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Education as a Driver of Climate Resilience in Fiji: Integrating Climate Literacy, Indigenous Knowledge, and 21st-Century Competencies

Published
Pages 09-17
Views 161
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Authors

  • Davendra Sharma Lecturer and PhD Scholar, University of Fiji, Fiji Islands Author

DOI

https://doi.org/10.55640/ijssll-05-12-02 ↗

Abstract

Climate change poses profound and escalating challenges for Fiji, affecting livelihoods, infrastructure, and social systems, including education. This paper examines the role of education as a critical driver of climate resilience by analysing how climate literacy, indigenous knowledge systems, and 21st-century competencies can be integrated to strengthen Fiji’s capacity to adapt to a rapidly changing environment. Drawing on regional policy frameworks, global climate education literature, and Pacific epistemologies, the paper argues that Fiji’s education system is uniquely positioned to generate long-term resilience through transformative teaching, culturally grounded knowledge, and future-focused skills development. It highlights how climate change directly disrupts learning, through displacement, extreme weather events, infrastructure vulnerabilities, and socio-economic pressures, while also demonstrating that well-designed education can empower communities with adaptive knowledge, problem-solving abilities, and intergenerational resilience. The analysis reveals that meaningful reform requires a synthesis of scientific climate literacy with indigenous ecological wisdom, supported by teacher capacity-building, curriculum reform, and community engagement. The paper concludes that repositioning education as a strategic climate adaptation tool is essential for Fiji’s sustainable development, national security, and the wellbeing of present and future generations.

Keywords

Fiji , climate resilience , climate literacy , indigenous knowledge , 21st-century competencies , education reform , Small Island Developing States (SIDS) , climate adaptation , Pacific education , sustainability

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References

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