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 f..