Internal relocation as a relevant and feasible adaptation strategy in Rangiroa Atoll, French Polynesia
Abstract Atoll islands face increasing coastal risks (coastal erosion and marine flooding) due to climate change, especially sea-level rise. To face increasing coastal risks, various adaptation options are considered by atoll countries and territories, including in particular hard protection (prefer...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2022-08-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-18109-8 |
| _version_ | 1811340175730540544 |
|---|---|
| author | Virginie K. E. Duvat Alexandre K. Magnan Lydie Goeldner-Gianella Delphine Grancher Stéphane Costa Olivier Maquaire Gonéri Le Cozannet Lucile Stahl Natacha Volto Cécilia Pignon-Mussaud |
| author_facet | Virginie K. E. Duvat Alexandre K. Magnan Lydie Goeldner-Gianella Delphine Grancher Stéphane Costa Olivier Maquaire Gonéri Le Cozannet Lucile Stahl Natacha Volto Cécilia Pignon-Mussaud |
| author_sort | Virginie K. E. Duvat |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Atoll islands face increasing coastal risks (coastal erosion and marine flooding) due to climate change, especially sea-level rise. To face increasing coastal risks, various adaptation options are considered by atoll countries and territories, including in particular hard protection (preferred option to date), Nature-based Solutions (increasingly used) and island raising (considered a longer-term solution and a potential alternative to international migration, e.g. in the Maldives). Internal relocation within the same atoll island or atoll, which refers to long-term community movement from one threatened island area or island to a safer island area or island, has previously been disregarded by scholars as a potentially relevant climate adaptation strategy. However, in low-lying coastal areas, it offers real potential to address the dual context of increasing climate risks and the shrinking of the solution space. This paper assesses the potential of internal relocation for atolls by applying to Rangiroa Atoll, French Polynesia, Central Pacific, a two-fold assessment framework questioning its physical relevance (are some islands high enough to host settlements in the future?) and its societal feasibility (are the political-institutional and socio-economic conditions in place? Are people willing to relocate?). The findings show that internal relocation is both relevant and feasible on Rangiroa Atoll and should therefore serve as a pillar to develop robust in situ adaptation pathways in this atoll. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:37:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-950304a8aa2840dfb2ac4a00a46196e8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:37:13Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-950304a8aa2840dfb2ac4a00a46196e82022-12-22T02:34:50ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-08-0112111910.1038/s41598-022-18109-8Internal relocation as a relevant and feasible adaptation strategy in Rangiroa Atoll, French PolynesiaVirginie K. E. Duvat0Alexandre K. Magnan1Lydie Goeldner-Gianella2Delphine Grancher3Stéphane Costa4Olivier Maquaire5Gonéri Le Cozannet6Lucile Stahl7Natacha Volto8Cécilia Pignon-Mussaud9UMR LIENSs 7266, La Rochelle University-CNRSUMR LIENSs 7266, La Rochelle University-CNRSLaboratory of Physical Geography, University Paris 1 Panthéon-SorbonneLaboratory of Physical Geography, CNRSNormandie Univ, Unicaen, CNRS, LETGNormandie Univ, Unicaen, CNRS, LETGDRP R3C, BRGMUMR LIENSs 7266, La Rochelle University-CNRSUMR LIENSs 7266, La Rochelle University-CNRSUMR LIENSs 7266, La Rochelle University-CNRSAbstract Atoll islands face increasing coastal risks (coastal erosion and marine flooding) due to climate change, especially sea-level rise. To face increasing coastal risks, various adaptation options are considered by atoll countries and territories, including in particular hard protection (preferred option to date), Nature-based Solutions (increasingly used) and island raising (considered a longer-term solution and a potential alternative to international migration, e.g. in the Maldives). Internal relocation within the same atoll island or atoll, which refers to long-term community movement from one threatened island area or island to a safer island area or island, has previously been disregarded by scholars as a potentially relevant climate adaptation strategy. However, in low-lying coastal areas, it offers real potential to address the dual context of increasing climate risks and the shrinking of the solution space. This paper assesses the potential of internal relocation for atolls by applying to Rangiroa Atoll, French Polynesia, Central Pacific, a two-fold assessment framework questioning its physical relevance (are some islands high enough to host settlements in the future?) and its societal feasibility (are the political-institutional and socio-economic conditions in place? Are people willing to relocate?). The findings show that internal relocation is both relevant and feasible on Rangiroa Atoll and should therefore serve as a pillar to develop robust in situ adaptation pathways in this atoll.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-18109-8 |
| spellingShingle | Virginie K. E. Duvat Alexandre K. Magnan Lydie Goeldner-Gianella Delphine Grancher Stéphane Costa Olivier Maquaire Gonéri Le Cozannet Lucile Stahl Natacha Volto Cécilia Pignon-Mussaud Internal relocation as a relevant and feasible adaptation strategy in Rangiroa Atoll, French Polynesia Scientific Reports |
| title | Internal relocation as a relevant and feasible adaptation strategy in Rangiroa Atoll, French Polynesia |
| title_full | Internal relocation as a relevant and feasible adaptation strategy in Rangiroa Atoll, French Polynesia |
| title_fullStr | Internal relocation as a relevant and feasible adaptation strategy in Rangiroa Atoll, French Polynesia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Internal relocation as a relevant and feasible adaptation strategy in Rangiroa Atoll, French Polynesia |
| title_short | Internal relocation as a relevant and feasible adaptation strategy in Rangiroa Atoll, French Polynesia |
| title_sort | internal relocation as a relevant and feasible adaptation strategy in rangiroa atoll french polynesia |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-18109-8 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT virginiekeduvat internalrelocationasarelevantandfeasibleadaptationstrategyinrangiroaatollfrenchpolynesia AT alexandrekmagnan internalrelocationasarelevantandfeasibleadaptationstrategyinrangiroaatollfrenchpolynesia AT lydiegoeldnergianella internalrelocationasarelevantandfeasibleadaptationstrategyinrangiroaatollfrenchpolynesia AT delphinegrancher internalrelocationasarelevantandfeasibleadaptationstrategyinrangiroaatollfrenchpolynesia AT stephanecosta internalrelocationasarelevantandfeasibleadaptationstrategyinrangiroaatollfrenchpolynesia AT oliviermaquaire internalrelocationasarelevantandfeasibleadaptationstrategyinrangiroaatollfrenchpolynesia AT gonerilecozannet internalrelocationasarelevantandfeasibleadaptationstrategyinrangiroaatollfrenchpolynesia AT lucilestahl internalrelocationasarelevantandfeasibleadaptationstrategyinrangiroaatollfrenchpolynesia AT natachavolto internalrelocationasarelevantandfeasibleadaptationstrategyinrangiroaatollfrenchpolynesia AT ceciliapignonmussaud internalrelocationasarelevantandfeasibleadaptationstrategyinrangiroaatollfrenchpolynesia |