Sivaniolo Lumelume 
The interior village of Wainilotulevu, located deep within Namosi Province, is grappling with the indirect but growing impacts of climate change, a phenomenon often associated with coastal communities.
Villager Rogosio Butukere highlighted the shifting environmental patterns that have overturned traditional ways of predicting weather.
Butukere noted that for generations, the community relied on natural indicators such as the behaviour of animals, birds, and changes in vegetation to anticipate weather conditions.
“Trees, animals, birds, and the environment always provided us with signs of the weather. We would observe the colour of leaves or notice the disappearance of certain animals. However, these signs are starting to change.”
Unlike the rising sea levels threatening coastal areas, Wainilotulevu faces a different challenge where water levels keep dropping and places that used to have water are drying up.
Village Headman Peceli Marou also shared his concerns, citing changes in the local ecosystem and food security.
“The effects of climate change are real. Even though it’s not severe here yet, we are feeling it. Seasonal fruits are disappearing, and crops no longer grow as they used to. This is having a toll on our daily lives.”
While coastal communities battle rising seas, interior villages like Wainilotulevu must adapt to declining water levels and shifting agricultural patterns, raising the alarm on the need for localized climate resilience strategies.
