Climate Action

Melanesian Women Today – Climate Action

Securing Our Future Through Climate Adaptation and Resilience

At Melanesian Women Today (MWT), we know that the solutions to climate challenges already exist; rooted in our lands, our cultures, and our people. For Melanesians, identity, well-being, and survival are inseparable from place. When the environment suffers, so do our food systems, traditions, and the rights of future generations. Protecting the environment is not just ecological; it is an act of safeguarding our communities and their cultural survival.

Customary governance systems — including tabu, seasonal calendars, and sustainable resource practices- continue to guide community life. These adaptive practices regulate land and marine stewardship, resolve conflict, and maintain social harmony. MWT strengthens these systems, combining them with the knowledge, energy, and leadership of women and youth.

Our Approach: Community-Led Climate Resilience

1️⃣ Revitalizing Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)
Traditional practices — sacred tabu areas, sustainable harvesting, food preservation, and seasonal calendars — are proven climate solutions. We resource women and youth to lead the continuation and revitalization of these practices.

2️⃣ Protecting Cultural Continuity
Loss of TEK represents a form of non-economic loss and damage (NELD). By centering cultural survival in climate policy and decision-making, we ensure that identity, values, and knowledge are preserved as essential tools for resilience.

3️⃣ Elevating Women and Youth Leadership
Women hold expertise in agriculture, weaving, water, and food security. Youth bring innovation and energy. Together, they lead community-driven solutions for adaptation and mitigation.

Example in Action: Malaulalo Mangrove Restoration, Solomon Islands

  • Adaptation: Mangroves buffer villages from storm surges and coastal erosion.

  • Mitigation: Mangroves act as carbon sinks, removing CO₂ from the atmosphere.

  • Women & Youth Leadership: Women manage nurseries and community outreach; youth lead planting and monitoring.

This integrated model ensures that climate solutions are technically effective, culturally embedded, and community-owned — sustaining impact for generations.

A Future on Our Terms

Climate change is global, but the solutions are local. By investing in Indigenous knowledge and nurturing leadership among women and youth, MWT empowers communities to not just survive, but thrive.

This is how we protect our lands, oceans, and livelihoods — our Blue Pacific.
This is how we build a nation that is resilient, not vulnerable.