Australia’s obligations to Pacific climate migrants

Australia must not be afraid of its obligations to Pacific climate migrants, Guardian,
Richard Marles, 12 Nov 15 Australia’s humanitarian intake is from distant countries; as climate change leads some islanders to migrate, that will change. So must our approach “……While land is a necessary precondition for life, people live on these atolls because of the sea. It is the source of food, culture and legend. These are marine people whose ancient understanding of the wind and the waves still often transcends what modern equipment has to offer.

Yet as the greenhouse effect starts to take hold these winds are beginning to change. Predictable weather patterns in equatorial environments which produced constant temperatures, regular rains and seasonal storms are no longer behaving. Life is being disturbed.

Of all the climate change threats to coral atolls the most pressing is water security. On Tarawa atoll in Kiribati, half the fresh ground water supply is now permanently salty.

On Funafuti in Tuvalu there is no groundwater, which leaves people dependent on water tanks next to their homes – many of which have been provided by Australian aid. But even with extra tanks the water supply of the atoll amounts to about six weeks worth of water.

In November 2011 reduced rainfall brought the atoll to a point where the water supply was down to just a few days. Drastic water restrictions were imposed which essentially allowed for little more than the bare minimum of drinking water. Australian and New Zealand mercy flights had to airlift an emergency supply of water on to the island.

This community had lived on the atoll for centuries relying on highly predicable rainfall in order to have a supply of fresh water. Just a small shift in weather patterns had suddenly overwhelmed even the enhanced infrastructure to a point where there was almost no water. When winds and rain change, the conditions of life are thrown into question.

This question raises another for Australia. Kiribati and Tuvalu are in a region where Australia has enormous influence and great obligations. We are for both countries the natural development partner and by far the largest aid donor. In large measure it is this work which sits atop our calling card as a good global citizen. And we derive much from that reputation.

If climate change is beginning to raise the existential question in the Pacific then this also has implications for our obligations.

To be sure, the desire for the peoples of the Pacific to migrate because of climate change will not happen tomorrow. The focus of all these communities right now is naturally on how they maintain their homes, lives and cultures. And currently they see the critical role for Australia as playing its part in reducing greenhouse emissions and in supporting them with adaptation efforts.

But if climate change is placing the viability of communities in question, then inevitably some people will move as a result. So Australia being a destination for climate change migrants surely has to be up for discussion……..http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/11/australia-must-not-be-afraid-of-its-obligations-to-pacific-climate-migrants