In an historic first, Monash University, together with Fiji National University (FNU) and the Pacific Community (SPC), will host a symposium in Fiji bringing together more than 150 researchers, policymakers and community leaders to strengthen the evidence base for addressing the irreversible impacts of climate change for the Pacific region.
Group photo including Monash University's Prof Paul Dargusch, FNU Vice-Chancellor Prof Unaisi Nabobo-Baba and Fijian Minister Mosese Bulitavu. Image Credit: Monash University
The inaugural Research Symposium on Loss and Damage in Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) is being held in Savusavu, Fiji between 16-18 September.
‘Loss and damage’ refers to the permanent costs of climate change that go beyond adaptation from the destruction of homes and crops by cyclones, to saltwater intrusion that makes land uninhabitable, and the erosion of cultural heritage when villages are forced to relocate.
For decades, Pacific Island countries have been at the forefront of international advocacy on this issue, helping to secure the establishment of a global Loss and Damage Fund at COP27 and its operationalisation at COP28.
Despite these milestones, Pacific negotiators continue to face challenges in accessing finance due to a lack of locally generated data and methodologies that reflect island realities.
Opening the symposium, Fiji’s Minister for Environment and Climate Change Honourable Mosese Bulitavu, said loss and damage is already shaping the lives of Pacific communities.
“Cyclone Winston wiped out one-third of our economy in just 36 hours. These are not projections, this is our reality,” Minister Bulitavu said.
“This symposium strengthens our negotiating position and helps design systems that truly serve those most at risk.”
Minister Bulitavu added that Fiji has already taken pioneering steps, from enacting the Climate Change Act 2021 to establishing the Climate Relocation of Communities Trust Fund, relocating six villages, with 17 more awaiting urgent action, which underscores the importance of Pacific-led research for future planning.
One of the primary hosts of the Symposium, Professor Paul Dargusch, Director of Monash University’s Pacific Action for Climate Transitions (PACT) Research Centre at Monash Business School, said the event demonstrates the importance of linking science and policy.
“Strong policy depends on strong evidence. By bringing governments, researchers and regional organisations together, this symposium builds the case for finance that flows directly to Pacific communities,” Professor Dargusch said.
He added that credible research is essential for accessing the Loss and Damage Fund and ensuring resources reach the most vulnerable.
SPC Deputy Director-General for Operations and Integration Maria Fuata, said the focus must remain on practical outcomes and this symposium is about ensuring evidence translates into systems change.
“This is about knowledge that governments can use for relocation planning, for water security, for accessing finance,” Ms Fuata said.
“By bringing together lived experience, traditional knowledge and scientific data, we can shape responses that are regionally led and globally credible.”
Ms Fuata further stressed that SPC along with its key partners, Monash University and FNU are supporting members in turning research into applied solutions, ensuring Pacific realities are visible in global policy debates.
The three-day symposium includes sessions on the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund, regional water security, and the non-economic dimensions of climate change such as the loss of culture, heritage and identity.
Presentations will be delivered by a mix of national governments, regional organisations, multilateral development banks, private sector specialists and Pacific universities, reflecting the breadth of expertise needed to build an evidence base for action.
Highlighting the urgency of climate action and the role of Pacific institutions, Vice-Chancellor of Fiji National University Professor Unaisi Nabobo-Baba, said the symposium is a moment to turn words into impact.
“Our islands resist their future under water, and our people persist to survive the impacts of climate change,” Professor Nabobo-Baba said.
“At FNU, we are committed to strengthening partnerships on loss and damage, and to finding solutions together.
“This symposium must be more than words, it is in our communities that our thinking must show impact. With powerhouses from across the Pacific gathered here, I believe this symposium will spark real change.”
She added that FNU is committed to embedding traditional knowledge alongside scientific methods, ensuring that Pacific research reflects the realities of island communities.
The findings of the event will inform national systems, strengthen Pacific negotiating positions, and guide the implementation of the Loss and Damage Fund ahead of COP29 and COP30.
The symposium was made possible with support from Monash University’s PACT Research Centre and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, along with additional support from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.