Litia Cava 
Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna has shed light on the growing trend among Pacific Islanders to prioritize development practices learned from the lessons and traditions of their elders.
These practices, Puna says have not always been environmentally friendly.
Puna stresses that nature-based solutions are important, saying it is cost-effective and has the potential to contribute to societal well-being.
“The answers are in our traditions, and our customary practices, the lessons that have been passed down from our elders. And sometimes we forget these, and perhaps, you know, we want to be like others. And, you know, we get caught up in modernization. So I think the crux of my message was hey, you know, we need to look within ourselves because sometimes the answers are right there.”
While giving examples Puna says this involves the construction of bio-engineered seawalls consisting of mangrove hedges, natural boulders, bunding, and vetiver grass.
Vice President of Pacific Region Conservation International Susana Tuisese says it is encouraging to see Fijian communities adopting nature-based solutions.
“It’s important to bring our development leaders in the region to start to think about nature and what natural resources they could use as part of the solution to the needs of many, many needs that are there in our countries because of climate change and development priorities and so on and so forth.”
As Pacific Islanders continue to tackle the complexities of development and environmental preservation, emphasis is put on nature-based solutions to ensure sustainability and resilience in the face of climate change.
