Climate Change Threats to Socio-cultural Landscape of Island Countries

The significant effects of climate change in countries around the world has motivated call for countries to be more proactive in addressing root causes rather than being merely reactive. However, the continued sea levels rise, and the realisation that the long-term effects of climate change would inevitably lead to national and geographical extinction in some regions is worthy of scholarship. This paper examines the factors that increases the threats of climate change in the Pacific Island, with the view to determine proactive measures that may be taken to mitigate impacts on socio-cultural landscape of other Island countries.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with professionals and experts from Fiji, Tonga, New Zealand and Vanuatu. A thematic analysis was done to determine the factors that increases climate change threats and the influence of these factors on socio-cultural landscape of the Pacific Islands. Findings indicate that certain factors contribute to the threats of climate change and its associated threats to socio-cultural landscape of the Pacific Island people. Measures from international community though increasing, are insufficient nor tailored to address direct threats to socio-cultural landscape and the identity of the Pacific Island people. Results further revealed that there are core factors that make the Pacific Island people prone to the effects of climate change. This research adds value to existing studies on the Pacific Island people. First, it aligns with early work in 2005 by Barnett which emphasised that pacific islands are vulnerable to climate change. Second it also contributes to knowledge by reacting to the 2015 call by Kuruppu and Willie who encouraged more research on potential proactive measures in the Pacific Island for all stakeholders to combat serious threats of climate change to heritage and development goals. The paper offers some insights into how the threats of climate change to socio-cultural landscape of the Pacific Island people and other coastal people can be addressed.