The ongoing impact of Tropical Cyclone Winston on communities in Lomaiviti, particularly Koro Island, which was severely affected by the cyclone in 2016, has left some young people experiencing emotional trauma and still struggling to share their experiences.
This was highlighted by the Lomaiviti Youth Provincial Council General Secretary Wini Gaunavou during the three day Regional Conference of Youth Oceania 2026 hosted by the Pacific Islands Forum.
Gaunavou stresses that there needs to be more grassroots engagement and capacity building to ensure communities, especially youths, understand climate change, have a stronger voice in addressing it, and can share the challenges they face.
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She says the Government also needs to do more to bring grassroots voices into climate discussions.
Looking ahead to COP, Gaunavou says she hopes to bring real stories from communities affected by climate change so the voices of those at the grassroots level can be heard internationally.
Meanwhile, Traziel Judah of the University of the South Pacific Lau Student Association says Pacific countries must work together and strengthen youth involvement in addressing the impacts of climate change, as it has become a major concern for Pacific communities, especially small island nations affected by rising sea levels.
Judah says some communities are already experiencing changes to their traditional way of life due to climate change, including changes in environmental patterns that have guided communities for generations.
He says there is a need for Pacific nations to work together as one region and move beyond divisions created by terms such as Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia.
He says while Fiji has taken steps such as increasing the use of solar energy in some island. However, more effort is needed to ensure young people’s voices are heard in climate discussions.
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He says the impacts of climate change can already be seen in Fiji, including coastal erosion, rising sea levels, the need for sea walls, and changing cyclone patterns.
