Climate adaptation and resilience-building through valuing indigenous knowledge in Fiji

When tropical cyclone Winston hit Fiji in 2016, it destroyed and damaged 30,000 houses in the country.

The damages to these houses and buildings revealed something about the structures of these houses, which is a primary reason for its failure – destroyed Fijian homes lack proper lateral load resisting system. 

Additionally, the country lacked skilled workers and limited knowledge in compliance with their building code.

A study by Aquino et al. focuses on the traditional structures of Fiji, particularly in the village of Navala, as a resilient solution in the restoration of the village in the aftermath of the tropical cyclone.

Navala’s Bure houses

Navala village is located at the bank of Ba River, in the province of Ba in Viti Levu, Fiji’s biggest and most populous island. The village is the last remaining traditional village of Fiji because it was able to preserve its traditional houses known as Bure.

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