FRISFiji Resilient Informal Settlements

Lautoka City, Fiji

California settlement

COMMUNITY-BASEDVULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT
AND ACTION PLANCALIFORNIA

California Settlement (Fiji) Community-Based Vulnerability Assessment and Climate Action Plan
(Abridged Version)
Copyright © United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Government of Fiji.
Coordinators:
Bernhard Barth, Inga Korte.
Authors:
Begoña Peiró, Sara Vargues.
Contributors:
Kolora Qativi, Kamsin Raju, Geeta Singh, Sunishma Singh, Lydia Ogden.
Design and Layout:
Lydia Ogden, Marion Reinosa, Begoña Peiro
Citation:
Peiró, B.; Vargues, S.: California Settlement (Fiji) Community-Based Vulnerability Assessment and Climate
Action Plan (Abridged Version). UN-Habitat, Government of Fiji, 2022.

California Settlement

CONTENTS
1.

Introduction					Page 5

2.

Methodology					Page 93.

California Settlement 				Page 10

4.

Climate Hazards and Perceptions 		

Page 11

5.

Climate Change and Future Risks		

6.

Vulnerability					Page 15

7.

Climate Action Planning 			

1.1 Location and Physical Details
1.2 Purpose of the Vulnerability
Assessment and Action Plan

4.1 Climatic features and hazards
4.2 Community perceptions of key impacts
5.1 Climate Change Projections
5.2 Extreme climate events future risk

Page 12

6.1 Vulnerable groups:
women, youth, elderly, people with disabilites
6.2 Exposure
6.3 Sensitivity
6.4 Adaptative capacity
7.1 Climate Resilience & The SDGs
7.2 Alignment to Fiji's National Plan
7.3 Prioritized shortlisted actions

CALIFORNIA

Page 223

Piped water in California settlement
UN-Habitat/Begoña Peiro

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INTRODUCTION
The California Settlement (Fiji) Community-Based Vulnerability Assessment (VA) and Climate
Action Plan (CAP) has been developed under the Fiji Resilient Informal Settlements (FRIS) project
financed by the Adaptation Fund. This document is an abridged version of a comprehensive report,
finalized in 2020. FRIS works in 16 informal urban settlements that are highly vulnerable to climatechange and disaster risks, in four urban areas as part of a project implemented by UN-Habitatand executed by the Ministry of Housing and Community Development and the Ministry of Local
Government.
The high levels of physical, economic, social and environmental vulnerability in combination withpoor levels of disaster preparedness and adaptive capacity often lead to high climate-related hazard
impacts in informal settlements.
The VA and CAP guide the implementation of projects under component 3 of the FRIS project(i.e., Enhancing resilience of community level physical, natural and socio-economic assets andecosystems).
The overall objective of the project is to increase the resilience of informal settlements communities
in Fiji that are highly vulnerable to climate change and disaster risks. To achieve this, the project has
four components:

1. Institutional strengthening for enhanced local climate response
2. Local (community/informal settlement) resilience strengthening
3. Enhancing resilience of community level physical, natural and socioeconomic
assets and ecosystems
4. Awareness raising, knowledge management and communication.
Figure 1 Informal settlements that are part of the FRIS program in Lautoka City, including California1

1. Prepared by: Kamsin Raju, Nadi Town Council

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California Settlement

1.1 LOCATION AND PHYSICAL DETAILSFiji is located in the western South Pacific. It has a total of 322 islands located between 177°E–178°W
and 16°S–20°S and a total land area of 18,333 square kilometers. Viti Levu and Vanua Levu are thetwo largest islands. These two islands form up to 87 per cent of the total land area and are also themost populous areas nationally2. Fiji’s total population is 884,887 people, approximately 55.9 percent of whom reside in urban areas3.
Fiji is among the countries with the highest disaster risk, ranking number ten according to the World
Risk Index (2018)4. Located in the Pacific Ocean’s tropical cyclone belt, cyclones are the mostfrequent hazards to affect the country (with around two to three cyclones occurring every year)5.
Additionally, the country has a high exposure to other environmental hazards, such as storm surge,
severe storms, flooding, landslide, drought and extreme temperature, earthquakes, and tsunamis.
The country is also vulnerable to rising sea levels, and more frequent and intense rainfall caused byclimate change.
Although Fiji is recognized as being one of the most developed economies in the Pacific6, signs ofsocio-economic inequality are rising, particularly with the expansion of informal settlements7. The
5-year and 20-year National Development Plan was prepared by the government in order to addressdevelopment challenges. The plan’s objectives include a doubling of the real gross domestic product(GDP) per capita by 2036 and to provide universal access to all services, including housing, electricity,
clean and safe water and sanitation, high-quality education, and health care8. However, natural
hazards and climate change represent a major obstacle to the achievement of these objectives.
Environmental hazards have far reaching negative impacts across a number of sectors in Fiji,
including agriculture, housing, transport infrastructure, basic service provision, tourism and primaryindustries, among other. The majority of the country’s cities and towns are located on the coast andalong rivers, particularly exposed to seaborne and riverine natural hazards, cyclones, storm surges,
coastal and riverine erosion, landslides, floods and already occurring sea level rise due to climatechange. Moreover, mangrove deforestation and coral reef extraction for urban development are
reducing the mitigating benefits of mangroves and coral reefs in providing a barrier against storm
surges and cyclones. Given the increasing trends in urbanization and concentration of development
along the coast, costs related to natural hazard-induced disasters are expected to increase withtime.
California settlement is located approximately 3.6 km west of the center of Lautoka City (Figure1), inside of the city boundary. Lautoka City is a coastal city located in the west coast of Viti Levu,
approximately 24 kilometers North of Nadi Town. It has a total area of 3,200 hectares and a total
population of 71,5739. As compared to urban population growth in Fiji, Lautoka’s urban population
growth has been exponentially higher, with a 3.2 per cent per year10. However, most of this growth
can be attributed to the expansion of the city’s boundaries11. California settlement covers an areaof approximately 27,000 square meters (2.7 hectares), and measures approximately 178 meters inlength between its longest points and 185 meters in width.
2. Fiji’s First National Communication under the UNFCCC, 2005; Fiji’s Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change, 2009
3. Fiji Bureau of Statistics. (2017). Population and Housing Census: Administration Report.
4. Heintze, H., Kirch, L., Küppers, B., Mann, H., Mischo, F., Mucke, P., Pazdzierny, T., Prütz, R., Radtke, K., Strube, F., Weller, D. (2018). World

Risk Report 2018. (p. 7). Retrieved from: https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/WorldRiskReport-2018.pdf
5. NDMO. (n.d.). Tropical Cyclones – Action Gide. Retrieved from: http://www.ndmo.gov.fj/images/Hazards/Tropical_Cyclone.pdf
6. Asian Development Bank (ADB). (2019). Pacific Finance Sector Briefs – Fiji. Retrieved from: https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/
publication/529841/pacific-finance-sector-fiji.pdf
7. World Bank (WB). (2017). Systematic Country Diagnostic 2017. Republic of Fiji. Retrieved from: http://documents.worldbank.org/
curated/en/529271512123603244/pdf/116491-revised-PUBLIC-ACS.pdf
8. Ministry of Economy Republic of Fiji. (2017). 5-Year & 20-Year National Development Plan. Transforming Fiji. Retrieved from: https://www.fiji.gov.fj/getattachment/15b0ba03-825e-47f7-bf69-094ad33004dd/5-Year---20-Year-NATIONAL-DEVELOPMENT-PLAN.aspx
9. Fiji Bureau of Statistics. (2017). Population and Housing Census: Administration Report.
10. City population, Fiji. http://www.citypopulation.de/Fiji.html
11. Fiji Bureau of Statistics. (2017). Population and Housing Census: Administration Report.

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7

The sugar cane production industry, historically vital to the national economy, is centered in Lautoka.
The city contains the country’s largest sugar mill as well as a number of pine chip yards which haveplayed an important role in the city’s economic development. However, the sugar industry has been in
decline for the past 15 years12. There has also been significant investment through the Improvementof Key Services to Agriculture Project to support sugar cane farmers in diversifying to horticultural
crops13. The Lautoka market provides an important venue to farmers to sell their produce as it serves
northern parts of Fiji, as well as the Yasawa Islands14.
Girls drawing during the participatory workshop
UN-Habitat/Sara Vargues

12. UN-Habitat. (2012). Fiji: Lautoka City Urban Profile. Retrieved from: https://fukuoka.unhabitat.org/projects/fiji/pdf/Fiji_Lautoka_Urban_Profile.pdf
13. Pacific Community (SPC). Retrieved from: https://www.spc.int/special-projects/sugar-projects/improvement-key-services-agriculture-iksa-project
14 UN Women (2009). Fiji Markets Profiles.

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1.2 PURPOSE OF THE COMMUNITY-BASEDVULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT AND CLIMATE ACTION
The community-based VA and CAP aims to inform the wider planning processes at the town andnational levels, by providing an in-depth assessment on settlement level vulnerability, in addition toproviding recommendations for action. This document presents a summary of the report developed
under the project for dissemination. The original report includes additional information and a morein-depth analysis.
The VA aims to understand the level of vulnerability of systems in California, by following a multiscale approach. The VA has the following sub-objectives:
1. Identify the underlying causes of vulnerability.
2. Understand the perceptions on climate change and disaster risk from the 		residents living in the settlement.
3. Analyse the spatial dimension of exposed assets.
4. Identify the sources of livelihoods that may be vulnerable to the impacts of climatechange.
Based on the findings of the VA, a CAP was developed to identify and prioritize potential communitylevel interventions. This aims to identify and prioritize climate change adaptation options that will
enhance the resilience of physical, natural and socio-economic assets and ecosystems at thecommunity level.
Participatory workshop
UN-Habitat/Sara Vargues

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California Settlement

9

METHODOLOGY
Several data gathering methods have been employed in order to collect both the primary andsecondary data needed to conduct the analyses. The methodology is designed to support local andnational governments in identifying current and future drivers of vulnerability and to identify priorities
for climate change adaptation.
Community level data was collected around five key components: (i) Population; (ii) Urban use; (iii)
Natural resource-based production, (iv) Critical point facilities; and (v) Lifeline utilities. The datacollected from both primary and secondary sources provide information on climate hazards andvariability and support three main analyses: (1) Hazard exposure analysis; (2) Sensitivity analysis;and (3) Adaptive capacity analysis.

DATA COLLECTION
Primary data collection methods:•
Household survey (HHS)15•
Site visits and participatory mapping•
Key Informant Interviews (KII)•
VRA workshop

Secondary data collection methods:•
Census•Reports on climate change projections•
Spatial data available in GIS repositories

Figure 2 Analytical Framework
NATURAL RESOURCEBASED PRODUCTIONCRITICAL POINT
FACILITIES &INFRASTRUCTURE

URBAN
LAND USE &BUILDINGSDATA COLLECTION

COMMUNITYPROFILEPOPULATIONLIFELINE UTILITIESANALYSIS
HAZARDSEXPOSURE

SENSITIVITY

ADAPTIVE
CAPACITYACTIONSAP phase
PRIORITY AREAS

15. The HHS provides predominantly quantitative data on the household unit, and the community unit once aggregated. The assessment

makes a distinction between household and house. Household refers to the family unit living in a same dwelling, and house refers to thephysical structure. When providing information regarding the HHS, the unit considered is the household. The household survey covered 90
per cent of the households in California settlement. 18 households were surveyed, out of a total of 20 households that were identified in
the settlement at the time when the HHS was carried out.

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California Settlement

3

CALIFORNIA SETTLEMENT
California is a small settlement, with twenty households. It is located next to Veidogo and close to
Vunato, which are also part of the FRIS project. Being located on a low-lying area close to the coast,
California’s social, economic and natural systems are exposed to multiple hazards.
The total population based on the household survey conducted in California amounts to 103 people16,from which 56 are male and 47 are female. The total estimated population is 113 people17. In termsof age distribution, persons aged from 0 to 24 years old comprise over half of the population (54 percent). The youth age group (15-24) accounts for 30 per cent and 24 per cent of the population in thesettlement is under 14 years old. There are no people aged over 75 in the settlement, and only one
person within the 70-74 age range. 68 per cent of the households reported having lived over 50 years
in the settlement, 17 per cent between 41 to 50 years and only 11 per cent 21 to 30 years. Although
the size of a household in California averages 4.9 persons, household sizes range from 2 to 10
people amongst those households surveyed.
16.18 out of 20 households were surveyed.

17. For those households that were not surveyed the average size of household is used.

21
20
1
113

Total number of houses
Total number of households
Uninhabited buildings
estimated people living in the settlement

House in California settlement
UN-Habitat/Begoña Peiro

30.970 m
1.923 m
540 m
28.507 m

2

2

Total area within boundary
Residential buildings area

2

Civic buildings area

2

Open space area

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California Settlement

11

CLIMATIC FEATURES, HAZARDS, PERCEPTIONS
4.1 CLIMATIC FEATURES AND HAZARDSFiji is generally considered to be an oceanic tropical marine climate18. There are two distinct seasonsnamely, a warm wet season from November to April and a cooler dry season from May to October19.
Regarding climate variability, the major features driving climate in Fiji are20:•

The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon, which occurs every two to seven years,
four years on average. It is the most important influence on inter-annual climate variations in the
country. It strongly influences rainfall, temperature and tropical cyclones. Dry seasons during El
Niño event tend to be drier and cooler, with droughts being associated to these periods. On thecontrary, La Niña events are associated with floods, depressions and tropical cyclones.

•

The South Pacific Convergence Zone strongly influences the seasonal cycle, which is mostintense during the wet season and closer to the country21.

•

The trade winds bring orographic rainfall to the eastern parts of the country. Around 70% of thenational annual average rainfall occurred during the wet season (over the period from 1961 to2010).

4.2 COMMUNITY PERCEPTIONS OF KEY IMPACTS
Located near the coast, California's social, economic and natural systems are exposed to multiple hazards. Based on primary data collected on the perceptions of climate change, residents face
key challenges due to a number of climate-related hazards, including cyclones, heavy rainfalls, riverfloods, flash floods, extreme heat, vector-borne diseases, and water-borne diseases.

50%
33%
29%

of the households highlighted flash
flooding as the most problematic hazardof the households highlighted creek
flooding as the second most problematicof the households highlighted vector-borne
diseases as the third most problematic hazard

Flash floods and floods associated with the nearby creeks were highlighted as being among themain issues in the settlement. During the FGDs, community representatives said that there was amajor flash flood event in 2016 during TC Winston. According to community members, flood levels
can reach up to 1.1 meters during cyclone events. California is located approximately 800 metersfrom the Namoli creek and 250 meters from a second creek located on the Eastern side of the settlement. During the FGDs, community members mentioned that flash floods and floods from thesecreeks affect them especially during heavy rainfalls. As reported by the community, the combinationof heavy rainfall and Spring tide affects the settlement. The flood level reported was from 0.5 to 1
meter during floods caused by heavy rainfalls, the nearby creeks and Spring tide. Community representatives also mentioned that with heavy rainfalls and floods there is an increase in the number ofmosquitoes. Moreover, cyclones were also raised as being particularly problematic. They highlighted that TC Winston, which made a landfall in Viti Levu on the 20th of February 2016, had severely
impacted the community in several ways. Among the impacts mentioned were damage to property,
damage to crops and livestock. TC Evan and TC Harold were also raised as cyclones that had recently impacted the community.
18. Government of Fiji. (2019). National Climate Change Policy. Retrieved from: https://www.pacificclimatechange.net/sites/default/files/
documents/National-Climate-Change-Policy-2018---2030_0.pdf
19. Pacific-Australia Climate Change Science and Adaptation Planning Program (PACCSAP). (2014). Climate Variability, Extremes andChange in the Western Tropical Pacific: New Science and Updated Country Reports.
20. Government of Fiji. (2018). Climate Vulnerability Assessment – Making Fiji Climate Resilient.
21. Ibid12

5

California Settlement

CLIMATE CHANGE AND FUTURE RISKS
5.1 CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECTIONS22
2090

Extreme rainfall events are expected to increase, becoming more
frequent and intense.

2090

The total number of storms is likely to decrease over time, however. The
proportion of Category 4 and 5 tropical cyclones is likely to increase.

2090

Temperatures are expected to increase as well as temperature on
extreme hot days.

2090

Mean sea level will continue to rise, with projected increases of 38–87
cm by 2090 under the RCP8.5

2090

Ocean acidification is expected to continue increasing, leading to coral
reef bleaching and destruction.

2090

Landslides represent a significant risk that can increase in response toheavier rainfall.

22. Based on: PACCSAP Program, (2014). Climate Variability, Extremes and Change in the Western Tropical Pacific: New Science andUpdated Country Reports.

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Figure 3 Main hazards that affect California settlement and primary and secondary impacts23 24
2050

Surface airtemp. + 1.3º C

HAZARDSPRIMARY IMPACTS

SECONDARY IMPACTS

CycloneEffects on
fauna & flora

Fewer ecosystemservices

Flooding

Difficult tocatch fish

Lower
incomeRainstormLivestock
deathsMalnutrition

DroughtCropfailureRelocation

Extremeheat

HealthissuesFewer jobs

Salt
intrusion

Lack ofdrinking water

Higher foodprices

Storm
surge

Damage tohousesProperty
lossesOcean
acidification

Damage toinfrastructure

Accessibility
issuesSalinity

Increased
landlessness

Maximum air
temp. + 1.4º C

1% increasein rainAragonitesaturation-0.7 ΩarUp to 25 cm
sea-level rise

23. Based on: PACCSAP Program, (2014). Climate Variability, Extremes and Change in the Western Tropical Pacific: New Science and Updated Country

Reports.
24. Surface air temperatures in the Pacific are closely related to sea-surface temperatures (SST), so the projected changes to air temperature can beused as a guide to the expected changes to SST.

California settlement
UN-Habitat/Begoña Peiro

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California Settlement

5.2 EXTREME CLIMATE EVENTS FUTURE RISK
The assessment carried out relies on existing sets of climate change projections that are available
and were produced by the Pacific-Australia Climate Change Science Program (PACCSAP)25.

Cyclones:

Despite projections that tropical cyclogenesis will decrease, the intensity of cyclone events is
expected to increase. Increase in strong winds is expected to result in damage to housing stock andcritical infrastructure. Cyclones will impact livelihoods through damage to land and crops, livestockand by increasing difficulty in catching fish. Increased intensity of cyclones will impact on people’s
mobility and has the potential to displace vulnerable communities, both temporarily and permanently.

Extreme Temperatures:

Projected increase in temperature, in particular on extremely hot days, is expected to have significant
impacts on local health. Higher temperatures lead to lower water availability during the dry season.
Higher temperatures also increase the incidence of mosquitos, the risk of crop failure, and livestock
health impacts. This has a socioeconomic impact on communities by reducing income reliability
and increasing food insecurity due to increased food prices.

Rainfall:

Projections a wide range of change in annual rainfall, from increase to a decrease and with littlechange on the model average. Findings show that the effect of climate change on average rainfall
may not be obvious in the short or medium term, due to natural variability, with year-to-year rainfall
variability being generally larger than the projected change (except for models in the highest emission
scenario by 2090).
The frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events are projected to increase. This is expected
to damage crops and cause livestock deaths. Food security will increase due to crop loss. Despite
increased water availability, rainwater is difficult to capture without proper infrastructure, and flooding
is likely. Flooding will cause accessibility issues and damage housing stock.
25. PACCSAP Program, (2014). Climate Variability, Extremes and Change in the Western Tropical Pacific: New Science and Updated Country
Reports.

”

The Western side of Viti Levu is the leeward region but now it has sudden
heavy fall and cold season supposedly happen only in cyclone season.
Viliame, California resident[No real names are used in this report]

Climate Change is an eye opener topic with my youth group in California settlement. We have seen
drastic changes in the seasons in the leeward region of the country and we all do agree that we aremostly affected and more vulnerable to climate change. Occurrence of flash floods from cyclones
and heavy rainfall in the settlement for the past 5 years has shown differ in weather and seasonalpatterns and have many contributing factors affecting the people in the settlement. Now we get
unexpected heavy rainfalls and flood height increases yearly and damages cost to the property
also increases. Also, people who have employment get affected due to movement difficulties fromtheir homes to the road as well for children missing out on school. Youths often share opinions inproviding the safest environment for our settlement and get any opportunity as possible to enlighten
us young minds in management and action plans in protecting lives and properties in the settlement.
Recently, the youths came together in clearing up existing drains and digging up new ones to lessen
the flood impacts in the settlement. This approach has definitely moved California youths to become
activist for their settlement and bring more changes and developments in their livelihoods for a safer
California settlement.

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California Settlement

15

VULNERABILITY
California's vulnerability was assessed through three lenses:

EXPOSURE

SENSITIVITY

ADAPTIVE CAPACITY

6.1 VULNERABLE GROUPS:WOMEN, YOUTH, ELDERLY, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITESGender inequality in Fiji is a key driver of vulnerability to climate change with several studies
demonstrating that women and girls are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate-related disasters.
The increase of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and violence against children after disasters has been
widely documented by humanitarian agencies coordinating emergency response efforts26. Evidence
indicated that violence against children increased after TC Winston as a result of heightened stressand vulnerability from caregivers. Incidents of sexual violence were also reported after the two
tropical cyclones hit the Western division of Fiji in 2012 by women living in relief centers27. Moreover,people with disabilities and especially women are at particular risk of domestic violence due to theirintersecting vulnerabilities28. Additionally, unequal participation in governance and political processes
also limits women’s ability to influence important processes and decision-making in areas relevant toclimate and disaster risk management.
In California settlement, recurrent flood events have impacts on residents’ health, with large
cumulative impacts on children who can be deprived of access to school. As a consequence, many
adult women (given their primary role as caregivers) also miss work in order to take care of theirchildren. Although all of the individuals aged 6 to 16 (corresponding to the age ranges between
education years 1-12, compulsory in the country) have been reported as being involved in education
programs, only two children under 6 were reported as being involved in education.
26. UN Women. (2014). Climate change, Disaster and Gender-Based Violence in the Pacific.
27. UN Women. (2013). The 2012 Fiji Floods: Gender Sensitivity in Disaster Management.
28. Government of The Republic of Fiji (GoF). (2017). Climate Vulnerability Assessment. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank Group.

Training in California settlement
UN-Habitat/Kamsin Raju

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California Settlement

6.2 EXPOSURE
Exposure is defined as the presence of people, livelihoods, species
or ecosystems, environmental functions, services, and resources,
infrastructure, or economic, social, or cultural assets in places andsettings that could be adversely affected29.

California occupies an approximate total area of 2.7 hectares and is located 200 m from a mangrove
area along the coast. Its social, economic and natural systems are exposed to multiple hazards.
Figure 3 shows the key elements and main hazards identified by community members during
participatory workshops.
The areas marked in orange were reported as being affected by floods during disaster events such
as TC Winston, TC Evan and TC Harold. Flood levels reached approximately one meter high. The
areas marked in yellow were highlighted as being flooded regularly, when there is a combination ofheavy precipitation and Spring tide. Water levels reach approximately 0.5 meters.
Figure 3 Hazard exposure map developed in participatory workshops

Key features
Road
Footpaths

Crops

HousesLivestock

Outside conveniences

Areas that get flooded due to the combination of heavy precipitation and Spring Tide - 0.5 m
Areas that get flooded due to storm surge (TC Winston, 2016; TC Harold, 2020) - 1 m

Figure 4 shows the hazards that were highlighted by respondents as being amongst the three mostproblematic hazards for their household. While these represent the hazards that residents perceive
as being problematic based on their experiences, it does not mean that other hazards do not poserisks in the settlement.

29. IPCC, 2014: Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, R.K. Pachauri and L.A. Meyer (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland

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Figure 4 The most problematic hazards identified by respondents in the settlement
Climate hazards
identified by respondents
as being among the top 3
most problematic in thesettlement

Climate hazards not
identified by respondents
as being among the top 3
most problematic in thesettlement

CYCLONERAINSTORM

RIVER
FLOODING

FLASH FLOODING

EXTREME HEATVECTOR-BORNEDISEASESWATER-BORNEDISEASES

COASTALFLOODING

LIGHTNING& THUNDERSTORMDROUGHTSALT INTRUSIONOCEAN
ACIDIFICATION

6.3 SENSITIVITY
Sensitivity is defined as the degree to which a system or species
is affected, either adversely or beneficially, by climate variability orchange30.

(i) Population
The dependency ratio in the settlement is 35.5, which is lower than the national dependency ratio of5431. Young dependents make 93 per cent of the total dependents, while elderly people (aged over65) make the other 7 per cent. There is only one person with disabilities living in California according
to the information collected through the household survey(ii) Urban Land Use & buildings
The town council is responsible for ensuring that buildings are compliant with the building code.
However, often, compliance is not checked in informal settlements. There are residential buildings in
the settlement and one church, although it is not being used by residents of California. Most buildings
have been constructed in light materials. Although some constructions show that residents haveawareness of certain construction techniques that can reduce their risk to disasters (e.g., use of
cyclone straps), the building conditions are overall poor making them highly vulnerable to disasters.
30. IPCC, 2014: Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, R.K. Pachauri and L.A. Meyer (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland
31. World Bank. (2019). Retrieved from: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.DPND?locations=FJ

84%

of the houses havebeen built after 1990

94%

of the houses havemetal roofs. 39% wereranked as being in below
average conditions.

78%of the houses are builtwith metal exterior walls,
11% of wood and 11% of
tarp.

83%

of the houses are on
stilts, with most being
built of wood.

93%of the stilts are lessthan 1m off theground.

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California Settlement(iii) Natural Resource-based Production
Communities often depend on crops, fish, prawns, crabs and shellfish for their livelihoods. In
California, 61 per cent of the surveyed households indicated that they grew crops, mainly for
subsistence purposes. Only 17 per cent of the households rear livestock (e.g., chicken, pigs, ducks),
mostly for commercial purposes (67 per cent), with a lower percentage of households (33 per cent)rearing livestock for subsistence purposes. Lastly, there is a small proportion of the households (11per cent) that fish.
During the FGDs, community representatives highlighted how floods and cyclones impact their crops
and fishing. Moreover, they mentioned that they have noticed a decrease in fish stock during thepast years. Coral bleaching and ocean acidification represent a threat to the availability of fish andprojections show that aragonite saturation has declined since the late 18th century in the region andis projected to progress to marginal conditions around 2030. This would exacerbate the pressure
on availability of fishing stock and other marine products. Although the proportion of households
relying on livestock for food is small, community representatives mentioned how the lack of accessto electricity and food refrigeration options are among the main challenges being faced. Heat stress
was highlighted among the climate-related issues affecting livestock during the FGD, as participants
reported livestock casualties during heatwaves and extremely hot days.

(iv) Critical Point Facilities & Infrastructure
The settlement is located next 450 meters from King’s Road, one of Fiji’s major throughways. 94
per cent of the surveyed households highlighted accessibility to the settlement as the most positive
aspects of living in California. The bus stop is located on Queen’s road next to the access road that
leads to Vunato settlement approximately 1.1 kilometers away from California settlement. Amongthe main issues in California are accessibility across the settlement. There is an access road thatreaches the settlement, but vehicles cannot circulate within the settlement. There is not a continuous
footpath network that provides adequate pedestrian routes for community members to walk aroundand reach their houses. During heavy rainfalls and flooding events this is particularly problematic.
There is a church located within the settlement’s boundaries although it is not being used bycommunity members. In 2018 a fence was built around it, and community representatives explainedthat this fence has had impacts on their community because those houses that are located behindthe church have more difficulties reaching the road. Despite the church not being used as evacuation
center in the last year, the community still has access to an evacuation center (Lautoka Primary
School, located 1.7 kilometers away).

(v) Lifeline Utilities
The settlement has access to services provided by several entities in Fiji (e.g., water, electricity,etc.). All the households in the settlement reported having access to water supply provided by the
Fiji Water Authority (FWA). With regards to sanitation, all the households reported having accessto a facility. 56 per cent of the households are sharing these facilities with members from otherhouseholds. Although there is a sewerage network at the town level, the settlement is not connected
to it. 44 per cent of the households said they are connected to a septic tank. The rest are connected
to pits, drums and to a bio digestor.
California is located less than a kilometer away from Lautoka’s landfill. Many residents are waste
pickers and carry waste into the settlement in order to sort it out, store it and sell it. Plastic bottles
are among the items that can be sold back to private companies. Residents pile up waste in different
areas, but often, the parts that are not sold remain. From plastic bottles, small containers to larger
pieces of metal. This does not only pose health risks but is dangerous, particularly for children who
walk or play around.

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19

6.4 ADAPTIVE CAPACITY
Adaptive capacity is the ability of systems, institutions, humans, andother organisms to adjust to potential damage, to take advantage ofopportunities, or to respond to consequences32.
Three different levels of adaptive capacity are analysed:(i) Independent Capacity,(ii) Collective Capacity,(iii) Institutional Capacity.

(i) Independent Capacity
Independent capacity is how individuals or families are able to respond and adapt toclimate hazards without assistance from the larger community or local government. Also
referred to as ‘autonomous’ adaptation. In this report the unit considered for the analysis
is the household33.
The limited financial resources at the household level combined with the low access to financial
assistance and social protection services indicate that the level of economic wealth and financial
capital at the household level is low in California.
The Department of Social Welfare, under the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation(MWCPA) is the lead agency for social assistance in Fiji and administers the core social protection
programs, which are: the Poverty Benefit Scheme (PBS), Care and Protection Allowance (CPA), andSocial Pension Scheme (SPS), Food Voucher Program and the Free Bus Fare Program.
The survey collected data related to the access to information on climate change and disasters, withmany respondents indicating that they have access to information on climate change. This is often
either through technology (including radio, television, etc.) (8 households), or through social media(6 households). However, 7 households (36 per cent) mentioned that they do not have any access to
information on climate change and disasters.
With regards to disaster preparedness, most of the households reported having access to early
warning systems (EWS). 15 households (78 per cent) mentioned access through the radio, 12
households (63 per cent) through SMS alerts and 8 households (42 per cent) through community
notification systems. Nine households (47 per cent) responded that they have an evacuation plan.
None of the households reported being connected to a formal DRR network, and two households
said that they do not have access to any of the above.
32. IPCC, 2014: Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, R.K. Pachauri and L.A. Meyer (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland
33. UN-Habitat, 2014. Planning for Climate Change.

44%of the households reported
not having accessto any social
protection programs

36%of the households reported
that at least one member
had access to the free bus
fare program

17%of the households reported
access to
the food voucher program,and 36% to the poverty

6%of the households
mentioned
having accessto the social pension

20

California Settlement(ii) Collective Capacity
Collective capacity is how well are communities, neighbourhoods or other groups able
to respond and adapt to climate hazards without assistance from government or otheragencies and institutions34.
Information on the collective capacity at the settlement level was collected from workshops
organized with community members and through the household survey. There is a lack of financial
capital at the community-level, as there are no collective savings groups or systems in place. Eachindividual household relies on their own resources to address impacts, and as already mentioned
above, these are limited.
In terms of early warning systems, evacuation routes and disaster management committees inthe settlement, most households reported having access to early warning systems (either throughradio or SMS). Over half of the households reported having an evacuation plan. The community is
not connected to a formal DRR network. However, the City Council has warned settlers in the pastmaking announcements with hailers while driving through the settlements. The evacuation center
that residents from California go to during disaster events is the Lautoka Primary School, located 1.7
kilometers away. Among the concerns expressed by participants during FGDs are the fact that they
are not provided transport to go to the evacuation center and that there is no food provided, forcing
them to cater for themselves without access to facilities to cook or being able to buy food.
Material resources, infrastructure and access to services are very limited in the settlement. With
only one access road leading to the settlement, transportation may easily be disrupted during an
extreme event. The lack of access to water is among the most pressing issues, as highlighted bymany residents. Additionally, there is a great need for safe construction trainings to improve the skill
levels of community residents, as houses are most of the times built by family members.
There are community leadership structures in place community (e.g. established community leader,
community groups, etc.) that have been effective following past disaster events. These structures
are functioning, and carry out activities such as the organization of regular meetings to discusscommunity matters, small fund-raising activities, etc. There have been other organizations that haveprovided support to the community in the past, such as Friends and Punjas.

(iii) Institutional Capacity
Institutional capacity is how well an established government is able to, or would be able to,respond and adapt to climate hazards (e.g. organizational systems, policies, regulations,human resources, technological resources)35.
Fiji’s 5 –Year and 20-Year National Development plans lay out the country’s development agenda inrealizing the Sustainable Development Goals and Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris
Agreement.
Fiji’s National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) further articulates Fiji’s priorities in reducing present
and future climate risks in alignment to the National Development Plans. These Plans envisage
9.3 billion FJD expenditure on climate change adaptations over the next two decades. Despite this,financial capital remains lower than the identified needs.

34. UN-Habitat, 2014. Planning for Climate Change.
35. Ibid

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21

The NCCP recognizes the important roles local government entities play in delivering the policy’s
objectives and in providing coordination at the community-level. At the moment, councils do nothave a budget dedicated to the implementation of climate adaptation activities but may accessfunds through specific projects (e.g., mangrove conservation projects in Lami Town Council).
The NAP is meant to provide mechanisms and arrangements that will allow to progress local
government facilitation, promoting bottom- up approaches at district and community levels.
The National Disaster Management Office carries out activities such as community awarenessprograms and disaster management trainings. However, informal settlements are often left
out of formal systems, networks and programs. For example, activities such as the community
awareness programs have been carried out in villages, but not in informal settlements up to thedate. Given that informal settlements such as Vunikavika are often located in highly exposed
areas, combined with a high level of sensitivity, the introduction of awareness raising programs
and improved disaster preparedness are a priority.

House being built in California settlement
UN-Habitat/Begoña Peiro

22

California Settlement

7

CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
The main purpose of the CAP is to empower communities to identify community-level interventions
that will strengthen their resilience to climate change while driving development. On the one hand,the prioritized actions resulting from this process will lead to the selection of projects that are financially supported by the FRIS project. On the other hand, the CAP aims to support national and local
government decision-making, particularly in relation to upgrading of informal settlements and theirenhanced integration into the urban system.
Several community workshops held with local stakeholders (including vulnerable groups such as
women, youth, the elderly, and people with disabilities) helped to identify key vulnerabilities, climate
risks and identify adaptation options and priorities. Integrating quantitative datasets and community
perceptions during the VA phase allow for critical consideration of both community and scientificunderstanding of climate variability and change.

7.1 CLIMATE RESILIENCE& THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALSAs stated in the National Climate Change Policy, vulnerability to climate change in Fiji has thepotential to derail and undermine progress against each of the SDGs36. Building climate resilienceis critical to the implementation of the SDGs. However, existing development deficits exacerbate
communities’ vulnerability to climate change. As such, the action plan prioritizes a holistic approachthrough actions that build climate resilience alongside sustainable development co-benefits.

7.2 ALIGNMENT TO FIJI’S NATIONAL PLAN
Fiji´s National Adaptation Plan (NAP)37 is aligned to international processes such as the SDGs of
the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement of the UNFCCC and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk
Reduction. It contains 160 adaptation measures that are to be prioritized over the five-year periodof the NAP, organized across a total of 10 components (five systems components and five sectoralcomponents). The actions included in this report are aligned and respond to the aforementioned
focus areas.

OPTION IDENTIFICATION & PRIORITIZATION
During the workshops, key climate-hazards were discussed, linking the options to these hazards andrelated impacts. Integrating quantitative datasets and community perceptions during the VA phaseallow for critical consideration of both community and scientific understanding of climate variability
and change. Similarly, the option identification process considered both community inputs, thatallowed the team to capture local and traditional knowledge, and technical inputs from experts. The
options identified were derived from the findings of the VA and prioritized based on a multi-criteria
assessment (i.e. link to hazards, SDG co-benefits, ease of implementation, urgency and cost).

7.3 PRIORITIZED SHORTLISTED ACTIONS
During the participatory workshops, potential adaptation options were co-designed and discussed. Some
examples include improved sanitation facilities that are resilient to floods, and rainwater harvesting tanks
to ensure continous access to water. Based on the long-list of adaptive measures (see Annex A), a short-list
was prepared and prioritized. Below is the table that includes the short-listed options and the results fromthe community ranking. These were also assessed against the following criteria: acceptability, community

36. Ministry of Economy, Republic of Fiji, (2019). National Climate Change Policy 2018-2030.
37. Government of the Republic of Fiji, (2018). Republic of Fiji. National Adaptation Plan. A pathway towards climate resilience. Retrieved
from: https://www4.unfccc.int/sites/NAPC/Documents/Parties/National%20Adaptation%20Plan_Fiji.pdf

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23

support and technical feasibility. This work forms the basis for the selection of options that will be implemented aspart of the FRIS project. However, it must be noted that the fact that the options have been shortlisted does notmean that all of them will be implemented. The next steps of the project include further developing the priority
actions for their implementation. This will be done in a participatory manner and will involve technical experts (e.g.,
engineers, architects, etc.), representatives from the Ministry of Housing and Community Development as well asfrom the local government with support from UN-Habitat.
PRIORITZED OPTIONS

SDG
CO-BENEFITSCOMMUNITYRANKING

Interventions in physical, natural and social assets
Construction of an adequate stormwater drainage network

1

Construction of adequate footpaths across the community

2

Improved sanitation facilities (resilient to floods)

3

Covered meeting space (for California and Veidogo settlement)

4

Waste containers (composting bins and waste segregation)

5

Trainings and awareness raising
Training on waste management following a participatory approach that identifies opportunities linked to livelihoods

2

Trainings on safe construction for hazard proof shelters for
low-income residents

3

WASH trainings that target adults and children

1

Disaster preparedness and response related activities

5

Training on financial literacy and social protection programs

4

The following activities were identified and shortlisted, aiming to supported the project implementation:•
Reinforce existing governance structures at the community-level to ensure project ownership.
•
Establish youth community groups and promote their participation in awareness raising and project
implementation activities that can increase their skills and capacity.
•
Engagement through design process of the retrofitting actions, following a participatory approach.
•
Awareness raising and trainings on maintenance requirements of sanitation facilities and drainages.
•
Awareness raising and trainings on maintenance requirements of composting bins.
These activities would be implemented in conjunction with those shortlisted under "physical, natural and social
assets".

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California Settlement

ANNEX
Long list of climate change adaptation options
Interventions in physical, natural and social assets
Trainings and awareness raising activities
Activities that support the project implementation

These actions were identified as part of the longlist of adaptive measures, and were short-listed forfurther prioritization.
EASE OFIMPLEMENTATIONURGENCY

COST

TOTAL

Community involvement in elimination of larval habitats(through clean up campaigns and awareness raising)

2

2

3

7

WASH trainings that target adults and children

2

3

3

8

Awareness raising campaigns that promote moresustainable options to solid waste management

2

3

2

7

Training on waste management following a participatory
approach that identifies opportunities linked to livelihood
options

2

3

3

8

Trainings on safe construction for low-income residents

2

3

3

8

Incorporating informal settlement areas to be covered byrelevant authorities (including compliance with building
codes)

1

2

1

4

Development of catalogue of hazard proof options for lowincome residents that takes into consideration local andaffordable materials that are available

2

2

3

7

Low-cost retrofitting to strengthen existing household
structures, especially roofs

1

3

1

4

Identify financial support options and promote informal
settlements upgrading and regularization of land tenure

1

3

2

6

Localized interventions to improve the housing conditionsof those structures that are identified as being in the worst
conditions

2

2

3

7

Set up disaster management committees to discussdisaster preparedness and response regularly

3

3

3

9

Plan and define evacuation routes

3

3

3

9

Link community level early warning system to formal
networks, city-wide disaster response communications
technologies and procedures.

3

3

3

9

Evacuation drills

3

3

3

9

Reinforce existing governance structures at thecommunity-level to ensure project ownership as theprocess progresses

3

3

3

9

OPTIONS

SDG
CO-BENEFITS

Population key area

25

California Settlement

Interventions in physical, natural and social assets
Trainings and awareness raising
Activities that support the project implementation

These actions were identified as part of the longlist of adaptive measures, and were short-listed forfurther prioritization.

EASE OFIMPLEMENTATIONURGENCY

COST

TOTAL

Strengthen existing youth community groups and promote
their participation project activities

3

3

3

9

Diffusion of assessment results to provide insights on thefindings and promote further action

3

3

3

9

Strengthening community engagement and participation inresilience planning processes

3

2

3

8

Formalization of land tenure, land subdivision andupgrading

1

2

1

4

Awareness raising and clean up campaigns to prevent
ecosystem degradation

3

2

3

8

Provide alternative low-cost cooking technologies that will
reduce the dependency on mangrove firewood

2

2

2

6

Provide adequate waste management options (including
composting), as waste is currently being dumped by thecommunity in the nearby surroundings

3

2

3

8

Trainings and awareness raising on sustainable fishingtechniques and climate change impacts

2

2

3

7

Trainings and awareness raising on sustainable andclimate-resilient agriculture techniques and crops

2

2

3

7

Improvement of road conditions

1

2

2

5

Construction of an evacuation center

2

3

3

8

Rainwater harvesting tanks

2

2

3

7

Improved sanitation facilities

2

3

3

8

Construction of an adequate drainage network

2

3

3

8

OPTIONS

SDG
CO-BENEFITS

Population key area

Urban land use

Natural resource-based production

Critical point facilities

Lifeline utilities

26

California Settlement

The table below shows the criteria and scores used for the prioritization.
3

2

1

Urgency

3 = High (action is directly
linked to the most pressing
issues identified through theVRA)

2 = Medium (action issomewhat linked to the mostpressing issues identified
through the VRA)

1 = Low (action is derived
from the VRA, but notamong the highest priorities
identified)

Ease ofimplementation

3 = High (action can be
implemented within the project´s timeframe and can be
implemented without external
support)

2 = Medium (action can be implemented within the project´stimeframe but would require
some external support)

1 = Low (action cannot be
implemented within the project´s timeframe and would
require significant support)

3 = High (action can be fully
covered by the project´sfunding)

2 = Medium (action canbe mostly covered by the
project´s funding but would
require some external funding)

1 = Low (action requires
significant external funding)Criteria

Cost

ADAPTATION FUNDHELPING DEVELOPING COUNTRIESBUILD RESILIENCE AND ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE
The Adaptation Fund finances projects and programmes to help the mostvulnerable communities in developing countries adapt to the negative
effects of climate change.

RISE-UPRESILIENT SETTLEMENTS FOR THE URBAN POOR
RISE UP aims to improve the socio-economic prosperity of the urban
poor by reducing the impact of natural disasters, enhancing urban basic
services and community resilience.

CALIFORNIA