Call for climate action
AUCKLAND - More attention needs to be given to countries most vulnerable to the climate crisis, Pacific communities in New Zealand say.
And as Kiribati, Tuvalu and Tokelau battle rising tides, its youth are bringing attention to the plight. While Australia has been slammed in the Pacific over its climate change inaction, New Zealand has largely been praised.
If nothing else, a full endorsement of climate agreements at July’s Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu earned it the respect of Pacific leaders.
But not everyone’s convinced enough is being done to tackle the climate crisis where it hits the hardest: atoll nations. A youth adviser for the Kiribati community in Auckland, Rubina Tekanene, is worried for her people.
“I feel sad because that’s where our roots come from. Maybe one day I’m not going to hear Kiribati anymore because it’s disappeared.”
Ms Tekanene said there should be more priority given to resettling those displaced by rising sea levels.
According to the International Labour Organisation, as many as 350,000 people from Pacific atoll populations are at risk of displacement.
But not everyone’s ready to give up just yet.
A former Tokelauan public servant now living in Auckland, Heto Puka, said New Zealand needed to step up his efforts on climate mitigation.
Tokelauans are frustrated, Mr Puka said.