Climate Change, Watershed Management, and Resiliency to Flooding: A Case Study of Papeno’o Valley, Tahiti Nui (French Polynesia)

Abstract

Mā’ohi communities in Tahiti Nui are adaptive to changing times. Historically, this has been shown through the ways that communities have adapted to changing weather, changing land issues, continuous migration, and Western acculturation. This type of adaptability and knowledge of adaptability will be of use in addressing upcoming climate change issues that Tahiti Nui will face. Papeno’o Valley, Tahiti is prone to yearly flooding due to heavy rains during the rainy season, especially during the months December, January and February. Scientific evidence suggests that global climate is changing, which anticipates that these yearly rainfalls and flooding will increase. In response, ways of adapting to these changing times is necessary and important. A combination of adaptation methods such as community awareness of risks through oral histories, restoring natural floodzones, and managed retreat will help to ensure stability of the people of this valley and the livability of this valley over the long-term, which constitutes as resiliency. This thesis examines the ways in which Mā’ohi communities respond to flooding in Papeno’o, how government agencies respond to flooding in Papeno’o and concludes with how to maximize both efforts into a more collaborative approach for resiliency in the valley.