Ministerial Conference on
Environment and Development
in Asia and the Pacific 2000
Kitakyushu, Japan 31 August - 5 September 2000
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Tuvalu and Climate Change At the 1999 NFCCC Fifth Conference of Parties Climate Convention, Tuvalu said its 10,000 people had lived since time immemorial on nine low-lying tiny coral atolls. On average these islands were only two metres above sea level. In compiling its National Communication, Tuvalu had proved that it was a tiny and insignificant contributor to the greenhouse gas emissions that were heating up the planet and changing climate, and that its people faced a bleak and uncertain futrue through no fault of their own. Tuvalu now wanted to know whether it was fair that its people should suffer the consequences of industrialised nations' actions. The National Communication established a range of adverse changes that were being experienced now : · More frequent tropical cyclones · More severe droughts · Accelerating coastal erosion · Frequent salt water intrusion into soils and groundwater · More extensive tidal and storm surges · Increasing sea level rise · Unprecedented coral bleaching · Severe economic losses · Threat of traumatic social disruptions Tuvalu was deeply concerned, among many other risks, about the impact which rising water temperatures could have on the marine life which sustained its communities and provided almost half the revenue to its national budget, through foreign fishing access fees. Even a sea temperature rise of 1 - 2 degrees would cause serious coral bleaching, substantially affecting the rich diversity of marine life on which Tuvalu relied. Tuvalu said its lack of capacity meant it was not easy to compile and analyse all the data required for its National Communication, but it had done the work because it was serious about its commitments under the Climate Convention. It now looked to industrialised nations to honour their own commitments under the Climate Convention: to reduce their emissions and help with capacity building and adaptation activities. Real emission reductions were important, Tuvalu said. “Providing us with capacity building, adaptation and other imaginative measures to mitigate climate change while refusing to institute domestic policy and political measures that will genuinely reduce global emissions is like treating us like the pig you fatten for slaughter at your eldest son's 21st birthday party,” Tuvalu said. 1 November 1999 NFCCC Fifth Conference of Parties Climate Convention Update: Pacific Delegations Press Release http://www.sidsnet.org/pacific/sprep/PressRelease/COP5/COP5-7_.htm
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