Pacific launches Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action in Togoru, Fiji

In a special ceremony that included prayers, hymns, symbolic acts, and prophetic calls, those gathered were also part of the ongoing Pacific Church Leaders’ Meeting organized by the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) from 13 to 17 April.

Togoru is experiencing severe, rapid coastal erosion, with the sea swallowing roughly 1.3 to 1.5 meters of land annually. Rising sea levels are submerging homes, plantations, and burial grounds, forcing residents to prepare for relocation as traditional seawalls fail. The village is now considered a frontline for climate change impact.

Rev. James Bhagwan, PCC general secretary, described Togoru as a mix of settlers and Indigenous people who have formed a community over more than a century. “We are gathered here because this is one of the most vulnerable communities in Fiji in the context of climate change,” he said. “When a delegation of the World Council of Churches visited this community only in 2020 there was more land for our team to visit and take photos, and now we can see this active moment of climate change is a reality in a community that is doubly vulnerable because they are non-Indigenous in the context of the government, and so face challenges when it comes to relocation.”