What can "we" do to help them?

The Pacific community is very much concerned about our neighboring countries, Kiribati and Tuvalu that are facing the threats of climate change.

However, there is a lot more that the Pacific as a whole can do rather than showing concerns towards these people. First and foremost, the Pacific community should get together to discuss their issues and concerns.

All this while it has been the developed countries holding conference in Mexico and Copenhagen however, nothing has been done yet to help cater for these people. Hence, the Pacific community should give a helping hand and come up with immediate and responsive actions.

The fact is the islands are going under water and one day there will be no Kiribati and Tuvalu. What the Pacific community can do is give homes to these people. The Pacific community should accept them and give them new homes.

What the Pacific community can do is allow a certain number of people in a particular country. For example, Fiji can accept 1,000 people from Kiribati. Other Pacific Island countries can do the same.

In this way these people will have a future, a bright future for their children. And not waking up every day and thinking, where will we go? Do we have a future? What will happen to my children who don’t even know anything about climate change? Where will they go to?

We are known as the Pacific Islanders because of the bond we share. And if one of our family member is going through tough times than we should go ahead and help our family. This is speaking from a Pacific mentality.

But we cannot completely deny the fact that the developed countries are not giving a helping hand in this. They are trying their best because they are the emitters of green house gas. Therefore, they are ones who have led to climate change.

An initiative by one of the prominent Universities in Japan has raised new hopes for the survival of Kiribati.

The poor nation is facing a bill of $947 million just to protect infrastructure from the effects of climate change, and has yet to come up with viable alternatives to relocate some of the population.

A team of five Professors from Nihon University conducted a broad research and came up with a countermeasure of the problem of climate change in Kiribati. They suggested having the island country that exists, on the floating structures.

So far, the university has held two seminar series in Japan. Nihon University in the 1^st International Symposium of Ocean Space in 2010 invited the President of Kiribati, Anote Tong and made a preposition to him.

One of the academics from the University of the South Pacific was invited to attend the 2^nd International Symposium of Ocean Space 2011. Dr. Joeli Veitayaki, Associate Professor of Marine Studies was invited to talk on climate change adaptation issues in the Pacific Islands.

However, the only drawback is the funds. So let’s say the Pacific Islanders are dependent on the developed countries for funds. This will be something to see if the project is successful. Let’s hope for the best and for a brighter future for Kiribati.

What has happened so far? And what is yet to happen?

Pacific Island Countries are the most vulnerable countries of the world to the most adverse effects of climate change. Climate change is already affecting the Pacific Island Countries. Some are already in danger of dying out while some are facing the effects of climate change which is consequently devastating.

So let’s look at “What has happened so far?” Climate change, ozone depletion and sea level rise are not terms which have just come out of nowhere. Kiribati and Tuvalu are the very famous Pacific Island Countries known for its suffering due to climate change and ozone depletion. These Pacific Island Countries are going through “hell”. Sea level rise is at its peak, affecting the vegetation due to salt water intrusion, increase in coastal erosion, unpredictable weather patterns such as droughts and tropical cyclones are just too much for these people.

People are crying out there in these Pacific Island Countries. They feel helpless at times when they think of “relocation”. The beautiful paradise like island, where their ancestors lived, they grew up and their children were brought up, how will they leave their beautiful paradise? And where will they go to?

These are some questions most likely to be thought by the people in Kiribati and Tuvalu. Climate change is affecting all aspects of people’s lives. It is affecting the vegetation due to salt water intrusion, crops die out therefore, improper supply of root crops. This in turn, has done great damage to food security in Kiribati and Tuvalu.

The ecosystem, which is the most important component of food in Pacific Island Countries, is also in great danger. Temperature change will affect the coral reefs and mangrove which are home and a source of food for the marine organisms. Unpredictable events such as cyclones will also cause damage to the ecosystem. This however will affect food security.

And the most necessary component for us, humans’ water is also in immense danger. Climate change has led to salt water intrusion in wells. Therefore, people are finding it difficult to get access to safe drinking water. Unpredictable events such as tropical cyclones and droughts are normally very catastrophic.

The Pacific is in fact without a doubt one of the world’s most vulnerable regions when it comes to risk of disaster due to climate change, particularly several of the low-lying coral islands. Climate change is already affecting Pacific Islands with dramatic revenue loss across sectors such as agriculture, water resources, forestry, tourism and other industry-related sectors. 

One of the Pacific Island Countries, Tuvalu is already getting a glimpse of this catastrophe. Tuvalu is at the moment going through a major drought. This has affected nearly the whole population in Tuvalu. The people haven’t received any rain since last November. I feel sorry for these people. And I show my sincere commiseration towards them.

Looking at what is yet to happen, will be even more shattering. Sea level rise will continue to take place, salt water intrusion, unpredictable events, scarcity of root crops and marine organisms will also die out. People will be suffering in these Pacific Island Countries. Sooner or later they will have to relocate or die with the island.  And Kiribati and Tuvalu will eventually die out. The two paradises will diminish one day. 

Tuvalu and Climate Change

After Kiribati, the next Pacific Island which faces real danger of diminishing due to climate change is Tuvalu. Tuvalu is made up of nine low-lying tiny coral atolls. It caters for approximately 10,000 people. 

The people of Tuvalu face a bleak and uncertain future through no fault of their own. The small island nation is an insignificant contributor to the green house gas emissions that is heating up the planet and changing up the climate.   

The island nation has already started to feel the adverse effects of climate change. The whole of the nation is at risk of losing its identity and most importantly their "home". 

Sea level rise, salt water intrusion into groundwater, increase in coastal erosion, increase in tropical cyclones and most importantly severe droughts is the evidence that climate change is happening and very rapidly. 

Drought is the most recent problem in Tuvalu. The weather forecast since November has just been sunshine not even light showers. This is one of the impacts of climate change. 

Some few years back people did not want to accept that climate change was happening even some did not expect that climate change would one day become a major and catastrophic problem. 

Little did they know that the only way out of this dilemma would be to relocate. 

We don’t want to leave this place. We don’t want to leave, it’s our land, our God given land, it is our culture, we can’t leave. People won’t leave until the very last minute.

These are the very words of one of the Tuvaluan's who is in great dilemma. They do not want to live their island nation. It is they origin, home of ancestors and their culture. 

The Tuvaluan's will become the world's first refugees of climate change. New Zealand has agreed to accept the refugees but under very unsympathetic conditions.

But although New Zealand has agreed to a 30-year immigration program, taking 75 Tuvaluans per year, not every Tuvaluan threatened by sea level rise is allowed to participate. The applicant must be of good character and health, have basic English skills, have a job offer in New Zealand, and be under 45 years of age.

So the question to be posed here is :What about the old ones? How will they survive? Where will they go? Every individual has in some way contributed towards climate change. So this is for everyone of us to think about. 

Climate Change in the Pacific

Climate change is an issue which is affecting people globally but its major impacts are seen in the Pacific. The Pacific, which is just a small dot on the world map is now facing the drastic effects of climate change. One of the Pacific Island Country facing major threat due to climate change is Kiribati. It is indeed, very sad to say that our small beautiful island nation is in real danger of diminishing.
Lets  look at Kiribati: 

 We are among the most vulnerable of the vulnerable. Even a marginal increase in sea levels will be disastrous for our country's future. It is doubtful that any other country feels the effects of climate change as much as we do. In Kiribati, the entire nation faces real danger—our own survival is at stake as a people, as a unique and vibrant culture and as a sovereign nation.

Some of the effects of climate change in Kiribati are: Degradation of fresh water supply, erosion of coastal areas, degradation of arable land and crop and harmful effects on public health.

Fresh water is in very short supply in Kiribati due to salt water intrusion. Climate change has led to all the fresh water in wells being mixed up in salt water.

The whole of the island nation of Kiribati is coastal. Right now the i-kiribati are experiencing massive coral erosion. This had caused them to move their homes more inland. 

It has also led to major health problems in Kiribati. Some of the health problems are diarrhoea, malnutrition and dengue fever. This has rapidly increased in Kiribati due to increase in temperature and change in rainfall.

However, we can't say that Kiribati is sitting idle. They are playing their role. This could be proved through the various strategies that they have  adapted to cope with climate change.

CSP Education Manager and World Wild Life Fund (WWF) Climate Change Witness, Ben Namakin talks 

of the adaptation strategies.

There is an agreement between the Australian and the Kiribati Government to send students from Kiribati to study in Australia to do Nursing Programme.

Upon completion of the Programme, students can stay there and contribute to the economy of the country they are sent to.

A total of 70 students are sent every year however, this Programme has eventually stopped from this year.

Namakin said if this is the way the adaptation strategy works then what about the ones who are uneducated, what about the ones who do not go to school only survive over the ocean and over the land. “How are they going to contribute to Australia’s economy if they are to relocate to Australia one day?,” he said.

This is very sad to say that our "own" neighbouring countries are not willing to help us. When they are the ones who have played a major role in contributing to climate change.