Who wants to live by the sea?

VICTORIA, Seychelles: For most of history, only those who made their living from the sea chose to live on the coast. Fear of being battered by storms, not to mention vulnerability to attacks by foreign navies, kept most people inland. Gradually, that changed and, along with fishermen and their families, the idea of a coastal location became something of a cult. High property prices still reflect its popularity. But is it still so desirable?

One reason to question this trend is rising sea levels. Scientists may argue about precise measurements, but the rise is unmistakable. The warming of the ocean and melting ice are causing it. And by the end of this century, sea levels will be measured in feet, rather than centimeters. Individual houses, the lower reaches of cities and even large swathes of continental nations will be underwater. Bangladesh has for long been in the danger zone but so, too, are island communities, especially in the Pacific. Some of these islands have already been lost to the sea.

A second reason a coastal location is no longer so attractive is marine pollution. Waste materials in the sea and around the coast are ubiquitous. Some are deliberately dumped by municipal bodies without adequate disposal units. In other cases, waste is swept ashore, often coming from far away. Even in some of the remote islands of Seychelles, volunteers on beach-cleaning operations literally collect tons of garbage from what should be a pristine shoreline.

What should we be doing to reverse trends and save coastal communities? Answers are not so difficult to find. The best way to slow down rising sea levels is to reduce global temperatures. But progress in achieving this has been disappointing. In turn, marine pollution can be drastically reduced if poorer nations have the capacity to properly treat waste materials. Easy enough in theory, but it calls for a massive transfer of resources from North to South. And there are precious few signs of that happening.

There are more attainable ways to mitigate the situation, but by definition, these generally offer little more than sticking plaster on deep wounds. Building new houses on stilts, raising sea walls, regularly clearing garbage from beaches, and more effective codes for the fishing and shipping industries to minimize waste at sea.

A bigger question to ask is who will take action on muchneeded global solutions?

Each year, thousands of delegates attend the latest climate change extravaganza that is COP. The next one will be in Azerbaijan. But what is really achieved at each edition of this conference? Fine words are spoken, with a majority in agreement, but if just China and India opt out, there is little that will work.

Also, the United Nations encourages its members to meet sustainability targets. To loud acclaim, 2015 saw the launch of 17 Sustainable Development Goals, to be achieved by 2030 at the latest. We’re past the halfway mark now and progress on all of them has been lagging. Goal 14, “Life Below Sea,” is all about the ocean and no one could fault the analysis and selection of targets. But the problem remains: how would any of these goals be implemented?

Individual nations are little or no better. Their leaders make fine speeches, travel around the world and then promptly go quiet when they have to find the necessary resources to make the changes.

Experience shows that some of the most promising initiatives are not found in the debating chambers, but closer to the ground. Smaller organizations cannot solve all of the world’s problems, but they can make a difference at a local level. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), for instance, have the advantage of being nimble and strongly focused on specific issues. Restoring a mangrove forest, protecting the habitat of marine mammals in a specified location or reviving a coastal coconut industry can all bring tangible benefits.

Even without the presence of an NGO, schools and local communities are active in beach-cleaning projects, providing visitors with information. These might too easily be dismissed as superficial but, without such interventions, the coastal environment would be all the poorer.

A third source of innovation is to be found in startups. Entrepreneurs, invariably young, are prepared to invest their own savings in ideas that might one day evolve into profitable businesses but which, in any case, yield positive results for the common good. Recycling waste is one example that can be seen in different countries.

Coastal communities need all the help they can get. If national and international bodies are slow to respond, we can’t afford to wait. There are many individuals and groups ready to take that much-needed first step. From small beginnings, who knows what will result? They need all the help we can give. The time for waiting is over.

James A. Michel is a former president of Seychelles (2004 to 2016) and executive chairman of his eponymous foundation.