisheries.”

Samoa after finalizing their internal plans and approvals. The products are targeted mainly at small-holder farmers, fishers, MSMEs, and tourism industry workers but anyone interested can purchase it from the insurance companies.

Parametric insurance is providing an additional financial tool to climate-vulnerable and low-income households in the Pacific to cope with the perils of extreme weather.

It is helping build financial resilience and preparedness in our communities and highlighting the important role insurance can play in disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation in Fiji.

PICAP is expanding its portfolios from Fiji to other Pacific countries and globally, too. Lessons and knowledge gained in the Pacific will now inform and drive global initiatives under the Programme. With more government, private sector and donor support, the true potential of parametric insurance to close the ‘protection gap” and as a development tool can be realised and our communities will be better protected for it.

And importantly, parametric insurance is one instrument to address the loss and damages suffered by climate vulnerable countries.

The Fiji Government has adopted a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for planned relocation caused by the impacts of climate change.

Prime Minister and Minister for Climate Change, Sitiveni Rabuka, said this was adopted with the guidance of Fiji’s Planned Relocation Guidelines (PRG) in 2018 that the Cabinet had endorsed.

Mr Rabuka said the PRG outlined the overarching guidance for Government and other stakeholders on how planned relocation should be considered in relation to disasters and climate change related slow-onset events in Fiji.

“The PRG also identifies the need for an SOP to represent the modus operandi or method of procedure for the guidelines,” he said.

“The SOP was thus developed within the framework of the PRG responding to the requirements of the Climate Change Act 2021 whereby it lays out specific processes to be undertaken for the planned relocation of at-risk communities in Fiji.”

The following principles are mainstreamed in all stages of the SOP:

A human-centred approach;

Human rights approach;

Participatory and inclusive processes; Pre-emptive actions;

Livelihood-based;

Gender-equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI); and

Protection of the rights of children; and free, prior and informed consent (FPIC).

He said the SOP ensured that prior informed community consent was obtained for all important decisions that needed to be made at each stage of the process.

“Along with the SOP, a Climate Relocation of Communities Trust Fund (CROC trust fund) was established and launched in 2020, through the Climate Relocation of Communities Act 2019.

“The objective of the trust fund is to finance the planned relocation of communities in Fiji, adversely affected by climate change.”

He said this provided a dedicated source of funds to address the complex operations involved in planned relocation and supports urgent social protection objectives and outcomes critical to increasing community resilience to climate change.

“The trust fund is seed-funded by three per cent of revenue from the Environment and Climate Levy (ECAL), and is expected to derive additional finance from a variety of sources, such as bilateral donor support.

“Following the establishment of the CROC trust fund, a Financial Management Policy Guidelines (FMPG) for the PRG was also established to ensure that the trust fund is maintained and accessed in a way that is consistent with the demands and needs of the PRG, the SOP, and compliant with the standard requirements set out by the Financial Management Act.”

He added that the FMPG provided a set of specific guidelines for the operation of the trust fund.