OCEANS, COMMUNITIES, AND CLIMATE ACTION – IN CONVERSATION WITH JASNITA ALI

Jasnita with her son Aahad, PHTOGRAPH PROVIDED BY JASNITA ALI, 2025

Climate change is the defining challenge of our time, with frontline communities including in Fiji experiencing the harshest and most disproportionate impacts of the crisis. We had the privilege of speaking with Jasnita Ali, a Climate Reality Leader, about her journey from growing up in Ba, Fiji, to becoming an advocate for climate action. 

In our conversation, Jasnita shares what inspired her, how leadership training transformed her approach, the projects she is working on, and her advice to young people aspiring to make a difference.

What inspired you to become a Climate Reality Leader?

"My journey is rooted in my upbringing in Ba, Fiji, a place already on the frontline of climate change impacts. Growing up, I witnessed firsthand the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters like cyclones, as well as the more subtle yet devastating effects of sea-level rise and changing weather patterns on local livelihoods, particularly in coastal communities and agriculture. My academic background, spanning a BSc in Marine Science and a Postgraduate Diploma in Climate Change from USP, solidified my understanding of the science. However, I realised that scientific knowledge alone isn’t enough, we need impactful communication and action.

Jasnita undertaking beekeeping activities, Photograph provided by Jasnita Ali 2025

Becoming a Climate Reality Leader was a way to bridge the gap between science and public engagement, giving me the tools to translate complex data into compelling calls to action for my community and beyond. ​The opportunity to be part of a global network of dedicated leaders was also a significant draw."

How did the leadership training change your approach to the climate crisis and to climate action? 

 "The Climate Reality Leadership Training was transformative. It didn’t just provide more information; it fundamentally shifted my approach in three key ways:

• From despair to actionable hope: It moved me beyond focusing solely on grim statistics to emphasising scalable solutions and the power of collective action. It showed me how to communicate urgency without paralysing people with fear.
• Strategic communication: I learned how to tailor the climate narrative for different audiences, from policymakers to fishers in coastal villages. It taught me the importance of using personal stories and local data to make the global crisis relevant at the community level.
• The power of advocacy: The training highlighted the critical role of advocacy and policy engagement. It empowered me not just to study the environment, but to actively champion policies that promote resilience, sustainable development, and environmental justice."

Would you like to highlight any climate-related projects you have been working on of late?

"Absolutely. My current focus is closely tied to my MSc by Research in Fisheries Science at Fiji National University, supported by the ACIAR Pass CR scholarship.
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The core of this work involves assessing the vulnerability of Fiji’s small-scale fisheries sector to climate change impacts such as

FIJI LANDSCAPE, PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF UNSPLASH, 2025

ocean warming, acidification, and shifting fish migration patterns. I’m actively working with local fishing communities to co-develop climate-smart adaptation strategies. This includes:

• Traditional knowledge integration: Documenting and validating traditional fishing knowledge to identify resilient practices.
• Capacity building: Running workshops to help fishers understand seasonal changes and implement sustainable fishing methods that safeguard their livelihoods against environmental variability.

My research aims to provide evidence-based recommendations for fisheries management that are both ecologically sound and resilient to the escalating climate crisis, directly supporting food security and the blue economy in Fiji."

Reflecting on your life so far, what have been some of your standout moments where you’ve seen the impact of your work on climate change and communities?

"One of the most gratifying moments has been seeing tangible shifts in community behaviour. A standout moment occurred while conducting fieldwork for my master’s research with a coastal community.

Initially, there was some scepticism about ‘climate change’ as an abstract concept. After presenting data on how specific local fish stocks were declining and correlating that with measurable increases in local sea surface temperature (using accessible, visual tools), the conversation changed dramatically.

VISUAL EXAMPLE OF CORAL BLEACHING, PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF UNSPLASH, 2025

The community leaders took the initiative to monitor the locally managed marine area (LMMA) and committed to stricter compliance with existing fishing quotas, directly linking their long-term food security to climate-informed resource management. Seeing the local vanua (traditional authorities) use scientific evidence, blended with their

traditional stewardship, to make a binding decision for the future of their resources, that was a profoundly impactful moment. It validated the entire effort of translating complex science into meaningful local action."

What advice do you have for young people wanting to work in climate change or sustainability?

My advice to young people who want to work in the climate space is threefold:

• Embrace interdisciplinarity: Don’t limit yourself to just one field. My background blends Information Systems, Marine Science, and Climate Change. The climate crisis is a complex systems problem, and the solutions require a mix of technology, biology, policy, and social science. The most impactful projects are led by those who can speak multiple disciplinary languages.
• Start local, think global: The biggest change you can make initially is in your own community. Whether it’s advocating in your school, managing waste in your neighbourhood, or researching a local environmental issue, local action is the foundation of global impact. Your community is the best testing ground for sustainable solutions.
• Seek mentorship and network: Connect with leaders and organisations like The Climate Reality Project and research institutions such as USP or FNU (as I have with my ACIAR scholarship). Learning from those who have navigated challenges is invaluable. Build a strong, supportive network, you cannot tackle this crisis alone.