For my assignment i chose the Pacific Islands as my region. These low lying coral atolls are situated south of the tropic of Cancer.The Islands are home to thousands of people. These low lying areas are being threatened by rising sea levels caused by Global Warming.
Climate change is having a serious effect on the regions economy. Rising sea levels are contaminating the fragile fresh water table, which is the life line of the these small islands. When this happens the locals depend on their rainwater supplies. Standing crops are destroyed by the salinity. Some farmers from Tuvalu are planting their crops inside tin containers, in order to provide them with fresh water. In Tonga, a collection of 175 small islands, the rise and sea level has already contaminated the ground water. that along with frequent drought has forced Tonga into importing bottled water for the last 2 years.Tuvalu is now at such an extreme where the population is importing their food. As they import, the consumption grows and more and more money is spent on food. Different products get imported which in turn, is changing the diet of the local people. with all this food being imported more waste is being created.
Climate change is having a detrimental effect on the tourism of these small countries. Tourism is the main source of income of most of these small island nations. The oceans of the world absorb Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. When this happens a very weak carbonic acid is created. with more Carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere the more carbonic acid is being produced. the PH level of the ocean is being lowered, from up to 0.1 to 8.2, we could see it going another 0.5 by 2100. As the acidity of the ocean increases the corals are slowly dying. Tourists from all over the world come to the pacific each year to snorkel and dive on the pristine coral reefs. This in turn created employment and revenue to the island people. When the coral reefs die, a major source of income will be cut off, and the people forced to find new way of income.
Rising temperatures are linked to disease in regional ares of the world, and the pacific is no different. With the temperature warming mosquito's breeding cycle is shortening meaning they can breed faster. this is posing a greater threat of malaria. dengue fever is also spread through mosquito. Although cholera is not an epidemic, rising temperatures may increase the occurrence of the disease.
With the sea level rising, erosion of the beaches is becoming more serious each year. During strong tropical storms, tidal surges can inundate the low lying island of Tuvalu. Cutting of power and roads for up to a week at a time. Climate change could mean increased number of tropical storms in the area. Traditional fisherman villages are being forced from the coast further inland to avoid the coastal erosion. Bikeman island a local fisherman's guide to harbour, has now been flooded to under knee deep water. Within 50 years the islands of Tuvalu are expected to be inhabitable. The people are all ready being evacuated with five hundred residing in New Zealand alone. New Zealand has agreed to settle seventy five people a year from Tuvalu, the Australian government has refused to offer refuge to Tuvalu citizens.
Collapsing Eco-systems
Coral Reefs protect the islands from large waves, protecting the beaches from further erosion. By protecting and developing our coral reefs we not only provide tourism, but protection against erosion. But still the beaches are so eroded on Tuvalu that sand is being imported from Australia to sustain the beaches. when the reefs die the numerous number of fish that live there and depend on the reef die. the reefs fish provide a large amount of Tuvaluan food. the increased sea level temperatures cause coral bleaching. this is when the corals release the algaes which give them their colour and die. Causing coral building creatures to die.
People in this region are adapting to the crisis with a number of different ways. Tuvalu is spending a large amount of its annual salary on having a permanent ambassador to the united nations. this allows Tuvalu to raise issues to the whole world.http://www.tuvaluislands.com/un/2007/un_2007-04-17.html. On a smaller scale people living on the coastline build small sea walls in front of their homes to try hold back the oceans on stormy days. These may not be effective in the long term but are important to the people's well being in the short term. Governments who cut down on their carbon emissions are not only slowing global warming but the rise of the sea level as well. The Kyoto Protocol has been signed by most of the industrialised nations of the world, who will cut down their carbon emissions by 5% by 2010. foreign countries are providing financial aide to the pacific islands to help feed the people, repair infrastructure damaged by erosion and provide alternative places for people to live. money is also being provided to create ways to prepare the islanders against climate related events such as storm surges. more money is being invested into sea walls and drainage systems.
Future Prediction
The Tuvaluan government believes that within 50 years the islands could disappear all together. Being the first country wiped off the map do to climate change. 11,800 people are going to need a place to go. New Zealand has reassured the Islanders that they will take all of them if it comes to that.
Effecting Other Parts of the World
Tuvalu provides the world with a place to relax and enjoy the sunny white beaches on a holiday. when these islands sink this will no longer be possible. when the islands disappear thousands of people will be left homeless depending on the kindness of neighbouring countries. this could put not only strains on the economy of the neighbouring countries but political relationships also.
As you can see Tuvalu and other pacific nations are being effected by Climate Change and Global Warming. If the industrialized countries don't do something about their carbon emissions soon, we will lose a friendly and valuable member of the world community.
By Jacob Brown
Bibliography:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/03/3//tuvalu#cnnSTCText
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/effects.of.global.warming#sealevel.rise
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/effects.of.global.warming#sealevel.rise
What thats got to do with me? GLobal warming
2006by franklin Walks
Author- Bryan and Cherry Alexander
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