Variations and Parallels in Climate Change-Induced Migration Models: Customary Land Tenure in Francophone Pacific Islands

It is tempting to assume that across all Pacific Islands, potential climate change-induced migration (PCCIM) due to sea-level rise can be approached in a unified manner. However, the diversity of the Pacific Islands requires an in-depth analysis in order to establish culturally coherent migration mo...

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Main Author: Elisabeth Worliczek
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Island Studies Journal 2024-11-01
Series:Island Studies Journal
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.24043/001c.87722
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author Elisabeth Worliczek
author_facet Elisabeth Worliczek
author_sort Elisabeth Worliczek
collection DOAJ
description It is tempting to assume that across all Pacific Islands, potential climate change-induced migration (PCCIM) due to sea-level rise can be approached in a unified manner. However, the diversity of the Pacific Islands requires an in-depth analysis in order to establish culturally coherent migration models. The possibilities and limits that customary land tenure can offer in this context on islands of the three Pacific French overseas territories Wallis & Futuna (Wallis, Futuna), French Polynesia (Rangiroa) and New Caledonia (Lifou) are analysed through four lenses: the intergenerational transfer of land rights, the distribution of land plots (geographically and between families), the extent of power exercised by customary authorities, and the different types of ownership or usufruct. The examination of common threads and variations shows that guiding principles (access to land in the interior of a respective island, strength of land rights on a certain plot, infrastructure issues, concepts of mobility, importance of primary land ownership, importance of primogeniture, and potential inter-island access) are shared to different degrees across the islands. The fourfold matrix allows a robust analysis of the possibilities in the context of PCCIM in different locations through examining parallels, differences, advantages, and disadvantages of the different systems.
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spelling doaj-art-697915f607e44547a4060e2b647705312025-08-20T02:13:53ZengIsland Studies JournalIsland Studies Journal1715-25932024-11-0119210.24043/001c.87722Variations and Parallels in Climate Change-Induced Migration Models: Customary Land Tenure in Francophone Pacific IslandsElisabeth WorliczekIt is tempting to assume that across all Pacific Islands, potential climate change-induced migration (PCCIM) due to sea-level rise can be approached in a unified manner. However, the diversity of the Pacific Islands requires an in-depth analysis in order to establish culturally coherent migration models. The possibilities and limits that customary land tenure can offer in this context on islands of the three Pacific French overseas territories Wallis & Futuna (Wallis, Futuna), French Polynesia (Rangiroa) and New Caledonia (Lifou) are analysed through four lenses: the intergenerational transfer of land rights, the distribution of land plots (geographically and between families), the extent of power exercised by customary authorities, and the different types of ownership or usufruct. The examination of common threads and variations shows that guiding principles (access to land in the interior of a respective island, strength of land rights on a certain plot, infrastructure issues, concepts of mobility, importance of primary land ownership, importance of primogeniture, and potential inter-island access) are shared to different degrees across the islands. The fourfold matrix allows a robust analysis of the possibilities in the context of PCCIM in different locations through examining parallels, differences, advantages, and disadvantages of the different systems.https://doi.org/10.24043/001c.87722
spellingShingle Elisabeth Worliczek
Variations and Parallels in Climate Change-Induced Migration Models: Customary Land Tenure in Francophone Pacific Islands
Island Studies Journal
title Variations and Parallels in Climate Change-Induced Migration Models: Customary Land Tenure in Francophone Pacific Islands
title_full Variations and Parallels in Climate Change-Induced Migration Models: Customary Land Tenure in Francophone Pacific Islands
title_fullStr Variations and Parallels in Climate Change-Induced Migration Models: Customary Land Tenure in Francophone Pacific Islands
title_full_unstemmed Variations and Parallels in Climate Change-Induced Migration Models: Customary Land Tenure in Francophone Pacific Islands
title_short Variations and Parallels in Climate Change-Induced Migration Models: Customary Land Tenure in Francophone Pacific Islands
title_sort variations and parallels in climate change induced migration models customary land tenure in francophone pacific islands
url https://doi.org/10.24043/001c.87722
work_keys_str_mv AT elisabethworliczek variationsandparallelsinclimatechangeinducedmigrationmodelscustomarylandtenureinfrancophonepacificislands