State-Led and Voluntary Climate-Related Relocations in Fiji: Policy, Practice and Protection Gaps
Book Chapter ResearchOnline@JCUAbstract
As more attention globally is directed towards how climate-related mobilities should be managed, it is increasingly important to look at early adopters of policy and practice and learn from these experiences. Fiji is a unique case study in this space. Not only has the Fijian Government relocated several communities, but it has also developed world-leading policies on planned relocations and climate-related displacement. However, the principles these policies strive to uphold have not always carried through to the lived experience of the people materially affected by climate-related hazards. In particular, we identify a key conceptual and practical protection gap for those who choose to move before state-led relocation processes commence. When mobility occurs due to slow-onset or recurrent climate processes, the line between forced and voluntary displacement blurs further, and it is unclear which protections apply, to what degree states are obliged to assist, and exactly when this assistance should be provided. Fijian authorities have attempted to manage this uncertainty through the development of policies like their Planned Relocation Guidelines and Displacement Guidelines. However, the experiences of communities in Fiji show that these policies are not always translated into practice. As other states look to policies like Fiji’s for guidance on issues of climate mobilities, it is increasingly important that such discrepancies are identified and adequately addressed.
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De Gruyter Handbook of Climate Migration and Climate Mobility Justice
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ISBN/ISSN
978-3-11-075214-4
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Pages Count
20
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Publisher
Walter de Gruyter
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Publisher Location
Berlin, Germany
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DOI
10.1515/9783110752144-020