Chapter 13
Influence of Spiritual Beliefs
on Autonomous Climate-Change
Adaptation: A Case Study from Ono
Island, Southern Fiji
Jalasayi Atkinson-Nolte, Patrick D. Nunn, and Prudence Millear
Abstract Most climate-change adaptation in the Pacific Islands has been framed
in secular terms yet applied in contexts where routine decision-making is spiritually
informed. This may be a major reason why such externally-sponsored adaptation has
met with very limited success to date. This highlights an opportunity for reframing
adaptation in ways that are more acceptable to target communities. Using a case
study of traditional communities on a remote island in southern Fiji, information
was collected using focus groups and informal interviews about people’s attitudes
towards climate change, its causes, effects and remedies. Particular attention is given
to understanding the ways in which people’s spiritual beliefs, incorporating both
Christian and pre-Christian understandings, influence their perceptions of climate
risk and determine their preferred adaptive responses. Given that this study is likely
to be representative of rural, faith-engaged, contexts across the Pacific Islands region,
it is argued that the results are widely applicable and should inform a re-evaluation of
international/donor approaches to enabling climate-change adaptation in this region.
Introduction
It is widely acknowledged that islands such as those in the Pacific Ocean are more
exposed to climate change than most other inhabited land masses. The reasons for
this are mostly geographical, particularly the lengthy coastlines of islands (compared
to their land areas) and the highly skewed distribution of people and infrastructure
which means that coasts are the most valued parts of most islands (Kumar et al. 2020;
Robinson 2019).
J. Atkinson-Nolte · P. Millear
School of Health and Behavioural Sciences, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore,
QLD 4558, Australia
P. D. Nunn (B)
School of Law and Society, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QLD 4558,
Australia
e-mail: pnunn@usc.edu.au
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
J. M. Luetz and P. D. Nunn (eds.), Beyond Belief, Climate Change Management,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67602-5_13
247
Influence of Spiritual Beliefs
on Autonomous Climate-Change
Adaptation: A Case Study from Ono
Island, Southern Fiji
Jalasayi Atkinson-Nolte, Patrick D. Nunn, and Prudence Millear
Abstract Most climate-change adaptation in the Pacific Islands has been framed
in secular terms yet applied in contexts where routine decision-making is spiritually
informed. This may be a major reason why such externally-sponsored adaptation has
met with very limited success to date. This highlights an opportunity for reframing
adaptation in ways that are more acceptable to target communities. Using a case
study of traditional communities on a remote island in southern Fiji, information
was collected using focus groups and informal interviews about people’s attitudes
towards climate change, its causes, effects and remedies. Particular attention is given
to understanding the ways in which people’s spiritual beliefs, incorporating both
Christian and pre-Christian understandings, influence their perceptions of climate
risk and determine their preferred adaptive responses. Given that this study is likely
to be representative of rural, faith-engaged, contexts across the Pacific Islands region,
it is argued that the results are widely applicable and should inform a re-evaluation of
international/donor approaches to enabling climate-change adaptation in this region.
Introduction
It is widely acknowledged that islands such as those in the Pacific Ocean are more
exposed to climate change than most other inhabited land masses. The reasons for
this are mostly geographical, particularly the lengthy coastlines of islands (compared
to their land areas) and the highly skewed distribution of people and infrastructure
which means that coasts are the most valued parts of most islands (Kumar et al. 2020;
Robinson 2019).
J. Atkinson-Nolte · P. Millear
School of Health and Behavioural Sciences, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore,
QLD 4558, Australia
P. D. Nunn (B)
School of Law and Society, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QLD 4558,
Australia
e-mail: pnunn@usc.edu.au
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
J. M. Luetz and P. D. Nunn (eds.), Beyond Belief, Climate Change Management,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67602-5_13
247