What are 'Climate Refugees'?
Imagine having your home taken from you with no possible recourse.
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Lost to the sea.
The cost of moving not only financial, but cultural as well. In the South Pacific, Indigenous people own 90% of the land. Addressing the climate is intrinsically linked to assisting in development and will only become more important in the next century.
Courtesy of Dept. of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia. Funafuti Atoll, Tuvalu
"Increase in land loss and water shortage, agriculture disturbances and food insecurity due to rising sea level will exacerbate poverty in the region..."
Courtesy of The Guardian. South Tarawa, Kiribati
Climate change is both a geographic and cultural phenomenon. For South Pacific Islanders, there is little to no cultural diaspora. Their land is the continuation of who they are. For some nations their national identity will be forever changed. For others they face reinventing it abroad, but no one will be left unaffected. This site aims to give light to these incredibly rich cultures and help the viewer understand the importance of adjusting our approach to climate change. The sea isn't threatening sand or dirt, its affecting people.
Courtesy of The Guardian. Isle de Jean, Louisiana, USA
"Indigenous peoples of small island countries such as Kiribati, Niue, Marshall Islands, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Nauru and small atolls of Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu stand to lose everything due to sea level rise."
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2017
