Monday, September 9, 2024 The Pacific Islands, known for their pristine beaches, crystal-clear waters, and lush rainforests, are a prime destination for tourists. However, climate change is threatening the very future of this vital industry, leaving many in the region increasingly anxious. Christopher Cocker, Chief Executive of the Pacific Tourism Organisation , emphasizes that climate change poses the greatest threat to Pacific communities.
“Without immediate and innovative action, the future of tourism in the region remains highly uncertain,” he warns. Pacific nations, particularly low-lying atoll countries like Tuvalu, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia, face severe risks from rising sea levels and the lack of access to clean drinking water. Prolonged droughts and unpredictable rainfall have exacerbated the situation, making it even harder for these islands to cope with the changing climate.
Adding to the challenges, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology predicts that while there may be fewer cyclones in the future, those that do occur could be much more intense. Locals in Tonga, for example, have reported stronger and more frequent tropical storms, significantly impacting everyday life. Nomuka, a small island in Tonga’s Ha’apai archipelago, is one of many communities that has felt the direct impact of these changes.
Sione Taufa, an Associate Dean at the University of Auckland Business School, notes, “We live with cyclones almost every year. But now, we are seeing more category four and five storms hitting more regularly.” At the recent Pacific Island Forum Leaders Meeting in Tonga, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called on the world’s largest polluting nations to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Guterres highlighted that while Pacific Islands contribute little to climate change, the consequences they face are disproportionately severe. Fiji, which welcomed nearly 930,000 visitors in 2023, is grappling with these consequences. Marica Vakacola, from the Mamanuca Environment Society, explains that coastal erosion and coral bleaching have worsened due to rising sea temperatures, while salinity from encroaching seawater is contaminating freshwater sources.
“Water security is a big risk in terms of climate change,” she explains. Rainwater harvesting is becoming increasingly necessary during the wet season to supplement the contaminated bore water supplies. Susanne Becken, a sustainable tourism expert at Griffith University in Australia, warns that drinking water shortages could lead to conflicts between locals and tourists, as visitors may consume the scarce resources that communities desperately need.
Despite these challenges, Becken’s research in Fiji and the Cook Islands revealed a surprising level of denial about the urgency of climate change. “There’s a sense of helplessness. People tend to dismiss it as a global issue that they can’t do much about,” she says.
However, in the Cook Islands, where much of the tourism infrastructure hugs the coastlines, the conversation is slowly changing. Brad Kirner, Director of Destination Development at the Cook Islands Tourism Corporation, acknowledges that confronting climate change will require significant adaptation measures. “We’re a tiny percentage of the global population with a small carbon footprint, but we’re on the front lines of climate change,” Kirner says.
He points to the need for sustainable solutions that address both tourism’s contribution to global warming and its vulnerability to environmental changes. While there is no doubt that Pacific Island nations face enormous challenges, they are not giving up. Resilience and kinship networks run deep in these isolated communities, where neighbors and families support each other in times of crisis.
Sione Taufa underscores this sense of tenacity: “If assistance comes, we’ll be grateful. If it doesn’t, we’ll survive. Most importantly, it is a trust system.
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