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https://www.channelnewsasia.com/sustainability/tuvalu-pacific-islands-migration-mass-displacement-climate-change-4437421>
"FUNAFUTI, Tuvalu: As the ocean grew dark and violent, lashing at the exposed
shoreline, Ms Gitty Yee grabbed her camera and ran out towards the maelstrom.
A powerful storm had arrived in Tuvalu, punctuated by a king tide. Powerful
waves rose to engulf the flanks of the narrow main island of Fongafale, leaving
trails of debris on the main two-lane road that runs from toe to tip.
“It was actually the worst one I've ever seen,” the 25-year-old amateur
photographer recounted of the calamity back in February.
“It really damaged a lot of homes. It destroyed some sea walls and the water
was up to our knees,” she said.
Amid the turbulence, the Tuvalu native turned her gaze - and her lens - towards
local children coming out to swim, delighting in the swell and oblivious to the
apparent dangers of an angry Pacific Ocean.
It will be like this every time the tide rises, she explained.
For Tuvalu, a coral atoll - ring-shaped island - precariously close to sea
level, an event like this one was reason to fear. This tiny nation is forecast
to be among the first to disappear because of climate change - due to the
rising tides that bite away at the fragile coast.
Its peril on the geographical margins has led it to try and become a powerful
voice at the centre of global climate negotiations - a thorn in the side of
heavy polluters. At the same time, it is reckoning with a future where the
nation may only exist in the metaverse."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
