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Study initiated on disaster risk financing solutions for farmers and fishers in Fiji

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Extreme weather events significantly impact farming and fishing-dependent communities in Pacific Island countries, with Fiji being no exception. To address this critical issue, the Pacific Insurance and Climate Adaptation Programme (PICAP) initiated a comprehensive study to gain valuable insights into the challenges faced by farmers and fishers in Fiji. This evidence note presents the findings of field research, which adopted a mix-method approach to assess the climate risks encountered by these communities, the adaptation measures they have implemented, and their specific needs and preferences for disaster risk financing solutions.

Key Insights

  • Farmers and fishers in Fiji perceive cyclones as a slightly more imminent risk than drought, and they prefer separate insurance coverage for those events.

     

  • Most households have to rely on their savings to recover from the impacts of cyclones or droughts. Those savings are usually not intended for this purpose, and most households would not be able to support themselves with their savings for longer than three months in case of a total loss of income.

     

  • Existing disaster risk financing options do not match the need of farming and fishing communities to cope with the magnitude and frequency of climate-induced disasters.

     

  • Impacts of natural hazards have gender dimensions. Men are more affected in their income-generating activities. Women are more likely to have to cope with an increase in community, household and unpaid care work and are also more likely to receive non-financial support when affected by extreme weather events.

     

  • A high preference for a cyclone insurance product further underscores that cyclones are perceived as a higher risk than droughts. Households need substantial financial resources to re-establish their livelihood after being affected by natural hazards.

     

  • Households are interested in an affordable insurance product that is easy to understand.