Sinking Islands, Drowned Logic; Climate Change and Community-Based Adaptation Discourses in Solomon Islands

Abstract

The saltwater people of Solomon Islands are often portrayed to be at the frontline of climate change. In media, policy, and development discourses, the erosion and abandonment of the small, man-made islands along the coast of Malaita is attributed to climate change induced sea-level rise. This paper investigates this sinking islands narrative, and argues that a narrow focus on the projected impacts of climate change distracts attention and resources from more pressing environmental and development problems that are threatening rural livelihoods.

Patterns of catch and trophic signatures illustrate diverse management requirements of coastal fisheries in Solomon Islands

“…The concentration of exploitation and human influence around key areas such as the northwest coast of Malaita is in stark contrast to where management and CBRM implementation efforts are typically focused (van der Ploeg et al 2020a , b ). Most marine conservation and management projects in the Solomon Islands are clustered around a few localities that are still considered ‘pristine’ by international organizations (Cohen et al 2012 ).…”

“…By focusing management on remote areas which are not priorities for conservation or food security issues (i.e. not at risk compared to other areas), these management interventions risk being residual (van der Ploeg et al 2020a , b ), that is they will have little impact on wider development trajectories since there is limited overlap with areas of high resource use (Devillers et al 2015 ; Pressey et al 2017 ). CBRM should instead be emphasizing the management of areas where pressure is greater, and where there is correspondingly a greater need to effectively control coastal resource use (Sulu et al 2015 ; Sukulu et al 2016 ).…”

“…Food for household consumption also comprises 65% of total household expenses (Faradatolo 2008 ), and most fish are consumed directly in the household or bartered or sold in the village. Malaita is the most populous (150 000) yet least developed province in Solomon Islands, comprising 27% of the total population while having the lowest human development index in the country (Sulu et al 2015 ; van der Ploeg et al 2020a , b ). While a few specialized commercial fishers and traders do supply fish markets in Honiara and Auki with reef fish and shellfish, often sourced over relatively large distances, much of the reef area around Malaita province is considered underexploited (Brewer 2011 ; Sukulu et al 2016 ).…”

“…Community-based resource management (CBRM) is a process where natural resources are managed by, for and with local community involvement (Western and Wright 1994 ). CBRM has been highlighted as a key strategy for ensuring the sustainability of coastal marine resources in the Pacific (Govan et al 2008 ), and is, for example, the primary strategy employed to secure ecologically sustainable fisheries in Solomon Islands (van der Ploeg et al 2020a , b ). This governance approach not only enables stakeholders to adapt management to their desired outcomes, but also to the prerequisite conditions of their surroundings, for which they are most aware.…”

Exemplary Ethical Communities. A New Concept for a Livable Anthropocene

“…I argue that the two types of communities analyzed here not only provide shareable lifestyle patterns, but also offer universal truths about a variety of social, cultural, medical, and other dimensions of life. There is much they can teach us-if only we were ready to listen [76,77].…”