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Ancient wisdom meets modern science in Fiji
Fijian farmers have long observed wild yam vines and bee behavior to predict hurricanes, blending traditional ecological knowledge with contemporary meteorology to enhance disaster preparedness.
The yam vine warning
In July, farmers on Fiji's second-largest island, Vanua Levu, begin monitoring wild yam vines. If the vines creep along the ground, it signals an impending hurricane between November and April, says farmer Marika Radua. Conversely, upward growth suggests calmer weather ahead.
Radua, a climate resilience expert, explains that the vines' behavior is nature's way of bracing for strong winds. His farm, a lush mosaic of lettuce, taro, and cassava, relies on these signs to guide planting decisions each season.
Nature's early warning system
Traditional ecological knowledge in Fiji extends beyond yams. Farmers also watch bananas, bees, and breadfruit for clues about extreme weather. Before modern technology, such indicators were universal, but today, Pacific communities are reviving them to complement satellite and radar data.
In 2024, Fiji's Meteorological Service announced plans to integrate these age-old practices into its forecasts, calling the combination a "total package." The move follows similar efforts in Vanuatu, Tonga, and other Pacific nations.
Bridging tradition and technology
Siosinamele Lui, a climate traditional knowledge officer at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), emphasizes the importance of these indicators for remote communities. "In the Pacific, traditional knowledge and national services are now mentioned in the same sentence," she says.
Since 2016, SPREP has collected natural indicators from islanders via calls, social media, and local climate centers. Vanuatu's ClimateWatch app, for example, crowdsources signs like green turtles nesting inland-a potential cyclone warning.
However, Lui notes that integrating centuries-old wisdom with modern data is complex. "You cannot merge a five-year dataset with one that's 100 years old," she says. Governments are studying correlations between traditional signs and weather events before incorporating them into forecasts.
Lessons from Cyclone Winston
In 2016, Cyclone Winston devastated Fiji's agriculture sector, causing over $2 million in losses. Radua recalls losing all his crops. A 2025 climate risk report ranked Fiji 103rd out of 190 countries for vulnerability to extreme weather, with tropical cyclones expected to intensify.
In Tailevu Province, villagers reported unusual natural signs months before Winston struck: hornets nesting low, multiple breadfruits on a single stalk, and seabirds flying inland. These observations gave communities time to prepare-stockpiling food, reinforcing homes, and sheltering livestock.
"Faced with escalating climate risks, local and national governments are seeking cost-effective solutions," says Alec Crawford of the International Institute for Sustainable Development. "Nature-based solutions grounded in traditional knowledge are the most adaptable because communities understand their environment best."
Resilience through harmony
Joeli Veityaki, a climate scientist at the University of the South Pacific, describes traditional indicators as "coping mechanisms" developed over centuries. Patrick Nunn, a geography professor, adds that Pacific communities have thrived for millennia by observing nature, not by chance.
Nunn highlights oral stories about ant behavior aligning with scientific observations. While not definitive proof, such knowledge has been validated by time. "If black birds flying over land weren't a reliable cyclone indicator, people wouldn't have preserved that knowledge," he says.
Radua, meanwhile, compiles traditional wisdom into a seasonal calendar for Vanua Levu's farmers. He advocates for diversified planting-echoing ancestral practices-to boost resilience. "Knowledge evolves, but it's about living in harmony with nature," he says.
