Mar 25, 2015
As Pacific Islanders contemplate the scale of devastation wrought by Cyclone Pam this month across four Pacific Island states, including Vanuatu, leaders in the region are calling with renewed urgency for global action on climate finance, which they say is vital for building climate resilience and arresting development losses.
In a recent public statement, the Marshall Islands' president, Christopher Loeak, said, "The world's best scientists, and what we see daily with our own eyes, all tell us that without urgent and transformative action by the big polluters to reduce emissions and help us to build resilience, we are headed for a world of constant climate catastrophe."
Progress on the delivery of climate funding pledges by the international community could also decide outcomes at the United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Paris in December, they say.
"It is reassuring to see many countries, including some very generous developing countries, step forward with promises to capitalise the Green Climate Fund. But we need a much better sense of how governments plan to ramp up their climate finance over the coming years to ensure the Copenhagen promise of 100 billion dollars per year by 2020 is fulfilled," Tony de Brum, minister of foreign affairs for the Republic of the Marshall Islands, told IPS.
"Without this assurance, success in Paris will be very difficult to achieve."
The Pacific Islands are home to about 10 million people in 22 island states and territories with 35 percent living below the poverty line. The impacts of climate change could cost the region up to 12.7 percent of annual gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of this century, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimates.
The Pacific Islands contribute a negligible 0.03 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions, yet are the first to suffer the worst impacts of global warming. Regional leaders have been vocal about the climate injustice their Small Island Developing States (SIDS) confront with industrialised nations, the largest carbon emitters, yet to implement policies that would limit global temperature rise to the threshold of two degrees Celsius.
In the Marshall Islands, where more than 52,000 people live on 34 small islands and atolls in the North Pacific, sea-level rise and natural disasters are jeopardising communities mainly concentrated on low-lying coastal areas.
"Climate disasters in the last year chewed up more than five percent of national GDP and that figure continues to rise. We are working to improve and mainstream adaptation into our national planning, but emergencies continue to set us back," the Marshall Islands' Foreign Minister said.
The nation experienced a severe drought in 2013 and last year massive tidal surges, which caused extensive flooding of coastal villages and left hundreds of people homeless.
"Like other small vulnerable countries, we have experienced great difficulty in accessing the big multilateral funds. The Green Climate Fund must avoid the mistakes of the past and place a premium on projects that deliver direct benefits to local communities," de Brum continued.
Priorities in the Marshall Islands include coastal restoration and reinforcement, climate resilient infrastructure and protection of freshwater lenses.
Bilateral aid is also important with SIDS receiving the highest climate adaptation-related aid per capita from OECD countries in 2010-11. The Oceanic region received two percent of OECD provided adaptation aid, which totalled 8.8 billion dollars.
Sixty percent of OECD aid in general to the Pacific Islands comes from Australia with other major donors including New Zealand, France, the United States and Japan. But in December, the Australian government announced far-reaching cuts to the foreign aid budget of 3.7 billion dollars over the next four years, which is likely to impact climate aid in the region.
Funding aimed at developing local climate change expertise and institutional capacity is vital to safeguarding the survival and autonomy of their countries, islanders say.
"We do not need more consultants' reports and feasibility studies. What we need is to build our local capacity to tackle the climate challenge and keep that capacity here," de Brum emphasised.
In the tiny Central Pacific nation of Kiribati, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson expressed concern that "local capacity is limited", a problem that is "addressed through the provision of technical assistance through consultants who just come and then leave without properly training our own people."
Kiribati, comprising 33 low-lying atolls with a population of just over 108,000, could witness a maximum sea level rise of 0.6 metres and an increase in surface air temperature of 2.9 degrees Celsius by 2090, according to the Pacific Climate Change Science Program.
The country is experiencing higher tides every year, but can ill afford shoreline erosion with a population density in some areas of 15,000 people per square kilometre. The island of Tarawa, the location of the capital, is an average 450 metres wide with no option of moving settlements inland.
As long-term habitation is threatened, climate funding will, in the future, have to address population displacement, according to the Kiribati Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
"Climate induced relocation and forced migration is inevitable for Kiribati and planning is already underway. Aid needs to put some focus on this issue, but is mostly left behind only due to the fact that it is a future need and there are more visible needs here and now."
Ahead of talks in Paris, the Marshall Islands believes successfully tackling climate change requires working together for everyone's survival. "If climate finance under the Paris Agreement falls off a cliff, so will our response to the climate challenge," de Brum declared.
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"Watu wa visiwa vya Pasifiki wanapofikiria kiwango cha uharibifu uliosababishwa na Kimbunga Pam mwezi huu katika nchi nne za visiwa vya Pasifiki, pamoja na Vanuatu, viongozi wa mkoa huo wanatoa wito kwa haraka kwa hatua ya kimataifa juu ya fedha za hali ya hewa, ambayo wanasema ni muhimu kwa kujenga uvumilivu wa hali ya hewa na kukomesha hasara za maendeleo. """ "Mwandishi wa Marshall Islands Christopher Loewen alisema: ""Wanasayansi bora duniani na kile tunachoona kila siku kwa macho yetu wenyewe, wote wanatuambia kwamba bila hatua za haraka na za mabadiliko kutoka kwa wachafuzi wakubwa kupunguza uzalishaji na kutusaidia kujenga uvumilivu, tunaelekea ulimwengu wa janga la hali ya hewa." Maendeleo katika utoaji wa ahadi za ufadhili wa hali ya hewa na jamii ya kimataifa pia yanaweza kuamua matokeo katika Mkutano wa Umoja wa Mataifa wa Mabadiliko ya Hali ya Hewa uliofanyika Paris mnamo Desemba, wanasema. "Ni jambo la kufurahisha kuona nchi nyingi, ikiwa ni pamoja na baadhi ya nchi zinazoendelea zenye ukarimu sana, zikitoa ahadi za kutumia fedha za Mfuko wa Hali ya Hewa ya Kijani.""" """Tunahitaji kuelewa vizuri zaidi jinsi serikali zinapanga kuongeza fedha zao za hali ya hewa katika miaka ijayo ili kuhakikisha ahadi ya Copenhagen ya dola bilioni 100 kwa mwaka ifikapo mwaka 2020 inatimizwa,"" alisema Tony de Bruyne, waziri wa mambo ya nje wa Jamhuri ya Visiwa vya Marshall." "Bila uhakikisho huu, mafanikio katika Paris yatakuwa magumu sana kufikia". Visiwa vya Pasifiki vina watu milioni 10 katika majimbo 22 ya kisiwa na maeneo na asilimia 35 wanaishi chini ya mstari wa umaskini. Mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa yanaweza kusababisha uharibifu wa asilimia 12.7 ya Pato la Taifa la kila mwaka (GDP) kufikia mwisho wa karne hii, Benki ya Maendeleo ya Asia (ADB) inakadiria. Visiwa vya Pasifiki vinachangia asilimia 0.03 ya uzalishaji wa gesi za chafu duniani, lakini ni wa kwanza kuteseka athari mbaya zaidi za ongezeko la joto duniani. "Viongozi wa mkoa wamekuwa wakisema juu ya ukosefu wa haki wa hali ya hewa ambao nchi zao ndogo za kisiwa vinavyositawi (SIDS) zinakabiliwa na mataifa ya viwanda, wazalishaji wakubwa wa kaboni, bado kutekeleza sera ambazo zingeweza kupunguza ongezeko la joto la ulimwengu kwa kizingiti cha digrii mbili Celsius. """ Katika Visiwa vya Marshall, ambapo zaidi ya watu 52,000 wanaishi katika visiwa vidogo 34 na atolls katika Pasifiki ya Kaskazini, ongezeko la kiwango cha bahari na majanga ya asili yanahatarisha jamii ambazo ziko katika maeneo ya pwani ya chini. "Madhara ya hali ya hewa katika mwaka uliopita yaliondoa zaidi ya asilimia tano ya Pato la Taifa na takwimu hiyo inaendelea kuongezeka.""" """Tunafanya kazi kuboresha na kuingiza marekebisho katika mipango yetu ya kitaifa, lakini hali za dharura zinaendelea kutufanya kurudi nyuma,"" alisema Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje wa Visiwa vya Marshall." Nchi hiyo ilikabiliwa na ukame mkubwa mwaka 2013 na mwaka jana maporomoko makubwa ya maji yaliyosababisha mafuriko makubwa katika vijiji vya pwani na kuacha mamia ya watu bila makazi. "Kama nchi nyingine ndogo zilizo hatarini, tumepata ugumu mkubwa katika kupata fedha kubwa za kimataifa. "Mfuko wa Kijani wa Hali ya Hewa lazima uepuke makosa ya zamani na kuweka malipo kwenye miradi ambayo hutoa faida ya moja kwa moja kwa jamii za mitaa,"" alisema De Bruyne." Vipimo vya kipaumbele katika Visiwa vya Marshall ni pamoja na kurudisha na kuimarisha pwani, miundombinu ya hali ya hewa na ulinzi wa lenses ya maji baridi. Msaada wa nchi mbili pia ni muhimu na SIDS kupokea msaada wa juu zaidi wa kubadilika kwa hali ya hewa kwa kila mtu kutoka kwa nchi za OECD katika 2010-11. Mkoa wa Oceania ulipata asilimia mbili ya misaada ya OECD ya mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa, ambayo ilifikia jumla ya dola bilioni 8.8. Zaidi ya asilimia 60 ya misaada ya OECD kwa visiwa vya Pasifiki hutoka Australia na wafadhili wengine wakuu ikiwa ni pamoja na New Zealand, Ufaransa, Marekani na Japan. Serikali ya Australia ilitangaza kupunguzwa kwa bajeti ya misaada ya kigeni ya dola bilioni 3.7 kwa miaka minne ijayo, ambayo inaweza kuathiri misaada ya hali ya hewa katika eneo hilo. """Mali inayolenga kuendeleza utaalam wa mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa na uwezo wa taasisi ni muhimu kwa kulinda uhai na uhuru wa nchi zao,"" wanasema watu wa kisiwa hicho." "Hatuna haja ya ripoti zaidi za washauri na masomo ya uwezekano. """Tunahitaji kujenga uwezo wetu wa ndani wa kukabiliana na changamoto ya hali ya hewa na kuhifadhi uwezo huo hapa,"" alisema De Bruyne." Katika nchi ndogo ya Kiribati, msemaji wa Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje ya nchi hiyo alielezea wasiwasi wake kwamba uwezo wa nchi hiyo ni mdogo, tatizo ambalo linashughulikiwa kwa kutoa msaada wa kiufundi kupitia washauri ambao huja na kuondoka bila kuwafundisha watu wetu vizuri. Kiribati, ambayo ina visiwa 33 vya chini na idadi ya watu zaidi ya 108,500, inaweza kushuhudia ongezeko la kiwango cha juu cha bahari ya mita 0.6 na ongezeko la joto la hewa ya uso wa digrii 2.9 hadi 2090 kulingana na Programu ya Sayansi ya Mabadiliko ya Hali ya Hewa ya Pasifiki. Nchi hiyo inakabiliwa na mawimbi ya juu kila mwaka, lakini haiwezi kuweza kuvumilia mmomonyoko wa pwani na wiani wa idadi ya watu katika maeneo fulani ya watu 15,000 kwa kilomita ya mraba. Kisiwa cha Tarawa, eneo la mji mkuu, ni wastani wa mita 450 kwa upana na hakuna chaguo la kuhamisha makazi ndani ya nchi. "Kama makazi ya muda mrefu yanatishiwa, fedha za hali ya hewa zitakuwa, katika siku zijazo, kushughulikia uhamisho wa idadi ya watu, kulingana na Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje ya Kiribati: ""Uhamisho unaosababishwa na hali ya hewa na uhamiaji wa kulazimishwa ni wa lazima kwa Kiribati na mipango tayari inaendelea." """Msaada unahitaji kuweka baadhi ya lengo juu ya suala hili, lakini ni zaidi kushoto nyuma tu kutokana na ukweli kwamba ni haja ya baadaye na kuna mahitaji zaidi inayoonekana hapa na sasa." Kuhusu mazungumzo ya Paris, Visiwa vya Marshall vinaamini mafanikio ya kukabiliana na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa inahitaji kufanya kazi pamoja kwa ajili ya kuishi kwa kila mtu. """Ikiwa fedha za hali ya hewa chini ya Mkataba wa Paris zinashuka, hivyo ndivyo itakavyokuwa majibu yetu kwa changamoto ya hali ya hewa,"" alisema de Brune." 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