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Pacific Islands, many relatively remote and small, have been occupied by people for more than 3000 years during which time they experienced climate‐driven environmental changes (both slow and rapid onset) that challenged human survival and led to the evolution of place‐based coping strategies expressed through traditional knowledge (TK). In today's globalized Pacific Islands region, into which western worldviews and global adaptation strategies have made significant inroads, most plans for coping with climate‐changed futures are founded in science‐based understandings of the world that undervalue and sideline TK. Many such plans have proved difficult to implement as a consequence. This paper reviews the nature of extant Pacific TK for coping with climate change, something that includes TK for anticipating climate change (including climate variability and climate extremes) as well as ancillary TK associated with food and water security, traditional ecological knowledge, environmental conservation, and settlement and house construction that represent coping strategies. Much of this TK can be demonstrated as being effective with precedents in other (traditional) contexts and a compelling plausible scientific basis. This study demonstrates that Pacific Islands TK for coping with climate change has value and, especially because of its place‐based nature, should be central to future climate‐change adaptation strategies to enhance their uptake, effectiveness and sustainability. To this end, this paper proposes specific ways forward to optimize the utility of TK and ensure it has a realistic role in sustaining Pacific Island communities into the future. This article is categorized under:Climate, History, Society, Culture > Ideas and KnowledgePaleoclimates and Current Trends > Modern Climate ChangeAssessing Impacts of Climate Change > Observed Impacts of Climate Change Ol Pasifik Aelan, plante oli smol mo oli stap wanwan, oli bin gat man i stap long olgeta blong moa long 3000 yia long wan taem we oli bin go tru long ol jenis long envaeromen long ol aelan ia we klaemet nao i mekem (i tekem ples slo mo kwiktaem) mo hemia i jalenjem laef blong ol man long taem ia mo i mekem se oli statem blong kamap wetem ol fasin blong laef wetem ol jenis ia folem wanem aelan oli stap long hem. Ol fasin ia yumi kolem se “traditional knowledge—TK” long Inglis o tradisinol noledj. Long wol blong tedei long Pasifik Aelan rijen, plante plan blong dil wetem wan fiutja we klaemet jenis i jenisim hem i bes plante long ol save blong saens mo hemia i pusum TK i go long wan saed. Hemia yumi luk from ol tingting blong westen wol mo ol strateji o fasin blong faenem wan solusen blong raon wol adaptesen (olsem wanem blong get yus long hem) i afektem. Plante long ol plan ia i had lelebet blong karemaot from hemia. Pepa ia bae i lukluk long hao Pasifik TK we yumi stap yusum finis i stap dil wetem klaemet jenis, wan samting we i yusum TK long klaemet jenis we bae i kam yet (hemia i minim hao klaemet i stap jenis bigwan mo olsem wanem klaemet i muvmuv i go nogud olgeta) mo tu ol nara TK long saed blong kakae mo wota sikiuriti, tradisonel noledj long saed blong fisikel ples mo ol laef we i stap long hem, konsevesen blong envaeromen, mo setelmen mo konstraksen blong ol haos we i soem hao we yumi stap dil wetem situesen olsem. Plante long ol TK ia yumi save luk se hem i wok gud wetem ol nara (tradisenol) situesen we i stap finis mo luksave mo akseptem tru long ol stadi blong saens. Stadi ia i soemaot se Pasifik Aelan TK i gat valiu long saed blong folem mo dil wetem klaemet jenis, from yumi dil wetem long wanwan aelan, mo hemia i sud kam stamba tingting taem yumi kamap wetem ol solusen blong klaemet‐jenis long fiutja, olsem ia yumi save yusum gud samting we i stap finis, i saksesful mo holem taet i stap. Blong kasem hemia, pepa ia i lukluk long ol invesmen we Pasifik TK we ol i niu mo olgeta we i stap long taem naoia. Pepa ia i putumaot ol stret fasin blong folem i go blong yusum mo mekem sua se i gat wan stret mo tru wok blong hem blong holem taet ol Pasifik Aelan komuniti i go long fiutja. Top left x 2—water‐conserving taro terracing (Fiji). Top center—emmakfor water security (Marshall Islands). Top right – augural clouds resemble the stomach of the buff‐banded rail (Fiji). Center right—Tonga Meteorological Service logo shows lofa talamatangi(frigate bird) whose presence over land indicates cyclone. Bottom right—cyclone house (Vanuatu). Bottom left—traditional bure(Fiji).