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Article History

Received: 18 November 2024

Accepted: 5 May 2025

First Online: 21 May 2025

Competing interests

: The authors declare no competing interests.

: All researchers involved institutions (Philipps-Universität Marburg and Queensland University of Technology) obtained ethical approval for this study. The field research team consisted of Annah Piggott-McKellar, Ann-Christine Link, and Elia Nakoro in both sites with local knowledge brokering (including translation and field organisation) by Sekaia Malani in Vidawa and Inoke in Denimanu, who were pivotal to the successful completion of this research. The third author, a Fijian national, was involved in the study design, data collection and interpretation, and editing. The roles and responsibilities of each researcher were discussed ahead of the research. Without the support provided by the local knowledge brokers alongside the Turaga-ni-koro (village headperson) of each village and the village participants, our research would not have been possible. As the first two authors are from Western backgrounds, it is recognised that this upbringing and academic training may lead to inherent biases and assumptions that could affect the understanding of the local context. To mitigate these, engagement with local researchers and community members throughout the research process was a priority. Collaborating with Fijian researchers and knowledge brokers ensured the research approach was culturally appropriate and sensitive, such as including cultural protocols and nightly talanoa sessions, and grounded in the realities of the communities’ lives. Participation in this research carried minimal risks and was communicated as such during sevusevu’s, and with participants before the Q-sorts. Results from the research were reported back to the communities and respective government departments and local councils in a form decided by them, which was a poster and a policy brief, respectively. The local relevance of this research is paramount given the emerging need to relocate populations away from coastal risk and the gap in understanding surrounding the ways this impacts wellbeing, especially over the long term. This has been communicated by local and national governments as well as various international organisations.