SUVA, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- More than 40 villages will be displaced in the next couple of years, said Duke of Sussex Prince Harry on Wednesday in his royal tour to Fiji.

Speaking in Colo-i-Suva forest during the unveiling of a plaque, Prince Harry said since 2012, five more villages in Fiji have been moved due to rising water level.

He said climate change is having a significant impact on Fiji and a profound effect on people's lives and it should not be ignored.

In the next 18 months, 10 more villages in Fiji will be relocated and within the next couple of years over 40 villages will be displaced, he stressed.

As of last week, 42 of the 53 Commonwealth nations joined the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy project which is aimed at planting new forests, he added.

The project is an initiative that began in 2015 as part of a network of forest conservation programmes throughout the 53 countries of the Commonwealth nations.

Prince Harry also unveiled a plaque dedicating it to the project and planted a tree in Colo-i-Suva.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who started their Fiji tour on Tuesday, will visit the island nation of Tonga on Thursday.

This is the couple's first major official tour outside Britain. The 16-day visit to the four Commonwealth nations focuses on youth leadership, environmental and conservation efforts.