25/08/2026
|▪️🍃 For 65-year-old Naibuka Ravanua, the village headman of Narocivo Village in Rewa, climate change is not a distant concept. It is something his community experiences in their daily lives.
Narocivo is accessible only by boat, with no direct road connecting the village to the main road. In recent years, villagers have noticed that the waters they depend on for travel have become increasingly shallow, making access and transportation more difficult.
“Sa keimami raica sara tiko ga na veisau (We are experiencing the changes),” Naibuka shared. “Sa vovodea mai na wai (The water is becoming shallow).”
The changes are also being felt on the land. As village elders gather and discuss the environment around them, they have reflected on another worrying trend: native fruit trees that once produced abundantly are no longer fruiting as they did in the past.
“Oqo e dua na koro e dau vutuniyau ena kau vuata (Narocivo is a village rich in fruits),” Naibuka explained, referring to traditional trees such as dawa, maqo and uto. “But now, it is not the same as before.”
These changes have highlighted the importance of helping rural communities strengthen their knowledge, skills and ability to respond to a changing climate.
Through the Sustainable Health, Agriculture, Protection & Empowerment – Climate Action for Resilience (SHAPE-CAR) project, ADRA Fiji has been working in partnership with ADRA New Zealand 🇳🇿 to support communities in building resilience - fully funded by New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade 🇳🇿
For Narocivo, one important part of this support has been climate-smart agriculture training. Naibuka said the training brought new skills, knowledge and technical expertise to the village, helping community members consider how they can strengthen their food and agricultural systems in the face of environmental change.
The project has also supported the introduction and planting of new fruit trees, such as kumquat and soursop, alongside native species like vesi. For Naibuka and his community, these efforts go beyond simply planting trees, they represent a long-term investment in the future.
The SHAPE-CAR project recognises that climate resilience requires communities to be supported to respond to changing conditions through practical, locally relevant solutions. In Narocivo, the combination of climate-smart agriculture knowledge and tree planting is helping the community take positive steps towards protecting and strengthening its natural resources and future food sources.
Naibuka is grateful that the project has reached Narocivo.
As the village continues to navigate the impacts of a changing environment, from shallow waters affecting access to declining fruit production, the community is drawing on both its traditional knowledge and new skills gained through SHAPE-CAR.
For Narocivo, resilience is taking root. It is found in the knowledge being shared, the trees being planted, and the determination of the community to protect its environment and secure a better future for the generations to come.
🤝 New Zealand High Commission, Suva, Fiji
