In the Solomon Islands, the sea level rises of 8 millimetres per year, almost three times the global average, survival of communities on the low-lying atoll of Ontong Java is already threatened.

Resettlement is the last option for atoll communities impacted by climate change. But the situation is becoming critical as the encroaching sea erodes Ontong Java, which is an average of 2-3 metres (6-10 feet) above sea level and has just 12 square kilometres (4.6 square miles) of land area.

Adaptation activities, including an atoll agriculture project and installation of rainwater tanks to provide salt-free drinking water, are currently being implemented by the Anglican Church of Melanesia's mission programme.

George Bogese, aid and programme officer for the Church of Melanesia's Board of Mission says "The focus of our energy at the moment is the food security project, so they are able to stay and live on the island for as long as possible."

Source

• Catherine Wilson/Thomson Reuters Foundation
• Image: farm6.staticflickr.com

Kiribati President, Anote Tong, said fertile land, being sold by a church group for about $9.6 million, could be insurance for Kiribati's entire population of 103,000, though he hopes it will never be necessary for everyone to leave.

Tong said some villages have already moved and there have been increasing instances of sea water contaminating the islands underground fresh water, which remains vital for trees and crops. He said changing rainfall, tidal and storm patterns pose as least as much threat as ocean levels, which so far have risen only slightly.

Some scientists have estimated the current level of sea rise in the Pacific at about 2 millimeters (0.1 inches) per year. Many scientists expect that rate to accelerate due to climate change.

Tong has been considering other unusual options to combat climate change, including shoring up some Kiribati islands with sea walls and even building a floating island. He said this week that the latter option would likely prove too expensive, but that he hopes reinforcing some islands will ensure that Kiribati continues to exist in some form even in a worst-case scenario.

Source

• Sydney Morning Herald
• Image: Jane's Kiribati