From Banyan roots to satellite views, Salote’s journey through geospatial science

Published on SPC's website and the Fiji Times.

A young Fijian geospatial scientist trains Pacific women to map their vanua and seas, blending traditional knowledge with modern tools to build climate resilience.

Roots in the Vanua

On the coastline of Navutulevu in the province of Serua, Salote Covilati first dreamt of a life closely bound to the environment. The scent of salt spray and the rustle of lush leaves framed her childhood. Yet her path, like the twisted roots of an old banyan, reached nourishment in unexpected directions.

“I always loved geography,” Salote recalls, her voice warm and thoughtful. "But my initial plan was environmental science until I discovered geospatial science. It felt like a hidden doorway opened."

Finding her map

Salote graduated from the University of the South Pacific (USP) in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in Geospatial Science in the Analyst Pathway and is currently the Pacific Geospatial Women Network Technical Assistant within the Geoscience, Energy and Maritime (GEM) Division at the Pacific Community (SPC). Her family offered steady support, although geospatial mapping was foreign to them.

“They didn't exactly know what GIS was, but when I explained it, their trust never wavered,” she smiles.

Salote stepped into a field historically dominated by men, where Pacific women rarely ventured. But as tides inevitably shift, so does representation. “We’re seeing more women now, and it's inspiring,” she says, highlighting her role model, Ms Leba Gaunavinaka, who now serves Fiji’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.

"Geospatial mapping is basically making sense of what’s happening on the ground, using maps,” she explains. “For Pacific islands, cyclones, floods, and sea‑level rise aren’t abstract. They’re personal, they are real!”

Bridging islands and generations

In her role, Salote trains and supports women in rural communities, empowering them through digital mapping tools to protect mangroves, replant coconuts, and sustain crab farms. “These women start mapping their villages for the first time,” she shares with a spark of pride. "Seeing their confidence bloom is extraordinary. They move from hesitant participants to local leaders. That's powerful.”

This empowerment also profoundly impacts Salote. “It’s made me passionate about amplifying women's voices, especially where traditionally they've been muted,” she reflects, her tone carrying an earnest resolve. "We’re bridging gaps, generational, gendered, technological."

PGWN piloted their project in the villages of Votua in Ba and the village of Daku in Tailevu, which showcased intergenerational knowledge exchange. Younger participants learnt from the older participants about life in the community before technology, which also included some traditional practices, such as traditional crab harvesting. Elders taught younger women about traditional crab harvesting cycles and native plant cultivation, illustrating how traditional wisdom layers insight no satellite can capture.

Salote has been actively involved in community-based validation of Digital Earth Pacific products, particularly mangroves, during PGWN community training sessions held in various villages throughout Fiji. Currently, Salote and PGWN is supporting the Earth and Oceans Observations Programme (EOO) in implementing the GIZ/MACBLUE Project to address management and conservation challenges associated with blue carbon ecosystems in Pacific Island countries.

“Traditional knowledge adds layers no satellite can capture," Salote emphasises passionately. "Maps can't speak of seasons or fishing grounds, only the community can.”

Looking ahead

Salote envisions geospatial tools becoming common among Pacific youth, elders, and leaders alike, narrowing the gap between grassroots voices and government halls. Her dream? To find a way to use geospatial technology to stand in that gap and translate village realities into national action.

When asked for advice on how to navigate a male-dominated field, Salote doesn’t hesitate. “Forget about labels,” she insists gently yet firmly. "Think of geospatial science simply as a tool, your tool to solve the problems you deeply care about."

Her maternal grandmother’s words anchor her convictions:

"The knowledge we have is never ours alone; it’s God's." This mantra guides her through uncertainty, grounding her ambitions in faith and humility.

Proud moments

Salote's proudest professional moment came when her early maps featured prominently in a gender analysis report for Kiribati fisheries, a testament to her immediate impact. Later, her team's efforts placed their project among SPC’s top five innovative initiatives.

Interest has already been expressed from Samoa, Kiribati, and beyond in similar women-led mapping workshops. "This work isn’t just about maps; it’s about empowerment," Salote concludes warmly. "It's about seeing our communities thrive, not from afar, but up close, one map at a time."

Salote recalls her grandmother sitting around the dining table, reminding her of some words of wisdom that she still lives by:

"Mo vuli vakaukauwa, io mo kakua ni guilecava na Kalou, okoya ka solia na vuku" "Work hard (or study hard) but never forget God because he is the one that gave wisdom"

As Salote navigates this intricate ocean of opportunity, she reminds us that new horizons often lie just beyond the edges of our maps, waiting to be discovered and waiting to transform us.