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Cultural Responses to Climate Change

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Cultural Responses to Climate Change

Read the three case-study cards and use their evidence to investigate how culture, place and values shape responses to climate change. Distinguish observed evidence from proposals, and support explanations with details from the cards.

Pacific case-study cards

These fictionalised teaching profiles combine commonly discussed geographic pressures and possible community responses. They are not quotations or claims about every resident. Kiribati and Tuvalu are low-lying atoll nations; Fiji includes larger high islands and coastal settlements.

KIRIBATI | Many homes and services on atolls sit close to the coast. High tides and wave overwash can affect freshwater lenses, gardens and roads. Adaptation options discussed in communities include improving water storage, protecting shorelines where suitable, and raising awareness of hazards. For many I-Kiribati, land, family ties, language and cultural identity are closely connected. Moving can protect safety, but may disrupt these connections. Responses need local leadership and meaningful choices.

TUVALU | On low-lying atolls, coastal flooding and saltwater intrusion can threaten homes, crops and freshwater. Tuvaluans have advocated internationally for strong emissions cuts and recognition of their country and maritime rights. Local adaptation can include improving drainage, water security and coastal resilience. Some people consider migration as one option, while emphasising that migration should not mean the loss of Tuvaluan identity, community or political voice.

FIJI | Fiji’s high islands offer varied terrain, but coastal villages and infrastructure can face erosion, flooding and storm impacts. Some villages have planned or undertaken relocation to safer ground; decisions depend on risk, land, resources and community agreement. Relocation can reduce exposure but may affect access to fishing grounds, burial places, customary land and livelihoods. Community consultation and cultural protocols matter alongside engineering and hazard evidence.

Read the evidence

Use precise geographic vocabulary: vulnerability (susceptibility to harm), adaptation (adjusting to impacts), mitigation (reducing the causes of climate change), resilience (capacity to cope and recover), relocation (moving people or assets), and sustainability (meeting needs over time).

1.Which hazard is specifically linked to freshwater in both Kiribati and Tuvalu? Choose the best answer.

Saltwater intrusion or contamination
Volcanic ash fall
Avalanche
River ice

2.Match each place to the response or issue most clearly described in its card.

Kiribati
Tuvalu
Fiji

Relocation planning raises questions about customary land, fishing access and burial places.
Water storage and shoreline adaptation are discussed alongside strong ties to land and family.
International advocacy includes emissions cuts and recognition of national identity and maritime rights.

3.Give one piece of evidence from the Kiribati card that shows why the community may be vulnerable to climate-related impacts.

4.Explain one way cultural connections could influence a decision about relocation in Fiji. Use evidence from the card.

5.The case-study cards present migration as an option that should automatically erase a community’s cultural or political identity.

TrueFalse

6.Classify each action as adaptation or mitigation: (a) improving water storage to cope with saltwater intrusion; (b) reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.

7.Compare one response mentioned for an atoll nation (Kiribati or Tuvalu) with Fiji’s relocation planning. What different priorities or trade-offs appear?

8.A regional fund has enough money for one first step: improve freshwater security, strengthen a coastal protection project, or support community-led relocation planning. Choose one priority and justify it with evidence from at least one card. Name one group or value that decision-makers should consult.

9.A decision-maker says, “A seawall is the best solution for every Pacific community because it protects the coast.” Evaluate this claim using two details from the case-study cards.

10.Identify one perspective or piece of information that would be important to include before choosing a climate response, but is not fully detailed in these cards. Explain why it matters.