The ravaging impacts of climate change are increasingly driving the displacement of communities around the world. Small islands, like in the Pacific, are being disproportionately affected by these impacts.
Villages are destroyed by landslides brought about by intense rainfall; homes are flooded and blown away with every cyclone; buildings deteriorate as the sea takes over land; storm surges batter coastal communities as it extends it reach. Village and settlement communities no longer feel safe and often see relocation as their only option.
The Fiji Government places high priority in keeping at-risk communities safe and in strengthening their resilience against the impacts of climate change. Sustainable development and long-term prosperity can only be achieved if Fijian communities are provided with the necessary support and knowledge to capably to respond to this climate crisis that we are experiencing.
The Standard Operating Procedures for Planned Relocation (SOP) in Fiji is one of the most comprehensive national documents in the world, providing detailed instructions and guidance on processes for climate-induced planned relocation.
The implementation of the SOP ensures that the needs of communities at-risk from displacement will be addressed in a humane and inclusive way where their current and future safety, livelihoods, and well-being are of paramount importance.
The SOP was developed with the active engagement of various government agencies, non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations, academic institutions, and regional and international organisations. Funding support was provided by the Government of New Zealand and the Federal Republic of Germany through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
