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CU-Boulder GEOG 1982 - Tuvalu: Joining forces to tackle climate change

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Summar yTuvalu is a remote island nation often associated withthe rising impacts of climate change. If, as predicted, sealevels continue to rise, this string of low-lying islands inthe south-west Pacific could gradually disappear.However, life must go on in Tuvalu, and efforts arebeing made through risk reduction and disasterpreparedness to lessen the worst effects of globalwarming and other challenges facing the population. Inthe vanguard of such initiatives is the Tuvalu Red CrossSociety, aided by some enthusiastic volunteers andstrong partnerships with government and civil society.BackgroundTuvalu is made up of nine tiny islands in the south-westPacific stretching 1,000 km from north to south andwith a total landmass of just 26 sq km. The capitalFunafuti is situated on a coral atoll approximately 7 kmlong and 400 m at its widest point, bordered by aturquoise lagoon on one side and open ocean on theother. It is home to 4,000 of the country’s 11,000people, vying for space with pigs, vegetable plots, roads,a runway and other infrastructure. Population densityfor the whole country is 378.9 people per sq km, higherthan in Japan or India. Medical and government servicesare all concentrated on Funafuti, where there is also anoutpost of the University of the South Pacific.Tuvalu is strongly influenced by Polynesian culture. Theoriginal settlers came from Samoa and Tonga over 3,000years ago. Christian beliefs are most common in thecountry and bring people together in dance, celebrationand even competition. Everyone knows everyone else inFunafuti, and there is a tradition of sharing. Youth andwomen’s groups are strong and active. Women’s groupsfacilitate development work by carrying out skillstraining for women in, for example, screen printing andsewing to increase household income. Young peoplelend a hand by fundraising for small projects for theirisland communities and by organizing social gatherings.Many Tuvaluans rely on remittances sent home byseafarers or on earnings from seasonal work in NewZealand. For others in Tuvalu, fishing is a major sourceof income. Only 30 per cent of the population have awage, mainly those working in the government sector.The rest survive largely on a subsistence lifestyle.Like the rest of the world, Tuvalu is experiencing risingtemperatures. Although temperature records only dateback to 1977, a clear trend is emerging, with a markedincrease in both winter and summer temperatures. Rainfallrecords, which date back further, show a decrease inoverall rainfall. Tuvalu’s small landmass makes it especiallyvulnerable to any rise in sea level, as is the case for manyother low-lying nations and islands in the Pacific, such asKiribati and the Marshall Islands. Moreover, its highestpoint is just 4.5 metres above sea level, meaning that thereare no inland areas or higher ground to flee to during astorm surge or tsunami. A gauge located on the whar f atFunafuti that measures sea level has recorded that there areincreasingly higher peak sea level events, increasing therisk of inundation by sea surges.Apart from its vulnerability to rising sea levels, Tuvalu isalso at risk of cyclones, tsunamis, house fires, drought,and flooding due to high tides and storm surges. Theouter islands are very isolated, making communicationsdifficult, if not impossible at times; the country’s twocargo/passenger boats operate when they can to deliveressential supplies.The country’s plight has brought it into the internationalspotlight, with television crews and photojournalistsdescending regularly on the capital to capture images ofthe “sinking islands”. Predictions of further melting ofthe ice sheets in the coming decades do not bode well forthe country. In the mean time, the Tuvalu Red CrossSociety is doing all it can to prepare for and alleviate theadverse effects of these developments.Addressing climate changeThe Tuvalu Red Cross Society was established in 1981and has branches on each of the country’s islands, witharound 100 volunteers on Funafuti atoll alone. It is notyet a fully fledged National Society, pending recognitionand admission to the International Red Cross and RedCrescent Movement. In addition to activities related toclimate change and disaster management, itsCase studySOUTHP A C I F I C O C E A NTeAvaiteLapeTeAvaTepukaViliViliTeAvaFuageaTeAvaPuaPuaLagoonFunafutiNukufetauVaitupuNuiAmatukuFongafaleFatatoFunangongoFunafutiFunamanuFalefatuMateikaFunafaraTeleleTeafuafouFalaoingoTefalaFuageaVasafuaFualopaTepukaFualifekeFuafatuNukulaelaeNiulakitaAsauVAIAKUVAIAKUTuvalu: Joiningforces to tackleclimate changeTUVALU2International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societiesprogrammes include HIV/AIDS, blood donorrecruitment and life skills training.With only three permanent staff members, the TuvaluRed Cross Society relies on volunteers to reach out to thebroader Tuvaluan community. Some of the volunteers arevery committed, taking time off work to assist with theannual appeal and activities that occur during the week.Tuvalu Red Cross Society volunteers assist with elementsof disaster response and preparedness, administration,fundraising and dissemination. In a context of high youthunemployment, volunteering gives young people theopportunity to learn new skills, interact with their peersand contribute positively to society.In 2005, the Tuvalu Red CrossSocietyagreed to takepart in a pilot project on climate change, in conjunctionwith the International Federation of Red Cross and RedCrescent Societies’ Pacific delegation based in Suva,making it the first Red Cross Society in the Pacific toaddress the issue. The project benefited from thefinancial support of the Japanese Red CrossSocietyandthe Canada Fund and from the technical support of theNetherlands-based Red Cross/Red Crescent Centre onClimate Change and Disaster Preparedness.The aim of the pilot project was to investigate andtackle the issue of climate change within the nationalcontext. To do so, the Tuvalu Red CrossSocietylookedat different components of the disaster risk managementspectrum, from preparedness and response to adaptationto climate change and development. The Societyanalysed the issues, identified opportunities andsolutions, and implemented them with the aid ofnational and local stakeholders and communities.To start with, much groundwork had to be done toinform other like-minded groups of the unique role of theRed Cross, with a view to building future partnerships.The Tuvalu Red Cross


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CU-Boulder GEOG 1982 - Tuvalu: Joining forces to tackle climate change

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