South Pacific's Tuvalu Island Confronts Climate Crisis

Of all countries with an interest in addressing climate change at the upcoming climate conference in Cancun, Mexico, no one stand to lose more than the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu. Scientists say its low elevation and reliance on the protective reefs that surround it make Tuvalu extremely vulnerable, yet its people say they are determined to stay put and deal with the problems, rather than move elsewhere. The coral island nation of Tuvalu with its blue waters and creamy beaches seems like heaven on earth. But climate change and related troubles like water shortages, contamination, and waste management are threatening this low-lying country's very existence. With an average elevation of just one meter, storms and sea level rise have always been a problem here. Now with the situation worsening, some, including the UN, have even suggested that Tuvalu's 12000 inhabitants might need to leave. According to civil engineer, Uatea Maimoaga, the most immediate problem is a lack of clean, fresh water. [Uatea Maimoaga, Civil Engineer]: "On low lying islands the water table is very high so to some extent in some places you can get water about less than a meter below so the septic system we used to have doesn't work well when there is a high tide and the whole place is flooded with sea water." Flooding combined with a long drought, contamination, and limited reserves have made fresh water a rare commodity. The locally grown food supply has suffered as a result. Land has been dug up ...

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