Climate change takes toll on Malaita Outer Islands

Published in the Island Sun Newspaper, 18 July 2013 - The focus now is on the beautiful, white sandy but highly vulnerable islands of Sikaiana and Lord Howe in Malaita Province.

Recent reports and records have shown that most of these islands are facing shoreline erosion and submerging of coastal lands at a much faster pace than was witnessed less than 10 years ago.

Leaders and the people of these vulnerable islands have also spoken and are sharing the realities about how much these changes in the earth’s climate have destroyed their normal ways of living.

Other reports have revealed that islands within these two regions are now at stake and have also highlighted the need for those living on them to be relocated.

However, the question is, when?

This is a question that neither the national government, nor the provincial administration has an answer to, but are said to be working around the clock to secure funds to carry out the plan.

Reports are also revealing that it was heartening for the Sikaiana and Lord Howe people to hear their local government announcing plans of relocation for them, but in between the line, questions were asked, where and when will they be relocated.

However, another threat that is also realized in this is the changing of power within the local administration, now that its current leader is facing wide criticisms and calls for his replacement.

It was heartening at the same time for non-dwellers of these islands to hear that almost all of the dwellers in these islands have made up their minds to let go of what they use to and where they use to call home and move out.

This in some instance would make tasks much easier for whatever relocation plans, but it would then become a tough task for local authorities to execute the plans in a flash, now that more than 80 percent in for the plan.

It is for this very reason why the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) program has come out with ways to adapt to these changes.

However, for the case of Sikaiana and Lord Howe, the initiative is more of an adaptation program while in most of it is more of a waiting process.

Casper Supa of PACC explained that with regards to high tendency of islands being submerged and the current work PACC is doing, the government has its long term plan for such issues, (Relocation) and this might take time as there needs to be proper national assessment carried out, negotiations by the governments and provincials governments or even funds to relocate these peoples.

However, the PACC Project Coordinator pointed out that for the time being, while these processes and under-takings are currently going on, projects such as PACC, donor projects including government related programs and others intervene to assist with the situation, better than waiting for the relocation program to take place.

So, one might see this today and think, their places are safe from all these impacts of climate change, which include rising sea or erosion, but think about it this way, climate change does not just have impacts on the sea but it also has impacts on the atmosphere.

And note that ones the atmosphere is affected, it will have directly or indirectly affect your food crops and other land resources.

“Never know, it might be the outer islands of Malaita now, maybe your regions would be next”.

For more news on the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change Project 
For more information on the news article please contact Casoer Supa the Solomon Island PACC Officer -
[email protected]