The already visible consequences of global warming
The impact of global warming has a particular resonance in Fiji, an archipelago state that is particularly exposed to climatic hazards. In 2021, Fiji was even ranked as one of the world's 15 most at-risk countries. Around 75% of Fiji's population live near the coast, putting them at particular risk from rising sea levels, coastal erosion and flooding. This also has an impact on its ecosystems and natural resources, and therefore on agriculture and fishing. Rising sea levels are the primary factor in the relocation of Fiji's population. In 2012, the inhabitants of Vunidogoloa (140 people) were forced to relocate due to regular flooding, and were the first to be considered "climate refugees" in Fiji, sadly followed by other communities. As land is particularly important in Fijian indigenous culture, this experience is traumatic for those who live it, with a loss of identity, culture and stress also affecting the move.
Fiji is also at risk from cyclones and was hit hard by Cyclone Winston in February 2016. 40 people were killed and property damage amounted to over a billion dollars.
Fiji's political community is therefore sensitive to this issue, and Fiji is therefore among the leading figures in the fight against global warming. In 2016, Fiji was one of the first states to ratify the Paris Agreement, which endorsed the long-term goal of limiting temperature rises to below 2°C and ideally below 1.5°C. In 2017, the 23rd edition of the International Climate Conference (COP23) was held in Germany, but under the presidency of Fiji, which did not fail to highlight the natural risks facing their country, while the passage of cyclone Winston in 2016 in Fiji was still very present in people's minds.
At national level too, the country is taking action: in 2021 the Climate Change Act was approved by the Fijian Parliament, giving a legal framework for long-term actions and policies in terms of sustainable development and the fight against global warming. Several actions are being launched at different levels to preserve Fiji's environment, for example by building dykes from natural resources, or preserving coral reefs.
The country's economic challenges
As Fiji is a developing country, there are still many projects underway to improve living standards and the national economy. Tourism has been clearly identified as the driving force behind the Fijian economy, and the impacts of the Covid crisis have particularly affected the Fijian economy, even causing it to shrink. From 2023 onwards, a return to normal is on the horizon, and the country will need to continue to develop its tourism industry while at the same time preserving its ecology.
The distribution of wealth is also a sensitive issue in Fiji. Around 30% of the population lives below the poverty line, with rural areas particularly hard hit, and there has been no noticeable improvement in recent years. Poor populations suffer from poor access to drinking water, healthcare and public services, particularly education. Women and young people are particularly vulnerable to poverty. Fiji's property system, which has historically allocated the vast majority of land to native Fijians, also contributes to this cycle of poverty, by making access to property and tools, in the case of farmers, much more difficult.
In 2023, a somewhat alarming report was issued by the Fiscal Commission, highlighting the fact that Fiji would have difficulty coping with a new economic shock, linked for example to a new pandemic, cyclone or earthquake. Indeed, the country's debt ratio is already very high, limiting its borrowing capacity. This also has an impact on the country's ability to finance essential infrastructures such as water, electricity, roads and bridges, healthcare and sanitation. And without the development of these essential infrastructures, the country's economic development also remains at risk. Another worrying signal concerns the Human Development Index: instead of progressing, Fiji has lost almost twenty places over a 20-year period.
Political stability restored
The country's economy and development also suffered during the years of political instability, with the country often finding itself isolated on the international stage and even excluded from the Commonwealth on several occasions. The elections at the end of 2022 confirmed the return to a degree of democratic stability that had already been taking place for some years (with the 2014 elections, but part of the population more readily adheres to the democratic reality of the elections having taken place in 2022). There still seems to be a long way to go to achieve perfect political unity, but there are still glimmers of hope, and it remains to be seen whether they will be confirmed in the years to come.
Fiji in the geopolitics of the Pacific
Fiji is also concerned by the recent tensions between China and the United States. The countries of the South Pacific have traditionally not wished to take sides, their motto being literally translated as " friends of all, enemies of none ". Over the last few decades, Fiji had managed to maintain good relations with the West and with Australia, one of its main donors, even though Fiji criticizes the sustainable development policy of its large neighbor. Fiji had also maintained good relations with China, particularly during the troubled coup period when Fiji was ostracized by the international community. However, relations with China suffered a blow when, in early 2023, Fiji's Prime Minister terminated a security agreement with China allowing officers from each country to carry out short-term missions in the other.
