The 2,000 residents of the Carteret Islands in Papua New Guinea are now some of the world’s first climate change refuges, as rising sea levels driven by global warming have claimed their island homes. The residents of the low-lying South Pacific atolls have given up their 20-year losing fight against rising seas and will be resettled elsewhere in Papua New Guinea.
[From Pacific Islands Report:]
The Carteret Islands are almost invisible on a map of the South Pacific, but the horseshoe scattering of atolls in eastern-most Papua New Guinea is on the front line of climate change, as rising sea levels and storm surges eat away at their existence.
For 20 years, the 2,000 islanders living there have fought a losing battle against the ocean, building sea walls and trying to plant mangroves. Each year, the waves surge in higher, destroying vegetable gardens, washing away homes and contaminating fresh water supplies.
[Image: View of Huene Island in the Carteret's. Huene used to be one island but has now been bisected by rising seas. Fallen coconut trees in the foreground (on Iolassa Island) are also caused by the erosion of the coastline. Han Island, the largest in the group is in the distance.]
Recently, Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare appropriated PGK4.1 million [US$1.4 million] to resettle PNG villagers affected by global warming.
The funding was part of a PGK1.6 billion [US$569 million] supplementary budget handed down by Treasury and Finance Minister Patrick Pruaitch.
Out of the PGK4.1 million funding, PGK2 million [US$712,000] will go to the Bougainville Autonomous Region’s Carteret Islanders.
The local Bougainville government has an ongoing resettlement program which it hopes to complete by the end of the year.
Rising sea levels will not only displace human populations. Coral reefs are expected to be affected by changes in ocean levels and sea surface temperatures.
As a result, the communities that depend upon these marine resources will be affected as well.
PNG’s Carteret islanders are destined to become some of the world’s first climate change refugees. Their islands are becoming uninhabitable, and may soon disappear below the waves.
A decision has been made to move the islanders to the larger nearby Bougainville Island, a four-hour boat ride to the southwest.
Ten families at a time will be moved once funds are released for the resettlement program.
An IPCC has predicted that average sea levels are likely to rise between 9cm and 88cm (3.5 to 35 inches) by 2100.
This is just another clear indication that climate change is happening NOW. I think that we need to get out of this mentality that climate change is 10,15,20 years off and accept the reality that we are already feeling the impacts. I think that might help spur people to action. This, and the mega fires in california, drought in the Southeast, tornado in Brooklyn are just among some of the signs that we are already living in a climate change impacted world. The question is, how much worse does it need to get before we take action?
As a fellow Floridian, I am also worrided about rising sea levels and the greater chance of hurricanes. At the same time, I can sympathize with those who are looking for the simplest and least expensive path of action. In other words, it is easy to convince folks to change to compact fluorescents, but difficult to give up coal (hence the focus on carbon sequestration). The climate youth movement has to think about how far you want to go and how to get buy-in from the “regular folks”.
How much has sea-level risen in the past 20 years?
The Carteret Islanders were first resettled in the early 1980s, with the inudation problem having been felt for several years, probably because of island subsidence. The islanders did not like their new site on Bougainville and were beginning to return to their homeland before the civil war commenced. War made life on Bougainville untenable, but the islands’ problems remained unchanged. The end of the civil war has enabled re-resettlement – not climate change. This is not to deny the reality of climate change, but the Carteret Islanders case is more complex than ‘climate change’ refugee status.