THE Anglican Church will expand its focus on climate resilience and disaster preparedness across the Pacific with a vulnerability assessment programme conducted in communities.
Known as the Community Integrated Vulnerability Assessment (CIVA) programme, the initiative takes a community-driven approach to help villages understand and manage the risks posed by natural disasters.
Support actions through CIVA include strengthening evacuation centres, improving access to food and water during emergencies, coordinating emergency supplies, and ensuring vulnerable groups receive assistance before and after disasters.
The initiative was discussed as part of the Diocese of Polynesia (Anglican) Synod at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Suva, Fiji. The diocese includes Anglicans in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga.
The programme has gained international attention, with youth-led CIVA efforts from the Diocese of Polynesia and Anglican communities in Tonga and Fiji featured in reports to the United Nations Human Rights Council as examples of effective, locally driven climate resilience.
Supported by Anglican Missions and diocesan development teams, the CIVA programme shows the Church’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding Pacific communities, supporting climate adaptation, and strengthening local leadership in disaster-risk reduction.
The CIVA will provide Anglican parishes and local communities with the tools to assess their environmental and social vulnerabilities. It uses digital mapping technology and community-led consultations to identify hazard zones, at-risk households, evacuation routes, infrastructure gaps, and social support networks.
Trained parish leaders and youth use mapping tools like QGIS to create detailed vulnerability maps. Talanoa sessions and community workshops offer insights into social, cultural, and household-level risks that often go unrecorded. This combined data helps develop practical Resilience Action Plans tailored to each community’s needs.