Symbols, Narratives, and Adaptation: A Semiotic Study on the Representation of Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region through The Forgotten Pacific

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-545-4_43How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Climate change; Adaptation; Semiotics; Documentary; Pacific; Environmental Communication

Abstract

Climate change poses a real and escalating threat to coastal and small island communities in the Pacific through sea level rise, coastal erosion, and ecosystem degradation that severely affect livelihoods, cultural identity, and long-term community resilience. The Forgotten Pacific documentary not only delivers factual information, but also constructs deeper layers of meaning through powerful symbols, narrative structures, and visual metaphors. This study employs Roland Barthes’ semiotic analysis to examine the interconnected layers of denotation, connotation, and myth embedded within the film’s imagery, dialogue, and cultural representations. The findings reveal that the sea is portrayed ambivalently as both a source of life, sustenance, and cultural continuity, and simultaneously as a looming threat shaped by climate-induced transformations. Submerged houses, eroded shorelines, and displaced communities become striking metaphors for vulnerability and loss. The main narrative emphasizes resilience, collective resistance, and the significance of traditional ecological knowledge in navigating and adapting to the ongoing impacts of climate change. In conclusion, the film constructs collective myths about the identity, endurance, and survival of island communities, while reinforcing the urgency of global climate action, the ethics of environmental responsibility, and the broader contribution of environmental communication studies.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Alfrisa Renuat
AU  - Tuti Bahfiarti
AU  - Ahmad Ismail
AU  - Putri Erika
AU  - Sholihatunnisa Dwi Kusuma
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/03/13
TI  - Symbols, Narratives, and Adaptation: A Semiotic Study on the Representation of Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region through The Forgotten Pacific
BT  - Proceedings of the World Conference on Governance and Social Sciences 2025 (WCGSS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 636
EP  - 655
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-545-4_43
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-545-4_43
ID  - Renuat2026
ER  -