{"id":39446,"date":"2025-04-22T12:06:16","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T10:06:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/?p=39446"},"modified":"2025-05-26T13:01:04","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T11:01:04","slug":"decarbonization-at-what-cost-navigating-critical-development-and-ethnic-tensions-in-fiji","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/decarbonization-at-what-cost-navigating-critical-development-and-ethnic-tensions-in-fiji\/","title":{"rendered":"Decarbonization\u2013At What Cost? Navigating Critical Development and Ethnic Tensions in Fiji"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"39446\" class=\"elementor elementor-39446\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-b7d3b3a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"b7d3b3a\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-06b02fd\" data-id=\"06b02fd\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1ca5987 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1ca5987\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Photo: Olimpia Kot<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e2be410 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e2be410\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<style>.elementor-element-e2be410{display:none !important}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-73eb47b3 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"73eb47b3\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-34cf256a\" data-id=\"34cf256a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-3291f0a9 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"3291f0a9\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-no-translation=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-4ce92734\" data-id=\"4ce92734\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-40acd1f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"40acd1f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>What is happening?<\/h2><p>Mainstream models of <strong>development cooperation <\/strong>can sometimes be<strong> incompatible with the local context <\/strong>of beneficiary countries due to issues such as <strong>ethnic fragmentation<\/strong>, <strong>weak coordination<\/strong> between central and local authorities, and <strong>complex land ownership <\/strong>structures. All these concerns are currently at play in <strong>Fiji<\/strong>, where residents of <strong>Navunikabi<\/strong> village on Viti Levu \u2013 the nation\u2019s largest island \u2013 are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.business-humanrights.org\/en\/latest-news\/fiji-namosi-residents-resist-proposed-hydro-dam\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">protesting<\/a> the <strong>Wainikoroiluva Hydro Dam project<\/strong>, supported by the <strong>Australian High Commission<\/strong> in Suva. As the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aiffp.gov.au\/news\/australia-supports-fijis-rural-electrification\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">largest contributor<\/a> to the<strong> Fiji Rural Electrification Fund <\/strong>(FREF), <strong>Australia<\/strong> is one of the key players seeking to help Fiji <strong>decarbonize<\/strong> its economy. Nevertheless, the residents of Navunikabi, located less than one kilometer from the proposed hydro dam construction site, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fijivillage.com\/news\/Navunikabi-villagers-reject-relocation-despite-EFLs-reassurances-on-hydro-project-85fx4r\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">criticized<\/a> the project for <strong>excessive impact <\/strong>on their culture, environment, and livelihood.<\/p><p>The case of the controversial Australian project might also be instructive to <strong>European<\/strong> <strong>stakeholders<\/strong>, as the European Union seeks to expand its engagement with the Pacific Island countries through its <a href=\"https:\/\/international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu\/policies\/global-gateway\/construction-qaliwana-and-vatutokotoko-hydro-power-plants-viti-levu-fiji_en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Global Gateway<\/strong><\/a><strong> initiative<\/strong>. It highlights the importance of <strong>close cooperation with local authorities<\/strong> and <strong>expanding the socio-cultural literacy <\/strong>of development partners operating in the South Pacific.<\/p><h2>\u00a0<\/h2><h2>What is the broader picture?<\/h2><p>A high level of <strong>inequality along geographic faultlines<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trade.gov\/country-commercial-guides\/fiji-renewable-energy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">characterizes<\/a> the energy production landscape in Fiji. While almost 60 percent of Fiji\u2019s electricity generation is derived from <strong>hydropower<\/strong>, <strong>rural areas<\/strong> and <strong>outer islands<\/strong> remain <strong>dependent on imported fossil fuels<\/strong>. In 2024, the coalition government in Suva <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mims.gov.fj\/ministry-launches-2023-2030-national-energy-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">launched<\/a> its <strong>National Energy Policy,<\/strong> which sets a target of <strong>100 percent renewable energy production by 2030<\/strong>. Consequently, FREF is one of the<strong> most significant development initiatives i<\/strong>n the country, aiming to <strong>replace<\/strong> over 2,500 <strong>diesel<\/strong> <strong>village<\/strong> <strong>community<\/strong> <strong>generators<\/strong> with financial backing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the governments of Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, Japan, and the United Kingdom.<\/p><p><strong>The EU<\/strong> is also an<strong> active player<\/strong> in the <strong>energy sector <\/strong>in Fiji. The construction of the <strong>Qaliwana<\/strong> dam and hydropower plant, as well as the <strong>Vatutokotoko<\/strong> hydropower plant, has been <a href=\"https:\/\/international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu\/policies\/global-gateway\/construction-qaliwana-and-vatutokotoko-hydro-power-plants-viti-levu-fiji_en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">designated<\/a> as a <strong>flagship project of the Global Gateway<\/strong>, the EU\u2019s key infrastructure investment initiative.<\/p><p>Nevertheless, the expansion of hydroelectric power plants in Fiji has important social consequences as it often requires <strong>the relocation of villages<\/strong>. Due to its vulnerability to the effects of the <strong>climate crisis<\/strong>, many low-lying villages in Fiji have to be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.giz.de\/de\/downloads\/Fiji_SOP_Planned_Relocation_March2023_FINAL_web.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">relocated<\/a>. At the same time, local residents, including those in Navunikabi, reject forced relocation for infrastructure construction. While the 2024 <strong>impact assessment <\/strong>carried out by Energy Fiji Limited demonstrated that <strong>no populated or culturally sensitive areas would be affected<\/strong> by the Wainikoroiluva Hydro Dam project, villagers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fijivillage.com\/news\/EFL-says-study-in-Namosi-will-ensure-there-is-no-relocation-of-existing-settlements-or-villages-8rx45f\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">question<\/a> its validity.<\/p><p>\u201cThis place gets flooded even during a normal rainy day, so imagine if they close the lower end of the river; our village will definitely get flooded. That is the reason we are not agreeing to this project,\u201d a local resident <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fbcnews.com.fj\/news\/resistance-in-namosi-villagers-oppose-hydro-dam-project\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">told<\/a> the <strong>Fiji Broadcasting Corporation<\/strong>.<\/p><p>The issue of land ownership is extremely sensitive in Fiji.<strong> Ethnic tensions <\/strong>between the Indigenous<strong> iTaukei people <\/strong>of Fiji and<strong> Indo-Fijians<\/strong>, descendants of indentured laborers brought to the islands by the British colonizers, have been a major source of <strong>political instability in the republic<\/strong>, including the <strong>four coups d&#8217;\u00e9tat <\/strong>that occurred in Fiji since it achieved independence in the 1970s. <strong>Safeguarding iTaukei land and cultural rights<\/strong> has been a key concern in the drafting of <strong>a new<\/strong> <strong>constitution<\/strong> for the country. Promulgated in 2013, the current constitution <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/icon\/article\/5\/4\/639\/704318\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>rejected<\/strong><\/a><strong> multiculturalism in favor of Fijian dominance<\/strong>.<\/p><h2>\u00a0<\/h2><h2>Why does it matter?<\/h2><p>The tensions between implementers of the hydro power project in Navunikabi and the local villagers demonstrate the importance of <strong>culturally sensitive strategic communication <\/strong>between stakeholders involved in development projects and local communities. The<strong> lack of trust<\/strong> of local authority figures, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pressreader.com\/fiji\/fiji-sun\/20250329\/281655375878919?srsltid=AfmBOoqFyjeoGjy2XvP0ZnEbrIMx-tg95XjVuojHwvvhYsMyvzZXfPMQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">like<\/a> Mareta Naiadi, a respected elder and matriarch of Navunikabi Village, in impact assessments and other studies carried out by the project implementers, can result in<strong> serious negative reputational externalities<\/strong> for development partners such as Australia.<\/p><p>While stakeholders from the Global North often <strong>fail to effectively engage <\/strong>with the labyrinthine <strong>traditional leadership structures<\/strong>, authoritarian actors such as <strong>China<\/strong> effectively<strong> exploit these communication gaps<\/strong>. For example, Beijing is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fijitimes.com.fj\/gcc-endorse-china-tour-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pursuing<\/a> active engagement with entities such as <strong>Bose Levu Vakaturaga,<\/strong> also known as the Great Council of Chiefs. Consequently, the EU and its like-minded partners should <strong>significantly increase their outreach to local and traditional authorities<\/strong> to<strong> build trust<\/strong> amid their development cooperation efforts.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Photo: Olimpia Kot Foto: Olimpia Kot What is happening? Mainstream models of development cooperation can sometimes be incompatible with the local context of beneficiary countries due to issues such as ethnic fragmentation, weak coordination between central and local authorities, and complex land ownership structures. All these concerns are currently at play in Fiji, where residents [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":39460,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[500],"tags":[495,538],"class_list":["post-39446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-marcin-jerzewski","tag-olimpia-kot"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Decarbonization\u2013At What Cost? Navigating Critical Development and Ethnic Tensions in Fiji - European Values Center for Security Policy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/decarbonization-at-what-cost-navigating-critical-development-and-ethnic-tensions-in-fiji\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Decarbonization\u2013At What Cost? Navigating Critical Development and Ethnic Tensions in Fiji - European Values Center for Security Policy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Photo: Olimpia Kot Foto: Olimpia Kot What is happening? 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