CLIMATE CHANGEThe fate of the

small low lying atoll nations

A Presentation byThe Rt. Hon Bikenibeu Paeniu, PC

TUVALU

EPLD, Brisbane, 29 June 2006

MY TALK• On Climate Change with particular reference to the case

of TUVALU• Will run you quickly through some important snapshots-

– The 2 important Climate Change phenomena– Science versus the physical evidence especially in

the case of Tuvalu– A quick snapshot of the international debate on

Climate Change– Climate Change truly a global phenomenon but the

first to suffer (and already are) are the small low lying atoll nations of the world – TUVALU, KIRIBATI, NORTHERN COOK ISLANDS, TOKELAU, MARSHALL ISLANDS, many Islands in CHUCK, etc. etc.

CLIMATE CHANGE

• Important to note that when we speak of Climate Change – refers to two (2) main phenomena:

1) GLOBAL WARMING, and

2) SEA LEVEL RISE

The Science• I am not a scientist nor is an expert on Climate Change BUT I am a citizen

of the world, a long serving political leader of my nation whom, among many other leaders in their own respective rights, was bestowed the holy responsibility to fight the cause of climate change to bring justice to the planet earth that is constantly being damaged as a result of human greed

• My point in regard to the Science of the matter anyway, is that, up to this point in time, SCIENCE speaks for itself and you are most welcome to research into the Internet and the many other thousands of publications on climate change

• THE SIMPLE FACT IS THAT SCIENCE, REGARDLESS OF THE “SCIENCE” DISCREDITING CLIMATE CHANGE – HAS PROVEN BEYOND DOUBT THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS A GLOBAL CATASTROPHY TAKING PLACE IN ITS OWN PACE AND TIMEFRAME, AFFECTING THE LIVES OF ALL HUMAN BEINGS ON EARTH

• There is no doubt about this mere simple fact• The longer we continue to make excuses and evade the subject matter, the

heavier the penalty imposed on the innocent!!!

The Physical Evidence

• Now let me take you quickly through some snapshots of the impact of climate change on the lives of the people of Tuvalu through-– Erosion– Damage to our staple food crop– Kingtide February 2006

SEVERE EROSION ON THE MOST NORTHERN ISLAND OF NANUMEA

JUST ONE OF THE MANY OTHER SITES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY

Erosion from the ocean side of Olataga at NUKULAELAE – the landmark shown here is the first landing of Christianity to Tuvalu

About 10 metres of land been eroded over the years

Erosion on the southern island of NUKULAELAENote the severe impact resulting in the uprooting of trees

including the tree of life to us – the COCONUT

Erosion from the lagoon side of the main island of NUKULAELAENote the uprooting of coconuts and other plants

Kingtide on Funafuti February 2006Note particularly the impact on our main staple food the GIANT SWAMP TARO

called locally UMAGA

Another shot of the damage to our staple food during the Kingtides in February this year, 2006

Note the yellowish/brownish leaves – this the sign of the taro dying from intrusion of seawater

Kingtide on Funafuti February 2006

TANGO OFFICE AND SEIMEANAKingtide on Funafuti, February 2006

Again, Kingtide on FunafutiSeimeana Falekaupule

February 2006

Kindtide on FUNAFUTI the capital, February 2006Seawater right inside a FAMILY HOME!!!

Another flooded FAMILY HOME on the capital FUNAFUTI during Kingtide in February, this year.

The International Debate• Was first seriously conceived in the 2nd World

Conference on Climate Change, held in Geneva, October 1990 (was the only Leader from the Southern Hemisphere speaking at the conference alongside President of France, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher etc. etc.)

• IPCC (International Panel of Scientists on Climate Change) was formally established • And so as the AOSIS (Alliance of Small Island States)

• Culminated in the 1992 First Summit of Leaders at the Rio Conference on Environment and Development –UNFCCC

• Then Kyoto Protocol – Implementation Framework of the UNFCCC that finally came to force in February 2005 (12 years after the conceiving of the UNFCC in Rio)

• Just a point of interest, still now, AUSTRALIA and US still have not signed the Kyoto Protocol

Final Remarks• I want to say thank you to the organisers of this

Conference for inviting me to deliver a presentation on a topic that is close to my heart

• I am truly honoured to have spoken to the future leaders of the Pacific, and would like to wish you well and especially a prosperous future in your career as a leader in your own right

• And to end by noting again the simple fact that indeed CLIMATE CHANGE is a GLOBAL PHENOMENON but the FIRST TO SUFFER are the SMALL LOW LYING ATOLL NATIONS (and in fact we are already suffering from this phenomenon)

• I now challenge you all to take up this cause and make a commitment to combat it!!!!

KAM BATI N RABAKOMOL TATA

VINAKA VAKA LEVUTANK YOU TO MAS

FAFETAI TELEMALO AUPITOMEITAKI MATA

THANK YOUFAKAFETAI LASI LASI