Pacific Island threatened by Climate Change

Landing on Funafuti atoll, some passengers might worry the pilot might miss the tiny landing strip in the Pacific Ocean. Funafuti atoll is a narrow sweep of land between 20 and 400 meters wide, encircling a large lagoon. It consists of almost thirty islets, which in total form an area of about 2.5 square kilometres.

The island state of Tuvalu has a population of around 10,000. Almost half of them live in the capital Funafuti. And now they're literally up to their necks in water. As a result of global warming, the sea level is rising constantly. Luke Paeniu is a retired editor from Radio Tuvalu:

“We’ve learnt that some of the islands have eroded, they’ve disappeared already. We’ve seen that at times, when there’s a king tide, the sea level has gone up further than it used to be in the past. So there are signs of the rising sea level and we should prepare ourselves whether to leave this island or look for another alternative.”

Rising sealevel

In the last five years alone, the sea level has risen by two centimetres. International research has found the sea level could rise by fifty more centimetres in the next sixty years. In which case, Tuvalu would no longer be on the map because today most of Tuvalu lies just above sea level.

Tuvalu’s government is looking for an alternative place to live for the 10,000 inhabitants of the island state. But most don't want to leave, says Panapasi Nelesone secretary to Tuvalu's government:

“No, no, we don’t want to leave Tuvalu – this is our home and we love it. I am sure that you love your country and you want to be in your country forever. And the thing that we should all do is to make sure that we allow people in this country to leave peacefully and to continue to live in this country. We believe that there is still a chance to reverse global warming – we can still reverse that, there is still time. The problem is to try to do it sooner, before it’s too late. So we have to work with the industrialised countries who are contributing to this global warming. These problems were not caused by us, unfortunately; we are the victims of this global phenomenon.”

Religion gives hope

Most Tuvaluans are Christian. Every year, there is a mass to save Tuvalu from sinking. Reverend Kitiona Tausi reads the passage about Noah’s Ark from the Old Testament. He says it gives people hope:

“You know, we have almost 100 percent Christians. People who believe in God, people who have faith in God. Should we believe the scientists or trust God? I agree with the scientific findings, that there is global warming which causes the sea level rise because of our human activities. But as a Christian, and believing in the providence of God, I am sure that God is a loving God and he doesn’t want to destroy the world, he doesn’t want to destroy people, he loves people. And I am sure that God has options and alternatives for us here in Tuvalu.”

The first climate refugees have already left Tuvalu -- mostly for Australia and New Zealand. The number of Tuvaluan immigrants in New Zealand has more than doubled in recent years, to a total of 3,000 people.

Seeking refuge

Fala Haulangi works at a New Zealand radio station. Originally from Tuvalu, she makes a point of regularly talking about climate change on her programme:

“What really concerns me…At the end of the day, I may be ok for now because I am living in New Zealand. But hey, people will still look at my colour and go ‘Hi, where are you from? Which island?’ And I’ll say: ‘I am from Tuvalu.’ And then they will say: ‘And where is that?’ What shall I say: ‘Oh, it has disappeared, or submerged under the sea because of global warming.’ So our identity, our culture, everything will disappear. We may get together here as a community to celebrate when it’s Independence Day or our successes, but it’s different. Definitely, it’s gonna be really hard for us to accept the fact that we’re no longer on the map. And it’s no joke.”