Global Design Competition Launches to Address Climate Challenges in Fiji's Island Communities

A groundbreaking global design competition has been launched to address the pressing climate challenges faced by island coastal communities, with a focus on Fiji. The Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI) has announced LAGI 2025 Fiji, a competition that calls for creative solutions to develop sustainable and regenerative energy and water systems for these vulnerable regions.

The competition, which opens on January 6, 2025, and closes on May 5, 2025, is centered on Marou Village in the Yasawa archipelago of Fiji. This coastal community, like many others, faces increasing threats from climate change, including stronger cyclones, rising sea levels, warming waters, biodiversity loss, prolonged droughts, and major flood events.

LAGI 2025 Fiji seeks designs for artworks in the landscape that will provide clean and reliable electricity and water, support sustainable tourism, and contribute to building a resilient future for generations to come. The competition's significance lies in its potential to create a replicable model for designing, implementing, and operating renewable energy and water systems in island communities worldwide.

Two winning teams will each receive a $100,000 USD stipend to advance their design proposals and build functioning prototypes in Fiji. Based on the success of these prototypes, one project may be selected for full-scale implementation as a pilot project with Marou Village, in coordination with local authorities and funding partners.

The competition's impact extends beyond Fiji, as it aims to shift the paradigm of the energy-water nexus for island communities globally. By creating innovative and aesthetic design solutions with people and place at the center of the process, LAGI 2025 Fiji could inspire similar initiatives in other climate-vulnerable regions.

Ilisari Naqau Nasau, the Sauturaga and Acting Chief of Marou Village, expressed gratitude for the competition, highlighting its potential to bring electricity and water infrastructure to Marou and Yasawa School, benefiting many generations to come.

LAGI co-founders Elizabeth Monoian and Robert Ferry emphasized the competition's goal of establishing a new model for co-creation, implementation, and operation of renewable energy and freshwater storage systems. They envision the pilot project giving back to the community through clean electricity and freshwater, economic development from tourism, and additional creative uses for education, recreation, or community gathering.

The competition is open to a wide range of participants, including professional designers, university professors, students, artists, and anyone passionate about designing for a better world. This inclusivity ensures a diverse pool of ideas and perspectives, potentially leading to more innovative and effective solutions.

LAGI 2025 Fiji's outcomes will be communicated through a publication, exhibition, and a program of community engagement events throughout Fiji and around the world. This dissemination of knowledge and ideas aims to inspire the public about the possibilities of a world beyond carbon while demonstrating creative adaptations to a rapidly shifting climate.

The competition's focus on combining art with sustainable infrastructure highlights the growing recognition of the need for holistic approaches to climate adaptation. By integrating aesthetic considerations with functional design, LAGI 2025 Fiji could set a new standard for how communities approach renewable energy and water projects.

As climate change continues to pose significant threats to coastal and island communities worldwide, initiatives like LAGI 2025 Fiji become increasingly crucial. The competition not only addresses immediate needs in Fiji but also contributes to the global dialogue on sustainable development and climate resilience. The innovative solutions emerging from this competition could potentially inform policy-making, urban planning, and infrastructure development in vulnerable regions around the world.