Seeing
as migration and refugees have been a big focus in the media recently it only
seems fitting to observe the same theme in the Pacific Islands. In the second
week of October Kiribati is hosting an international conference to discuss the
issue of climate change refugees. The conference will bring together the atoll
nations from the Pacific region and key international agencies (Radio New
Zealand, 2015).
The
IPCC has said atoll nations will be submerged in 30 years or less.
Unfortunately recent studies have suggested this prediction may be more
generous than thought (USGS, 2015). Although a small period of time, it allows
enough warning for plans to be put in place to allow citizens to migrate in a
way they would feel more dignified. Multi-lateral process and negotiations are
taking too long so this meeting will be able to transfer ideas and concerns
between the effected nations and relevant agencies (Radio New Zealand, 2015).
Australia and New Zealand are already helping labour mobility programs, some
countries in the Pacific region are providing skills for young people to better
understand how to equip themselves with the issues to come. This demonstrates
that actions are already been taken, but more countries need to be on board for
accepting migrants, and the ones already doing so need to prepare for a larger
intake (World Summit, 2015).
More
needs to be done in the countries effected also. More labour mobility
programmes to allow greater opportunities for these people to migrate and
become citizens of other countries. These negotiations will also be discussing
the need for more international law concerning the environment. Discussions
with Switzerland and Norway about their Nansen initiative should help develop a
law to cover climate induced migration (Kiribati Climate Change, 2015). With
these concerns COP 21 is a very significant event that is coming up, and it is
hoped that COP 21 will create more concrete plans on what to do next in the
climate change battle (Radio New Zealand, 2015).
References
Kiribati
Climate Change (2015) ‘EU announces $23 million Euro for Kiribati’ [Online]
http://www.climate.gov.ki/tag/kiribati-president-anote-tong/
USGS
(2015) 'Many atolls may be uninhabitable within decades due to climate change'
[Online] http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=4346#.VhBVpvlViko
World
Summit (2015) ‘Anote Tong’ [Online]
http://www.worldsummit2015.org/sunhak-peace-prize/laureates/anote-tong
Radio
New Zealand (2015) ‘Climate change migration the focus of Kiribati Summit’
[Online] http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/programmes/datelinepacific/audio/201772925/climate-change-migration-the-focus-of-kiribati-summit
