Mark Boe | Project Survival Pacific International Team | Vanuatu | 5th October 2011
The small island developing states of the South Pacific have been described to be at the “global front line” in the struggle to adapt to climate change. Some of these island states are more vulnerable than others. Whilst climate change clearly poses an acute danger to low-lying atoll nations such as Tuvalu and Kiribati, whose long-term viability may be, threatened, its consequences for larger and more mountainous island countries are less clear. Here, I consider the impact of climate change on one such country – my country of birth, my home – the Republic of Vanuatu and this is my story!
Pacific Climate Impacts – Vanuatu
Vanuatu comprises of a chain of high volcanic islands in the south-western Pacific with a total land area of 12,190 km². The climate is tropical and generally wet, though there are marked seasonal and regional differences in rainfall. Vanuatu’s relatively sparse population of 224,564 is composed mainly of indigenous Melanesians, 80% of whom are rural and lead isolated, traditional lives. Vanuatu is classified by the United Nations as a Least Developed Country due to its high economic vulnerability. The country is highly prone to natural disasters such as cyclones, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions and like most small island states it has a very narrow economic base. Over 65% of its people rely on subsistence agriculture, while the remainder depend on a few key industries, of which the most valuable is tourism. Staple foods include yam, taro and banana while the main cash crops are coconuts, kava (grog) and cocoa. Forestry, fishing and the raising of livestock are also important sources of income.
As time passes by, I see the changes occurring to the community and the environment. Climatic changes are so complex that the Vanuatu people & I are new to it and its occurring faster than expected. Moving around to my neighbouring islands they are facing the same issues & impacts of climate change. We’ve faced drought, failing agricultural yields, more cyclones, heavy rainfalls, soil erosion, flooding and storms. This has lead to increased health problems such as malaria because of the increased population of mosquitoes.
I live on the island of Maewo Island located in the Penama Province in the Northern part of Vanuatu. This area contains mountains mostly at the central parts of the island and the coastlines are covered with few black and white sandy beaches and white and black corals. Most villages located on the western coast have amazingly beautiful water falls.
Returning to my home island after spending over two years studying at schools on the other islands, I can see climate change at the door steps. Road being damaged by rain falls, long drought causing cracks in the ground, soil erosion, floods, small gardens close by fail to produce any yield due to infertile soil from unstable climatic conditions. Our food crops, cash crops and other plants are washed away, failing yield & rotting of crops. Water taros, which we depend mostly on for food, rot during drought. Fruit trees delay in bearing fruits; chickens and piglets dying because of heat waves, change growth rates; ecosystem being spoil and soil become infertile due to heavy rainfalls that result in soil erosion as well flood. Our parents and the people in the villages are angry because their hard work are being wasted.
Climate Change on Mark’s island. Picture: Mark Boe
Although life seemed relaxing on the islands, things were not right deep down in the hearts & minds of the people. It was the time that I realized that we are vulnerable to climate change after all theses years hearing it from the radio but not really able to comprehend the concept till this moment in my life.
We depend heavily on our natural resources. So when droughts, floods, unexpected rainfalls, extreme cyclones caused as a result of climate change make our resources scare, it drastically affects the quality of our traditional lifestyle. More severe climate disasters are being predicted. Life in Vanuatu will become worse and we , the people of the Pacific, will more be struggling more than we are right now for our survival.
Climate change is worsening the difficulties we Pacific islanders face everyday. We need your big countries with big factories and industries to reduce the extent of exploiting this earth. We need your big factories in your big countries to reduce your carbon emissions that science says are responsible for climate change.
For us in the Pacific, adaptation is now essential and we require national and international support to do it successfully. Will you just continue to increase the carbon emission into the atmosphere and let us small island country suffers the consequences of climate change or will you act to help sustain the lives of all living creatures on this planet, including us humans? Please reconsider our lives and do something about your emissions.
We love our country and our lives are worth more than your emission producing companies. We have not lost hope yet. We know that we all can move this world towards sustainability. So please help us safe our lives, our islands, our culture, our identity and all that we stand for…..IT IS A MATTER OF OUR SURVIVAL !!
