Over the past few decades, there has been intense debate about climate change and its impacts on the global environment. Its effects are being reported everywhere, making it a matter of worldwide concern. However, some argue that certain regions and places are more vulnerable than others, and as one such region, the Pacific Islands are cited. The area comprises 16 independent countries and 25 territories of other nations, scattered across the Pacific Ocean, the world’s largest ocean. As a cluster of island regions, it is the largest, boasting more than 30,000 islands and a total area of 553,959 km². Islands ranging from large mountainous islands to low, flat atolls exist across three subregions: Micronesia, Polynesia, and Melanesia. Papua New Guinea is the largest in area, accounting for 83% of the region’s total land area. Many low-lying islands are present, and they have long served as something of a poster child for climate change.

Climate change poses a threat to the Pacific Islands, bringing about sea-level rise that causes erosion and inundation of low-lying areas, and soil salinization that affects water supplies and agriculture. Many residents are highly dependent on the natural environment, so environmental changes directly affect people’s livelihoods. Political factors can also be said to exacerbate the threat of climate change, as governments and authorities lack the financial, technical, and security capacity to respond and adapt. The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), a regional environmental agency, has asserted that climate change affects “communities, infrastructure, water supplies, coastal and forest ecosystems, fisheries, agriculture, and health” in the Pacific Islands. According to research, rates of sea-level rise are highest in the southwestern Pacific. In terms of sea-level rise, while the global average is 3–5 mm per year, in the Solomon Islands it has been 7–10 mm per year since 1993. A study by an Australian research team revealed that in areas off the Solomon Islands, five islands have already been submerged, and six islands have suffered severe erosion.

Since 1951, temperatures in the Solomon Islands have risen by 0.15°C per decade, and the increase is even greater in other Pacific countries. Looking at decadal temperature increases, Kiribati shows 0.18°C, the Federated States of Micronesia 0.19°C, and Tuvalu 0.21°C. In the Pacific Islands region, extreme weather such as cyclones has become more frequent and more intense, destroying infrastructure in Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands. El Niño events have also intensified across the Pacific. They have triggered extreme weather changes, as seen with severe Tropical Cyclone Winston that struck Fiji in February 2016, and have caused unprecedented events such as a “Southern Hemisphere cyclone” in the Solomon Islands in June and a “North Pacific hurricane” in January. Furthermore, severe droughts in the region have made it extremely difficult to export crops, causing economic stagnation. Notable examples include Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Marshall Islands, Fiji, and Tonga.

The intense Tropical Cyclone “Winston” in 2016. Photo: NASA

The impacts of these extreme weather changes also extend to food security. In fact, the low level of food production in the Marshall Islands is thought to be due to cyclones and drought. In the Cook Islands and Kiribati, flooding has also hampered agricultural activities. Declines in land productivity due to soil salinization pose another threat to food security. On the Ontong Java Atoll in the Solomon Islands, soil salinization is hitting residents’ food and water supplies.

Climate change has also prompted migration. One example is the relocation of residents from the Carteret Islands (Carteret Islands) in Papua New Guinea. In 2008, these relocated people were referred to as “environmental refugees.” In the near future, climate change is expected to drive further migration across the Pacific. Among them, Taro Island in the Solomon Islands is seen as the world’s first provincial capital to decide to relocate due to environmental change.

Given the substantial impacts already experienced and anticipated in the future, Pacific Island countries have developed concepts and policies on climate change domestically. These aim to minimize damage by adapting to and improving the situation, or through relocation. The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) supports member countries in formulating and improving such concepts and policies. Efforts to mitigate climate change are being encouraged within communities, and numerous communities across the Pacific are implementing programs to recover from climate-related damage. In addition, in some countries climate change content has been incorporated into school curricula to raise awareness through education. Excellent media programs are also increasing, seeking to attract broader attention and communicate ways to adapt. Assistance from other regional organizations and international donors should not be overlooked. Organizations supporting the Pacific Islands through their own climate change programs include the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Sea-level rise, a real and present issue on South Tarawa (Kiribati). Photo: Government of Kiribati ( CC-BY-3.0 )

Climate change appears to be a serious issue for the Pacific Islands. However, according to research the author conducted in the Solomon Islands, policymakers and the media have paid it only limited attention. Of the debates held in parliament between January 2014 and December 2016, only 4.1% of agenda items concerned climate change. In the media as well, only 7.2% of articles in local newspapers during the same period were related to climate change. In the Solomon Islands, there appears to be a disconnect between the public, policymakers, and the media. This is because it is ordinary citizens who are affected by climate change, and many in the Solomon Islands believe it should be treated as a high-priority issue by recognizing it as a threat. Yet that recognition is not reflected among domestic policymakers and the media.

In interviews conducted by the author in the Solomon Islands, all 224 respondents (members of the general public) said they recognized or had experienced the impacts of climate change. While 89.5% said they were “extremely concerned” or “very concerned,” the remaining 10.5% said they were “somewhat concerned” or “a little concerned.” Furthermore, 91.4% believed that “small island countries like the Solomon Islands are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change than other countries.” A majority (84.4%) also stated that “domestically, the Solomon Islands government, local communities, and individuals bear the most responsibility for climate change.” Although many people think the government should bear responsibility for climate change, only 4.5% felt the government was doing enough, and 22.9% believed it lacked sufficient resources and skills to address it.

Climate change is a daily reality in the Pacific Islands. Sea-level rise, the loss of coastlines, powerful cyclones, droughts that threaten food security and livelihoods, and the destruction of the foundations of daily life are not issues that can be overlooked. While policies and initiatives exist within countries, they are not sufficient. The research in the Solomon Islands shows that the public believes the government should raise the priority of climate change issues, because climate change is not a future problem but one that is directly affecting people’s lives now.

Writer: Stella Tuene Bokelema

Graphics: Kamil Hamidov

Translation: Ryo Kobayashi