By Xinhua writers Guo Xinhui, Bai Yongquan, Liu Xiaoyu
SUVA, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Beneath the turquoise waters off Fiji's west coast, a remarkable transformation has been unfolding.
Along a stretch of coastline once scarred by widespread coral bleaching, vibrant reefs are recovering, fish are returning, and a small fishing village is offering a lesson in community-led climate action.
In Naidiri, a village of just 147 residents, years of collective effort have helped revive nearly 10 km of degraded coral coastline, capturing international attention.
Earlier this week, during a ministerial preparatory meeting for the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Fiji, the country officially launched its first National Action Plan for Coral Reef Conservation 2026-2031.
Covering more than 6,000 square km, Fiji's coral reefs sustain island livelihoods, support marine biodiversity and protect coastlines from storm surges, said Sivendra Michael, the country's Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change.
Naidiri's fishers began noticing rising sea temperatures in the 1990s, villager Joseva recalled.
About a decade ago, a powerful El Nino event compounded by global warming triggered severe mass bleaching. Within months, more than 70 percent of the nearby corals had bleached, turning the reef into what Joseva described as an underwater graveyard.
Fish stocks plunged, while the weakened reef offered less protection against storm surges. Village elders warned that without action, the community could disappear within decades.
In early 2020, fishers, elders and young volunteers formed a community restoration team. They established coral nurseries in sheltered waters, collected surviving, potentially heat-tolerant corals, cut them into fragments and transplanted them onto damaged reefs.
"This is a struggle measured in years, against currents and an unpredictable climate," said Manoa Duwai, a Naidiri villager who leads the project.
Several times a week, villagers took boats offshore to tend the corals, facing strong currents, algae growth and unpredictable weather.
A brief marine heatwave in late 2021 caused renewed bleaching, destroying much of their progress.
Yet the villagers continued. Women recorded water temperatures and coral growth, elders shared traditional marine knowledge, and younger residents carried out underwater restoration, Duwai recalled.
By 2023, signs of recovery emerged. Corals survived in the nurseries, while butterflyfish, damselfish and groupers returned to the restoration areas. As the reef regained its capacity to absorb wave energy, storm impacts eased and local fish catches gradually improved.
An underwater survey in 2025 found that live coral cover had returned to a healthy level, according to villagers. For residents, seeing fish swim among colorful coral branches marked the return of a marine ecosystem once feared lost.
Duwai has since shared the village's experience in Australia, Canada, Sweden, South Africa and elsewhere.
In November 2025, the Naidiri Marine Biodiversity Park, established by local villagers, received the 2nd OceanLove Innovation Award at the Blue Economy World Congress.
The village's story has gained renewed attention during Fiji's Pre-COP31, highlighting how local communities can contribute to climate action through sustained efforts to protect the ecosystems on which they depend.
"While many places are still debating the costs of action, Pacific islanders have long been diving beneath the waves, writing the most vivid and heartfelt answers to global climate governance," said Inia Seruiratu, the Pacific Ocean Envoy for COP31. ■
