Fiji

"Annus Horribilis," a Latin phrase meaning "horrible year" used by Queen Elizabeth to describe 1992, is perhaps the most relevant description for 2020 in Fiji and, to a larger extent, the world. Apart from the implications of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (covid-19) pandemic, Fiji struggled with three tropical cyclones, two of which were category-five systems. These challenges, among others, stretched not only the ruling government but also the opposition parties to their limits. This was especially so when it came to articulating how best to protect and represent Fijians in 2020.

The year began with key environmental issues and concerns. The government publicized its Environmental Protection Model, which, among other things, targeted "Sea Based Marine Litter … through legislative and other measures to ensure that every Fijian has the right to a clean and healthy environment" (Fijian Government 2019). Part of this was focused on plastic pollution in waterways and the ocean. As a result, on 1 January 2020, an ambitious single-use plastic ban was legislated through the amendment of the Environment Management Act 2019. Interestingly, the ban did not apply to product packages, such as bread bags, or to items like garbage bags. Public confusion was rife as to what constituted a single-use plastic bag and how businesses and customers would have to adjust. Members of the public were already aware of and using reusable shopping bags, but the lack of clarity and necessary gradual adjustment for the public created more scrutiny. In addition, the public was warned of possible fines of up to f$150,000 (approximately us$71,900) or even conviction. Confusion was heightened when a levy of f$.50 was applied for reusable plastic bags thicker than 50 microns (Radhika 2020). The promotion of these thicker alternatives over single-use plastic bags, some of which were already biodegradable, put into question the ban's intent to help protect the environment.

A month later, the people of Nahigatoka Village along the Coral Coast of Fiji's main island of Viti Levu were seeking to secure their right to a clean and healthy environment (Nacei 2020b). As such, the village headman, through the village's opposition parliamentary representative, presented a petition for Parliament to refer the issue of magnetite mining to the Standing Committee on National Resources. The villagers were concerned about the environmental implications that the extractive plans would have for their food security and livelihood (Nacei 2020b). The Speaker of the House, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, claimed that Parliament did not have powers to accept the petition. This resulted in opposition members staging a walkout for the rest of the session and visiting the affected area of Nahigatoka the following day (Nacei 2020b). These incidents amplified and exposed ongoing inconsistencies between international pronouncements and domestic policy approaches and commitment.

The right to a clean, healthy, and safe environment has resonated with Fiji's ongoing climate-justice agenda on the international stage. In effect, this has catapulted Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama's global environmental reputation, culminating in his UN Champion of the Earth environmental award (United Nations Pacific 2020). Domestically, the impacts of climate change have included both village relocations and the escalation of cyclones (Piggott-McKellar, McNamara, and Nunn 2019). Through the year, Fiji was exposed to three tropical cyclones: Tino, Harold, and Yasa. In January, Tropical Cyclone Tino moved closer to the northern part of Fiji, passing the island of Rotuma before developing into a category-three cyclone as it exited Fiji's waters. Fortunately, reports indicated that it did not leave much destruction in its path (Chand 2020b). By April, Tropical Cyclone Harold, a category-four system, was anticipated to enter Fiji's waters with hurricane force winds of 195–275 kilometers per hour (Koi 2020). Tropical Cyclone Harold did not make landfall but still left significant damage across the country. There were even reports of tornado-like debris-filled winds that devastated homes and buildings (Chand and Talebula 2020). In the lead-up to Christmas Day in December, category-five Tropical Cyclone Yasa struck Fiji, hitting its second largest island, Vanualevu, with winds of up to 240 kilometers per hour, taking three lives...