Heritage, Resilience in Small Island Developing States
Summary
UNESCO, with funding from the Government of Japan, completed a multi-country project with communities in Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Belize, and the Bahamas to strengthen the role of living heritage in disaster risk reduction. Although SIDS are responsible for less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, their high exposure to extreme weather and natural hazards places them among the most climate-vulnerable nations. The project documented traditional practices such as cyclone-resistant building methods, food preservation, oral traditions, and early warning knowledge as tools for community preparedness and recovery. Community members in several locations were identified as Intangible Cultural Heritage ambassadors to sustain these efforts. This content is informational and creates no compliance obligations for regulated entities.
“Although SIDS are responsible for less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, they are among the most affected by climate change impacts due to their high exposure to extreme weather and natural hazards.”
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This UNESCO news article describes a completed Japan-funded project working with communities in five Small Island Developing States to integrate living heritage—traditional building methods, foodways, oral traditions, and early warning knowledge—into disaster risk reduction strategies. The article profiles specific community members in Vanuatu and Tonga who applied traditional practices such as constructing cyclone shelters using locally available materials and preserving crafts during displacement. Communities in the Caribbean preserved foodways and traditional medicine, while Fijian communities relied on fishing and farming cooperation for food security during environmental disruptions.
This is informational content about international development work; it does not create regulatory obligations, compliance deadlines, or enforcement actions for any regulated entity. Organizations engaged in climate adaptation, disaster preparedness, or cultural heritage safeguarding in island communities may find the documented practices informative for program design, but no mandatory actions arise from this source.
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Apr 24, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
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Where heritage meets resilience: UNESCO’s work with Small Island Developing States
Living heritage is at risk yet vital for resilience. In Pacific and Caribbean Small Island Developing States, a Japan-funded project helps communities prepare for and recover from emergencies.
24 April 2026 For Small Island Developing States, from the Pacific to the Caribbean and beyond, living heritage is more than a link to the past; it is a vital resource for navigating an uncertain future. These nations face unique and intensifying challenges that include exposure to rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and environmental change place them among the most vulnerable to global crises.
In this context, UNESCO works with communities and partners to build resilience and safeguard living heritage, supporting the transmission of knowledge, the documentation of practices, and the integration of cultural heritage into disaster risk reduction strategies.
As climate risks grow, living heritage continues to guide how communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from these pressures, offering not only identity and continuity, but practical pathways to resilience that endure far beyond any single day of recognition.
play_arrow ©UNESCO For Warau Frederick, a community member of Tanna Island in Vanuatu, engaging with living heritage safeguarding is not only a matter of cultural significance – it is also a form of protection.
Vanuatu, along with other Small Island Developing States (SIDS), stands at the frontlines of climate change. Although SIDS are responsible for less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, they are among the most affected by climate change impacts due to their high exposure to extreme weather and natural hazards.
To mitigate these risks, communities in Vanuatu draw on long-held traditions, such as building cyclone shelters using traditional methods and locally-available materials. Warau learned the process from his uncle, and decided to build a shelter before the cyclone season to keep his family safe.
Weaving brings a great deal of income to my family. It supports us whenever we face financial difficulties. The biggest challenge for weaving comes from natural disasters.
Eva Namri Community member of Tanna Island and knowledge bearer of traditional weaving In recognition of the dual role of living heritage in emergencies—both as something that can be threatened and as a resource that helps communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters—UNESCO, with the support of the Government of Japan, led a project with communities in Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Belize, and the Bahamas to strengthen the role of living heritage in disaster risk reduction by documenting relevant practices and connecting communities with disaster management authorities.
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1 / chevron_left chevron_right Within the project, communities used living heritage to support resilience: Caribbean groups preserved foodways and traditional medicine; Fijian communities affected by flooding and environmental change relied on fishing, farming, and cooperation for food security; Vanuatu communities facing volcanoes, cyclones, and displacement applied early warning knowledge, gardening, and housing practices; and in Tonga, communities displaced by a volcanic eruption and tsunami highlighted the importance of oral traditions and crafts for well-being and livelihoods.©UNESCO
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1 / chevron_left chevron_right One of the key aspects of the project was that it strengthened me in many ways. Sitiveni Fehoko (community trainer/Intangible cultural heritage ambassador in Tonga) explained ways we could earn a living, especially for those of us who had been relocated. This was very encouraging, and it gave me and my wife the idea to start our work and make a living for our family.
Feleti Akauola Atata community member, Tonga The project laid foundations for future action by raising awareness of vulnerable traditions and strengthening their transmission. In several locations, community members have been identified as Intangible cultural heritage ambassadors to help sustain these efforts, and even in displacement, continued practicing and passing on living heritage—showing its resilience, relevance, and adaptability in changing contexts.
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- Pacific sids
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- Nature and culture: the human heritage
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- Country page: Fiji
- Country page: Tonga
- Country page: Vanuatu
- Country page: Belize
- Country page: Bahamas
- Region: Asia and the Pacific
- Region: Latin America and the Caribbean
- Partners: Government of Japan
- SDG: SDG 11 - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
- SDG: SDG 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
- See more add This article is related to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
SDG 11 - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable SDG 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
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