Seawalls of hope symbolise our Fight against Climate change

This week the Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, cut the ribbons for two new seawalls for villagers in Namoli, Lautoka and Dravuni in Tailevu.

They symbolise our fight against climate change and adapting to the changes it brings.

One of these is rising sea level caused by warming,

According to official figures, the global average temperatures from 1880 to 2012 warmed by 0.85 degree Celsius.

The global average sea level rose about 19 cm between 1901 and 2010, at an average rate of 1.7 mm per year. From 1993 to 2016 the global average sea level rose at an average rate of about 3.4 mm per year.

The ocean is absorbing 90 per cent of the heat added to the climate system. This warming has melted ice caps and released more water into the oceans raising sea levels.

Mr Bainimarama says Information collected by satellites shows that, since 1993, sea levels in Fiji have risen by about six milimetres per year about double the global average.

That has serious implications on our coastal communities and we have to adapt to the changes.

Coastal villagers like those in Namoli and Dravuni bear the full brunt of it.

Without a seawall, they would stand helplessly and watch the encroaching sea literally nimble away at their foreshore.

During high tides, sea water floods arable land and plantation and salt destroys them.

If global warming continues, and here is little indication it won’t, then we have to be prepared to face the consequences,

Some coastal residents will have to be relocated to safe higher grounds where they will be safe.

That has already happened to some coastal communities and will happen to others as long as global warming continues.

This is the reality of climate change.

It has a direct impact on our sustainable development goals.

The seawalls enable the people from the two villages to not only sleep comfortably at night but engage in economic activities that they were unable to do because of the sea water intrusion.

We know that they will be subjected to the ravages of climate change over time. The future is unknown exept what science projects.

What we know is that unless the world changes in its attitude and action on climate change, the future looks grim.

We may have to raise the height of seawalls and make them more robust to withstand the most powerful nature can throw at us. Again it will need more financial support.

That’s why climate change finance is an essential component of modern-day economic planning.

Its importance is not lost on the Goverment through its climate change adaptation programme. global