Climate-induced migration in Lotofaga village in Samoa

Abstract

Climate-induced migration has received increasing attention in both research and policy. However, the voices of people affected by climate change are in most cases neglected. People’s voices and perspectives are important, not only because affected people should have a right to be listened to and to participate in decision making, but also because they have considerable knowledge (traditional and other), which must be taken into account and which can provide valuable input to future initiatives. This chapter explores people’s experiences and understandings of climate change, including whether and how climate-related factors have influenced internal and international population movements in Lotofaga, a village located on the south coast of Upolu Island in Samoa. The main finding of the study is that even though climate change is affecting people’s lives, families are demonstrating great strength and resilience. They are using a mix of traditional and Western modern technical knowledge, drawing on their family and village social support systems, utilising their customary land tenure entitlements, and using population movements to enhance their adaptive capacity.