Tuvalu, an island country in the South Pacific, concerns about health due to global warming December 20:05
In Tuvalu, an island country in the South Pacific, flooding damage to residential areas has become serious due to sea level rise that is thought to be caused by global warming. According to the Ministry of Health, in some areas, crops no longer grow due to salt damage, and the people's diet There are also concerns about health such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
In Tuvalu, where the national average sea level is less than 2 meters, damage caused by sea level rise, which is thought to be caused by global warming, is becoming more serious in Funafuti, the capital city where about half of the population lives.
Some people are migrating because the beaches of the island have been eroded and sandy beaches have disappeared, and during the period of February-March the tides have expanded and the flooded areas where waves have rushed to coastal houses and roads have expanded. In recent years, the rise of sea level in the inland areas of the island has also caused more damage to houses and fields due to seawater blowing out from the coral reef ground.
According to the official in charge of the Ministry of Health, people who are unable to grow crops such as taro, which has been staple food by residents due to salt damage, etc., are increasingly dependent on canned food imported from overseas, and their eating habits are biased, resulting in diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. Is increasing. In addition, the hygienic environment has deteriorated due to inundation, and the spread of dengue fever infection transmitted by mosquitoes has spread, raising concerns about the health of residents.
“Climate change is the biggest threat to Tuvalu's survival. I want the international community to consider the hardships of our communities that are being severely affected.” ”And appeals for help to prevent the effects of global warming.
Capital Funafuti Flooding damage
In Funafuti, a city where coastal erosion and inundation damage are becoming more serious, residents live with anxiety about the effects of global warming.
Former sailor Rooney Tinilau (69) lives with a family of six near the sea. Near Tinilau's house, over the past eight years, coastal erosion has progressed by about 2 meters, and during the tide, the waves have started to hit the road in front of the house.
Also, in the garden field, papaya and taro are grown, but the seawater rises from the bottom of the ground and the crops wither, the soil is raised and seeded, and harvested before the spring tide. I devise it. However, the sea level rise may be higher than expected, and I feel that there are limits to these measures.
For this reason, I would like to prevent the salt damage by hardening the surroundings of the field with concrete like a pool, but it is expensive and I cannot take measures without support.
Tinilau said, “We are severely affected by climate change. We cannot enjoy everyday life as we used to. We are worried about the future of young children.” “We can't do anything without support. I want to ask the world leaders to join forces to help a country like Tuvalu.”
Various measures to reduce damage
Tuvalu, an island country in the South Pacific, is taking various measures to reduce the damage that seems to be caused by global warming.
Sand is collected from the bottom of the sea using a hose, and it is trying to prevent houses and roads from getting into seawater by filling indents and raising the land in areas where inundation has been confirmed. In addition, Ototoshi, with the cooperation of UNDP = United Nations Development Program and the Green Climate Fund, is spending more than 4.2 billion yen in Japanese yen, and is promoting a project to adapt the coast to climate change.
Three islands, such as the capital Funafuti, are particularly promising. They plan to reclaim the sea along the coastal areas where the population is high, or to raise the land along the coast and plant trees to create natural breakwaters.
Of these, Funafuti has set up a landfill with a width of 780 meters and a depth of 100 meters, which is 2.5 meters higher than the sea level during the spring tide, so that it can be used as a refuge for flooding and cyclones.
The Tuvalu government is considering expanding landfills in the future and is expected to secure a safe place to live.
A woman living in a coastal area said, “I'm happy to have a plan to reclaim the sea. I think it will protect the land from the waves.”
Pundita Ewekia, UNDP representative, said, “We expect that landfills will be maintained in 40 and 50 years and will continue to protect people from the rushing waves,” stressing the significance of the business. The
Tuvalu, the fourth smallest country in the world
Tuvalu, an island country in the South Pacific, is the fourth smallest country in the world with a total area of 26 square kilometers, and is roughly divided into nine islands. In Funafuti, the capital of the country, where the average sea level is less than 2 meters and about half of the population is about 11,000, it has been pointed out that in 2030, the sea level rises and the majority of the island may be submerged.
As coastal erosion progresses, waves rush to coastal houses and roads during periods of high tide, and the ground is made up of coral reefs, so when the sea level rises, the seawater that penetrates underground also rises and seeps from the ground. The inland area is also flooded.
The crops do not grow in the field due to salt damage, and the proportion of food that depends on canned foods imported from overseas is increasing. According to the Ministry of Health, people are becoming hypertensive and diabetic due to changes in dietary habits.
Diplomatic Taiwan operates local stilt farms and sells vegetables to citizens twice a week, and crops produced on remote islands with little salt damage may be delivered. It means that you have not caught up.
The Ministry of Health's environmental health official said, “If the impact of climate change continues, people will continue to eat less nutritious food and become more dependent on processed food, making it very difficult to address this issue. "I'm looking for a sense of crisis."