Pacific island countries (PICs), including Fiji, face increased risks from climate change due to their small land areas, geographic isolation, and reliance on climate-sensitive sectors [1]. These structural factors, combined with their limited adaptive capacity, place them among the most vulnerable climate regions worldwide [2]. According to the World Risk Index 2021, Oceania was identified as the most risk-exposed region globally and ranks Fiji as the 14th out of 181 countries [3]. Climate change in this region increasingly manifests through intense storms, prolonged droughts, erratic precipitation patterns, and rising sea levels, which amplify the effects of storm surges and king tides [4]. Changes in meteorological conditions including temperature, precipitation, and humidity have the potential to alter pathogen survival, modify vector and host behaviours, and shift patterns of human exposure pathways [5]. These effects are particularly pronounced for waterborne diseases, which are highly sensitive to short-term weather variability and extreme hydrological events such as floods and droughts.
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