Previous Story
Swiss govt examines climate change in Pacific
|
Posted on Oct 16 2008
[B]APIA, Samoa[/B]—Despite being thousands of miles away, the government of Switzerland is taking an active role in finding ways to combat climate change.
“We are a small country far away with no colonial ties,” yet there are several important reasons why Switzerland should take interest in the Pacific Islands, Beat Nobs, Switzerland government ambassador to the Pacific Island nations said Tuesday at the region’s Climate Change Roundtable.
“Climate change is a global threat. Global threats need to be addressed globally, not just here or there,” he said.
It’s important to look to see what others are doing to alleviate the problem, especially within the Pacific, “because you are among the most vulnerable,” he told a group of more than 100 representatives from Pacific nations and officials from environmental agencies.
David Hunter read a speech prepared by Patrick Nunn, who was unable to attend the conference due to personal reasons. Nunn is a professor of Oceanic Geoscience at the University of the South Pacific with Hunter.
During the speech, he said the earth’s temperature has risen significantly this century and will continue to rise. In the Pacific region, experts estimate there will be a 2 to 3 degree Celsius increase in the Pacific. Sea levels are rising, and if they continue to rise as projected, entire villages will find themselves underwater and forced to relocate, Hunter said. Rising sea levels will also cause salt water to intrude into coastal groundwater and kill or bleach coral, including Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
Nunn has proposed five ways to manage climate change. First, each country needs to take ownership of the problem; secondly, countries must form a long-range plan; thirdly, awareness must be mainstreamed, which will help achieve the fourth goal of empowering the community. The final step in managing climate change is to relocate the community.
“For many this is a complete unthinkable option,” Hunter said, “but there’s no way to get around it,” adding that some places in the Pacific region won’t be habitable 20 years from now.
The roundtable is not an opportunity to cast blame or to talk politics, said Faumuina Tiatia Liuga, Samoa’s Minister of Natural Resources and Environment. “Opportunities exist to share experiences and work together,” he said.
