5 days ago
Fijian village is planning new evacuation centre after higher tides than seen in living memory impact homes and communities
On the northern island of Vanua Levu in Fiji, the coastal village of Ligaulevu has slowly been relocating inland to avoid rising sea levels and ever-increasing coastal flooding.
Having an evacuation plan and a physical space for people to shelter in is on the minds of the community as currently the school is being used for this purpose.
'But we have our plan, to try to build up a building that we will go to when disasters come,' Merewalesi Divosi, Ligaulevu villager said.
The high tide levels are something that the community hasn't seen since in their living memory, as Ms Divosi said.
'We haven't had [flooding like this] from our parents, our grandfather, grandmothers that has happened here before, but this is the first time that happened, that the waves come in and go right in the village,' Ms Divosi said.
'Before we usually see that only three days that we experience high tide, but now it takes like one week. It's been high tide for one week.'
Ms Divosi said the village wants to be proactive and build a seawall before asking for assistance of any kind from aid or government organisations.
'We have been trying to stop the sand from going out, that's why we are building the seawall,' Ms Divosi said.
*Pacific Prepared is produced by ABC International Development with funding from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
