Injustice versus insecurity: Climate-induced displacement in the Fijian and New Zealand public discourses

Abstract

Debate surrounding climate-induced displacement has attracted considerable critical attention in recent years. This debate has engendered diverse perspectives including the North-South divide, solidarity with affected people and climate justice. In this study, the authors consider how various policy advocates have attempted to influence public discourses about climate displacement in Oceania. Using Ulrich Beck’s concept of risk, we analyse discourse in policy documents and in Fijian and New Zealand newspaper articles. Our investigation found that climate action related to addressing the adaptation and insecurity of the affected people were prominent in the Fijian discourse. However, in the New Zealand discourse, action addressing climate displacement was less prevalent, but the displacement as a threat to the country’s national security was prominent. In this article, the authors analyse potential reasons underpinning these patterns of discourses.

Keywords

• climate action
• climate displacement
• climate inaction
• climate justice
• critical discourse analysis
• Fiji