For 3,000 years Pacific Islanders explored the Pacific Ocean in sailing canoes, settling islands are far apart as Hawai’i, Rapanui (Easter Island) and Aotearoa (New Zealand). The 19thcentury Fijian double-hulled drua is known as the finest ocean-going vessel ever built by any peoples of the Pacific. Some were over 30 metres long and could carry more than 100 people. As a symbol of Fiji’s Presidency, the drua is a reminder to the entire world that we are all in the same canoe when it comes to climate change. No-one is immune to its impact. We are all vulnerable and we all must act. We must fill the sail of this canoe with a collective determination to move the climate action agenda forward. As we sail together in our canoe, we are also challenging our reliance on fossil fuels and seeking clean alternative energy sources.
Mangrove ecosystems are critical to small islands because they provide an important habitat for aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. Mangroves protect islands from large waves and provide a nursery for marine life. They also prevent erosion in the face of sea level rise and store carbon in their sediments. angrove protection and restoration can also play a valuable role in climate change adaptation and mitigation. During Fiji’s National Climate Change Week (22 – 29 September, 2017), communities and corporate organisations were mobilised to take climate action around Fiji, where mangrove planting played a key role in generating awareness on simple things that could be done for climate action.
The sugar industry has long been a key part of Fiji’s economy. It is the oldest surviving industry in Fiji. But the sugar industry is not just about sugar, it is also about a community of brave immigrants. The Indo-Fijian people were brought to Fiji as indentured labourers to work on the sugar cane plantations and have enriched our nation with their culture. Rapidly changing climatic conditions and the onslaught of torrential rain and harsh droughts threaten the productivity of sugar cane farms throughout Fiji.
Traditional Fijian houses, or bures, are good examples of cyclone-resilient structures. Fijian traditional bures were built with strong wooden corner posts that are set in the ground with a wooden roof frame.The walls were constructed with woven bamboo and the final finishing was the intricate thatching of the roof in a hipped foursided configuration, which was woven using pandanus leaves.All the posts and beams of the bure are bound in place using ropes made from coconut fibre.These bures have withstood years of cyclones, in particular the bure from Yadua Island, in the Bua Province, depicted in the stamp. Cyclone Evan wreaked havoc in Fiji from 15 – 18 December, 2012 resulting in widespread damage.This bure in particular was unaffected by the cyclone. With the increasing number of cyclones experienced in Fiji, more priority is now placed on ensuring resilience of the structures in the design and construction of homes and buildings.
Mangrove protection and restoration can also play a valuable role in climate change adaptation and mitigation. During Fiji’s National Climate Change Week (22 – 29 September, 2017), communities and corporate organisations were mobilised to take climate action around Fiji, where mangrove planting played a key role in generating awareness on simple things that could be done for climate action.
stamp issued on 5th FEBRUARY 2018.
