Germany in Fiji Brings Women’s Experiences of Planned Relocation to the Centre of the Pre-COP31 Conversation
Women from four Fijian communities will bring their actual experiences of climate-related planned relocation to the heart of the Pre-COP31 conversation at “Amplifying Voices of Relocation,” a Germany- in-Fiji side event in Nadi on Monday, 5 October 2026. The event will provide a platform for women and elders from Nabavatu, Narikoso, Vunidavo and Nayavuira to share how relocation is affecting land, livelihoods, culture, identity, families and their sense of belonging. Their experiences have been documented through the Community Climate Talks and brought together in a documentary that will be screened during the event.
Convened by the German Embassy in Fiji as part of Germany’s engagement around Pre-COP31, the event is delivered in cooperation with GIZ Pacific through the Global Programme on Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change (HMCCC), together with SauVaka Culture Consultancy and Tabualuma Media Production.
The 45-minute session will use the documentary as a starting point for a wider discussion on planned relocation, connecting community experience and traditional knowledge with research, policy and international climate conversation.
According to the Head of Delegation, Federal Republic of Germany, Secretary of State Jochen Flasbarth “Planned relocation is ultimately about people, communities and the places they call home. Germany’s engagement on climate mobility in Fiji is grounded in listening to those living these realities. By bringing women’s experiences directly into the Pre-COP31 conversation, we want to create space for community perspectives to inform the wider discussion on climate mobility.”
The documentary reflects communities at different stages of relocation. Narikoso in Kadavu partially relocated more than a decade ago; Nabavatu in Macuata is currently undergoing relocation; Vunidavo in Namosi relocated in the early 1980s through community efforts; while Nayavuira in Ra has chosen not to relocate. Together, their experiences demonstrate that relocation is not simply a question of moving people or infrastructure. It involves livelihoods, cultural identity, family wellbeing, spiritual connections, traditional knowledge and belonging.
Through the Community Climate Talks, women have been able to reflect on these experiences and articulate the knowledge, responsibilities and perspectives they bring to decisions about climate mobility. The initiative also highlights the importance of ensuring that women’s voices are represented in discussions about planned relocation.
“Women are not only experiencing the impacts of relocation; they are also carrying knowledge, responsibilities and perspectives that are essential to understanding what successful and inclusive relocation means,” said Anina Vontobel of GIZ Pacific.
The “Amplifying Voices of Relocation” side event will take place from 4:30pm to 5:15pm on Monday, 5 October 2026, at Sofitel Fiji Resort in Nadi, as part of the Pre-COP31 Stakeholder Engagement Programme.
For further information, please contact: Ratu Loki, Political Advisor; Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Suva; @email or Dhanjay Deo, Communications Specialist; GIZ Pacific; @email
