Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Planned relocation has gained global attention in recent years as a strategy for climate change adaptation.However, limited attention has been paid to land tenure systems, both legal and cultural, in the context of climate-related migration and relocation.In Fiji, six communities have relocated either partially or fully with government support.We examined retreat and planned relocation in Nacekoro village, where coastal erosion, flooding, storm surges, and extreme weather events, including Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016, have prompted consideration of inland retreat and relocation to higher ground.Using qualitative Pacific research methodologies, we explored residents' experiences and perceptions of relocation and retreat in response to environmental and climatic change, with a particular focus on land tenure.We identified three adaptation strategies: remaining in place through in situ measures (e.g., mangrove planting); short-distance autonomous retreat to nearby freehold land; and government-proposed planned relocation to mataqali (clan) land located several hundred meters inland.Residents have expressed reluctance to relocate to the government-proposed site and have appealed for the purchase of the freehold land where some households have already informally resettled.The paper engages with questions of land tenure, customary rights, and place attachment, factors that critically shape the feasibility and outcomes of relocation and retreat.
Source: Ecology and Society
Institutions: The University of Melbourne, The University of Queensland
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $975
OpenAlex ID: W7224825266