Epic
King Tides Offer Glimpse Of Climate Change In Marshall Islands
Hundreds of people who had to flee their houses earlier this week as flood waters tore through Majuro, the capital of the Marshall Islands, are now returning home to pick up the soggy pieces
6
March, 2014
.
On
Monday, nearly 1,000 people in Majuro and another 246 on the island
of Arno, were forced to evacuate by epic king tides that inundated
the low-lying communities. Many parts of Majuro Atoll are just 30cm
above sea level and the islands as a whole are on average just 2
meters above sea level.
While
no deaths or serious injuries have been reported, a state of
emergency has been declared and at least 70 homes have been severely
damaged.
Disease
is also a concern as the floodwater poured through a landfill and
disturbed parts of a cemetery.
The
Marshall Islands are a string of more than 1,000 low-lying islands
and coral atolls in the North Pacific Ocean that are home to more
than 70,000 people. The highest point, anywhere on the islands is 10
meters above sea level.
Last
June, high tides, combined with up to 8 foot storm surge, left much
of Majuro under two feet of water. The seawall that protects the
Majuro airport was breached and the runway along with many coastal
roads were flooded. Even the President’s house was badly damaged by
water.
Senator
Tony de Brum, the Minister Assisting the President, told the
Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) that while king tides aren’t
new in the Marshall Islands, the level of destruction caused this
week was not normal.
“This
is far, far from being a normal situation,” he said. “I put that
down to climate change… these things are far more intense than
before and leave more destruction behind than they used to.”
This
week’s floods are being called the worst in decades.
King
tides occur periodically when the sun and moon align during perigee —
the point at which the moon’s orbit passes closest to Earth. Sea
level rise is exacerbating just how high these king tides turn out to
be. And unfortunately sea level is rising faster in the Central-West
Pacific than anywhere else in the world.
The
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that sea
levels will rise between 28 and 98 cm by the end of the century. If
the higher estimate proves right, about two-thirds of the Marshall
Islands will be underwater by 2100.
In
his comments to ABC, Mr. de Brum also called on Australian political
leaders to do more to help the Pacific deal with climate change.
“When
the king tides come, and the salt inundates, it doesn’t go away,”
he said. “The salt remains in the soil and in the groundwater. If
the people of Australia understood a little better and were able to
see the kind of effect that climate change is having on the small
island countries I am sure they will have something to say to their
leadership.”
The
Marshall Islands have spearheaded efforts to forge international
action on climate change. In September, the Pacific Islands Forum —
which includes the Marshall Islands, Australia, New Zealand, and 14
other nations — issued the Majuro Declaration, calling for
increased measures to curb climate-altering emissions. The Marshall
Islands also committed itself to setting an example for the rest of
the world by converting schools and hospitals to solar energy.
Through funding from the World Bank, the country is exploring the
option of contracting an ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC)
plant.
In
April, the Marshall Islands will host a meeting of the Cartagena
Dialogue for Progressive Action, an organization of countries
pressing for an international climate agreement that formed after the
disastrously ineffective 2009 summit in Copenhagen.
Ultimately,
however, migration may be the only option for many islanders. Already
there has been mass migration within the country, as people from the
outer atolls stream into Majuro. While Majuro is far from being high
ground, it does offer people, no longer able to live off the land in
areas where salt water has crept into wells and agricultural lands,
alternative ways to make a living.
This
internal migration, nearly 2,000 people between 2006 and 2011, may
have contributed to the level of destruction seen during this week’s
king tide. Radio New Zealand International reports that as more and
more people have moved to the city, an increasing number of homes
have been erected on ever-more marginal land near the water’s edge.
Longer
term, the struggle of the Marshall Islands may come much closer to
home. Hawaii expects to see massive migration in the years to come.
That’s because the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the
Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau have an
agreement with the United States known as the Compact of Free
Association that allows island residents to travel to and live in
America. In exchange, the United States retains control over access
to the waters around the islands.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.