Balancing climate, culture, and community: Fiji's relocation challenge

TARU, an Indian thinktank, has found that Indians cities have combined decentralized action and "multi-stakeholder engagement" in public policy to respond to problems of scarcity in water and power as well as climate change-related natural disasters. Municipalities are putting responsibility for improving local lives at the grassroots level; integrating disruptive technologies from the private sector; and fostering collaboration between government and citizens.

California’s climate-smart agriculture programs—funded via the state's Cap-and-Trade revenues—provide grants enabling farmers to adopt sustainable practices like drip irrigation, soil regeneration, and manure management, significantly reducing water use, greenhouse gases, and economic vulnerability to climate change while boosting long-term farm resilience.

A decades-old principle called “just transition” has made international headway in the fight against climate change and toward equity and sustainability. Fundamental to the principle is transitioning from a capitalist system to a localized one that prioritizes cultural inclusion, local economies, decarbonization and environmental justice, and food sovereignty. But as this idea reaches prominence on the global stage, those that have been involved for years worry that its core meanings, morals, and actions will be co-opted.

The densely populated Canadian city is tenth most at risk of flooding in the world as climate change raises sea levels. The government has instated a number of successful flood adaptation projects, with an ambition to become the “greenest city in the world."

Copenhagen, Hoboken, and other cities have implemented "sponge city" approaches that combine nature-based infrastructure like absorbent parks and green spaces with traditional engineering to reduce flooding while creating popular public amenities.

Ten Mile, a community in South Carolina settled by freed slaves after the Civil War, is fighting climate gentrification and flooding by preserving land through forestry projects, land trusts, and greenbelt initiatives. Saving green spaces this way maintains the character of the historic Black neighborhood while promoting flood resiliency.

In Detroit, a coalition of nonprofits and organizations are coming together to transform buildings into resilience centers. A resilience center is a hub that people can go to for help, especially in moments of a natural emergency. In Detroit, the hubs are part of a response to the effects of climate change, which can leave people displaced. Some of the things people can find in a hub include emergency services, internet access, and workforce development.

In order to cut carbon emissions in France, President Emmanuel Macron created an assembly of 150 randomly selected citizens. The citizens "convention on climate" met and deliberated for months before releasing 149 proposals on how the government should address climate change. Although only 10 made it into law without being altered, and 36 others were included form, the final legislation was one of the most comprehensive passed in the history of the country. The recommendations also garnered conversations and inspired the creation of other assemblies.

In many cities, rainwater is drained through "grey infrastructure" things like pipes, streets, etc. In some cities, this system is combined with the sewage system. Rainwater drains into the sewage system, is then cleaned, then emptied into the river. However, with strong storms some sewage systems overflow. A problem that will worsen with climate change. In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, rain gardens are one solution to overflowing sewage systems. Cities like Harrisburg are turning to green infrastructure, things like rain gardens, roofs with gardens, and parks, to ease the burden on gray infrastructure.

Pecan Acres in Louisiana is known as Flood City since many residents can’t remember a time when their homes weren’t impacted by rising waters. To help these people, the state has started a relocation project to move the neighborhood to higher ground. The new neighborhood, called Audubon Estates, already has 17 households signed up to move in. The government is buying the residents out of their old homes, which has proved a more difficult process than originally thought. Yet, some are ready for the change.