Taito Nakalevu, climate change adaptation officer with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, which carried out the work with funding from the Canadian Government, said, “We are seeing king tides across the region flooding islands. These are normal events, but it is the frequency that is abnormal and a threat to livelihoods. People are being forced to build sea walls and other defenses not just to defend their homes, but to defend agricultural land,” he said.
Supplying drinking water to the new highland village, called Lirak, was a problem. In Lateu on the coast, villagers had fresh water springs at low tides. The problem was solved in the highlands with the installation of rainwater harvest tanks, together with roofing that feeds rainwater into the tanks.
“At least in the case of this community on Tegua we know that, for the
next 50 years, the community of Lirak will be safe from floods, tsunamis and storm surges,” said Nakalevu, whose organization will be working with the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) on future adaptation projects.
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/dec2005/2005-12-06-02.asp
Note: http://www.ens-newswire...
Pacific Island Villagers Become Climate Change Refugees
Posted on Thursday, December 08 at 12:01 by jensonjContributed By
Topic
Article Rating
(0 votes)
Options
Stumble It!Comments
view comments in forum
Page 1
No wonder many residents do not want to go back there but want to remain on higher ground.
---
RickW
<br />
Story: Thousands of people are being evacuated from their homes in the Pacific island chain of Vanuatu amid fears a major volcano is about to erupt....<br />
<br />
LINK: <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4503250.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4503250.stm</a>
Steven Guilbeault, Greenpeace:
"Global warming can mean colder, it can mean drier, it can mean wetter, that's what we're dealing with."
Okay to summarize...if it's hot, that's a sign of global warming, and, if it's cold, that's a sign of global warming. Makes sense to me. Let's get on with derailing the economy at the alter of Kyoto or we can "buy credits" (aka re-distribute income from Canada to the developing world).
And in other news...South America and Africa were once linked, India was not part of Asia, and the rockies were little hills. Shocking!
I think it is great that Jean Chretien and Paul Martin have signed on to Kyoto, it shows complete solidarity with the more “sophisticated” and “multilateral” nations in Europe who have also signed it and who have also promptly ignored their supposed commitment to it. By all means sign all ridiculously expensive, essentially useless “feel good” treaties and then ignore your commitment to them. That will demonstrate this “moral superiority” that everyone just can’t hear enough about.
Caught Suzuki the other night on CBC live from Montreal. The geneticist come global warming expert was frothing at the mouth about Bush "cancelling" Kyoto.
He didn't mention that when Clinton signed it, he had no intention of taking it to the Senate for ratification. If he had, it would have been soundly defeated. But of course Bush is to blame, according to David. I was waiting for the CBC reporter to interupt Mr. Suzuki and point out these simple facts...lol...No I wasn't actually. But there was plenty of smug smiling and vigorous nodding of the head as the CBC dude consumed his pablum.
bottom line:
Clinton signed Kyoto on the way out of office (in btwn the pardons) cause he knew it would never pass - but he would look good in the process.
Chretien signed Kyoto, cause he knew they weren't going to implement - but would look good in the process.
And now Martin gets to preach from the pulpit about the evil Yanks, while he plans to buy our way into a cooler planet by sending money to poor countries.
But heh, at least we aren't arrogant, greedy or stupid.