Fiji, Aug. 1 -- Fiji's Speaker of Parliament Filimone Jitoko has delivered a blunt message at a global gathering of parliamentary leaders, warning that small island nations like Fiji are on the frontlines of climate change and are already paying the price.

Speaking at a side event of the 6th World Conference of Speakers in Geneva titled "Climate Realities Across SIDS: Parliamentary Leadership on the Frontlines", Jitoko did not mince words.

"We're not just talking climate change; we're living it, every day," he said.

He described the harsh realities facing Fiji, including rising sea levels, saltwater intrusion destroying crops, and communities forced to abandon ancestral lands.

"Imagine your shoreline slowly vanishing. Saltwater creeps...