ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how traditional legal landscapes have been changing in response to the threat of climate change. The author considers the contribution of traditional customary law (kastom) to solving a variety of climate change-related problems in the Pacific, including sea level rise, loss of culture, decline in biodiversity, and loss of arable land. An argument is put that customary law can assist with developing future pathways concerning the security of humans and ecosystems in the region. To demonstrate this, a case study is provided of the Republic of Vanuatu. With its 83 islands, Vanuatu is one of the most susceptible Pacific nations to the effects of climate change. Through the study, the author argues that as modern environmental law struggles to effectively respond to climate change, customary law may aid the process of re-establishing the vital human-nature relationship and bring hope to threatened communities and their island states.
