Praneeta Prakash 
Fiji’s construction sector suffered a loss of over 47 million work hours due to health and climate change between 2014 and 2023, at a cost of more than $3 billion.
This, according to the 2024 Report of the Lancet Countdown Small Island Developing States: On the frontline of health impacts, spearheading the call for action’.
The report also reveals that work hours lost in the service sector were almost 125 percent higher in between 2014 and 2023 versus 1991 to 2000, and this was associated with a 168 percent increase in income lost over the comparative periods.
The report further states that oscillations between climatic extremes have contributed to Fiji’s inherent vulnerability to the externally driven global warming crisis.
The report reveals that a series of floods, and cyclones in recent years have resulted in damages worth hundreds of millions of US dollars.
The report also reveals that trends in heat and health are particularly concerning, with populations experiencing increases in exposure to high temperatures, undermining livelihoods and threatening people’s health and wellbeing.
The report reveals that summer temperature increased by 0·6°C in 2022 compared with temperatures during 1986–2005.
On average between 2019 and 2023, there was an 11-day and 6-day increase in exposure to health-threatening heat for each infant under one and person over 65, respectively, compared to average exposure in 2000–2004.
The report states that coupled with the low urban greenness level of Fiji as reported for 2023, there should be more action to safeguard cooling mechanisms and housing in the country with an urban population of 42 percent.
