Staying in Place: Building Cultural Security in a Changing Climate

Sep 9, 2026 | Claudia Fry and Selai Maramanisoso
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As the Pacific prepares to host pre-COP31, the region has a unique opportunity to advance dialogue on peace and security through a Pacific-led climate-peace nexus. Here, the concept of cultural security is gaining prominence, referring to the maintenance and restoration of interrelated elements of cultural identity, social cohesion, and people–place relationships in the face of profound environmental and societal change. This builds on longstanding advocacy from Pacific scholars, activists, and community leaders calling for the centring of Indigenous and local relational knowledge, philosophies, and cultural practices in climate policy.