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NZ Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Not only are rising seas causing people to leave, but warming waters are forcing out tuna
By morning's end, the pair had caught eight tuna - a haul far smaller than when Petaia's father taught him to fish 30 years earlier. 'We have to spend longer and go farther to get them,' the 48-year-old said as the fishermen unloaded their catch. 'I'm not sure there will be any tuna left by the time I'm my uncle's age,' added Smoliner, 22. Tuna is a pillar of life in the Pacific, where for centuries people have braved the ocean to bring back yellowfin, skipjack, bigeye and albacore for their families. In recent decades, as global demand for tuna has soared, Pacific Island nations including Tuvalu have propped up their struggling economies by selling licences to allow international fishing companies to trawl their vast exclusive economic zones. These seas provide as much as one-third of the world's tuna supply. But climate change is warming the world's oceans at an accelerating rate, threatening livelihoods. Scientists predict that climate change will push tuna away from Pacific Island nations and towards the high seas, where wealthier countries with large fishing fleets - China, Japan, South Korea and the United States - will catch them without paying licence fees. It is yet another climate danger for a country - population 10,000 - whose existence is already threatened by rising seas, increasingly powerful storms, and a potential exodus of people. 'It's ironic that the ocean, which has been the sustainer of our livelihood and economy, suddenly poses all these threats to us,' Tuvalu's Prime Minister, Feleti Teo, said in an interview here. Ranol Smoliner, right, and his uncle Kauaka Petaia fish for tuna in the Pacific Ocean near Funafuti, Tuvalu, in early April. Photo / Carolyn Van Houten, the Washington Post This low-lying atoll nation has become a premonition of climate change. Its leaders have made desperate pleas - including one delivered while thigh-deep in water - about the existential threat of rising sea levels. The potential exodus of fish threatens to strip Tuvalu and other Pacific Island nations of the very money they need to fight the impacts of global warming. About 60% of Tuvalu's locally generated government revenue comes from fees foreign countries pay to fish for tuna in its waters, Teo said. That revenue has plunged by about 40% over the past five or so years, denting the tiny nation's overall budget by almost 6%. Scientists say it's hard to know how much of that recent drop is due to climate change as opposed to natural migration linked to ocean cycles. But scientific modelling suggests Tuvalu could lose one-quarter of its tuna by 2050. Efforts are under way to help Tuvalu and 13 of its neighbours track how tuna populations are shifting and to demand remuneration. They were recently awarded more than US$100 million ($166m) from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to help adapt. 'Pacific Island countries are fighting hard to establish our rights to be compensated for fish that are caught in the high seas,' Teo said. 'If we are able to definitively assert that the stock that used to occur in our EEZ is now in the high seas as a result of climate change, then that will strengthen our case.' Warming waters are also bleaching local corals, depleting reef fish that Tuvaluans depend on for food. Some of the fund grant will go towards fish aggregation devices: floating structures that help lure larger ocean fish, including tuna, closer to shore for locals to catch. Coral bleaching also disrupts the natural wave protection of atolls like Tuvalu and the replenishment of their shores, said Arthur Webb, who led the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project to reclaim swathes of desperately needed land in the capital. Each day, a dredging machine in Funafuti's lagoon sucks up sand and pumps it onto reclaimed areas. Sand is also pumped into large bags that are stacked to form protective seawalls. The new land is left to settle before building, which has yet to begin. Tuvalu's ring-shaped land mass covers only 26sqkm and is less than 1.5km across at its widest point, sometimes narrowing to a mere 18m. Photo / Carolyn Van Houten, the Washington Post Tuvalu is roughly 1.5m above mean sea level. Its waters are now rising by about 2.5cm every five years - well above the global average - and estimated to reach 60 to 90cm by 2100, according to Moritz Wandres, an oceanographer with the Pacific Community. By 2060, once-in-50-year floods are predicted to occur every five years, rendering Tuvalu uninhabitable without large-scale adaptation efforts, Wandres said. King tides already routinely inundate much of Funafuti, where motorbikes splash through the water seeping up through the sandy ground. Tuvalu is preparing. It has amended its constitution to protect its statehood and maritime zones, even if it no longer has any land. And it announced a plan to clone itself in the metaverse, preserving its history and culture online. In 2023, Australia provided a more tangible escape plan when it created special visas, at least in part, to help up to 280 Tuvaluans per year escape the wrath of climate change. More than 80% of Tuvalu's population - or 8750 people - has applied for the visa, according to official Australian figures released last week. The predicted decline in tuna will only hasten the outflux. 'This is our only resource,' said Laitailiu Seono, a Fisheries Department officer, as he carved up tuna to be dried and sold. 'That's why we really want to look after them. No fish, no job.' Compounding Tuvalu's anxieties, the US Trump Administration has dealt Pacific Island nations another blow, suspending US$60m per year in South Pacific Tuna Treaty funds for the region - part of a long-standing deal to guarantee US fishing access. During his presidency, Joe Biden promised to double the tuna treaty funds in a bid to counteract China's efforts to woo Pacific Island countries. Instead, Teo said, Tuvalu had yet to receive roughly US$7m it had been counting on: 'A big hole in our projected revenue'. Children play on a seawall surrounding reclaimed land in Funafuti. Tuvalu, a low-lying island nation endangered by rising seas, is building up swathes of land for housing, even as many inhabitants contemplate leaving. Photo / Carolyn Van Houten, the Washington Post At the same time, President Donald Trump's decision to open up the 400,000-square-mile (1,100,000sqkm) Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument to commercial fishing suggested he could scrap the treaty altogether. Like other Trump Administration moves - pulling out of the Paris climate agreement, cutting US Agency for International Development funding and climate financing, and potentially putting travel restrictions on some Pacific countries, including Tuvalu - abandoning the treaty would hurt America's strategic interests and boost that of its stated rival, China, said Alan Tidwell, director of the Centre for Australian, New Zealand, and Pacific Studies at Georgetown University in the US. 'If the US pulls out totally from the Pacific, then someone has to fill that role,' agreed Teo, whose nation is one of only three in the region that still recognise Taiwan instead of China. 'And we know who is eager.' A State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the department 'will continue … to align its activities and programmes with the foreign policy priorities of the president and the secretary.' When Kauaka Petaia returned to shore, his son Siuele was there to help him unload the tuna. The 27-year-old said he had no desire to follow in his father's footsteps. Instead, he would soon head to Australia to work in a meatpacking plant, where the pay is more certain. 'By 2030 or 2050,' he said, 'I don't know if tuna fishing will still be a job in Tuvalu.'
See - Sada Elbalad
3 days ago
- Politics
- See - Sada Elbalad
COP30 in Belém, Brazil: A Historic Turning Point for Climate Action in the Amazon
walid mohamed The 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), held in the vibrant city of Belém at the gateway to the Amazon rainforest, marks a historic moment in global efforts to combat climate change. This year's summit is not only symbolic due to its location in the heart of the world's most critical ecosystem, but also pivotal in redefining climate justice, environmental finance, and sustainable development. The Amazon Takes Center Stage For the first time in history, the Amazon – often referred to as the 'lungs of the Earth' – hosts a global climate summit. This unique setting brings renewed focus to the role of tropical forests in regulating the planet's climate and preserving biodiversity. With deforestation and illegal exploitation still threatening the Amazon, COP30 has galvanized urgent international attention on protecting this vital biome. Climate Justice and the Global South Brazil's leadership at COP30 underscores a growing call from the Global South for equity in climate solutions. Developing nations, often disproportionately affected by climate impacts despite contributing the least to greenhouse gas emissions, are demanding stronger commitments from industrialized countries. Discussions in Belém have emphasized the need for fair climate financing, technology transfer, and support for sustainable transitions in vulnerable economies. Green Finance and Investment Commitments One of the most anticipated outcomes of COP30 is the scaling up of climate finance. Major announcements have included pledges to the Green Climate Fund, new partnerships for reforestation, and financing tools for clean energy development in the Amazon basin and beyond. Multilateral banks, private investors, and governments are aligning around frameworks to mobilize billions toward climate-resilient infrastructure and nature-based solutions. A Just Energy Transition The conference is spotlighting a 'just energy transition' – ensuring that the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources does not leave communities behind. Brazil's own advances in biofuels, hydropower, and solar energy serve as models of how emerging economies can lead innovation while addressing poverty, employment, and indigenous rights. Youth, Indigenous Voices, and Civil Society COP30 has seen unprecedented participation from youth leaders, indigenous communities, and civil society groups, particularly those from the Amazon region. Their presence and activism have injected urgency, authenticity, and cultural wisdom into the negotiations. Panels and side events have highlighted traditional ecological knowledge, community-led conservation, and the importance of inclusive governance. Looking Ahead As negotiations continue, COP30 represents a critical inflection point. The world is facing escalating climate disasters, from floods and wildfires to food insecurity. The decisions made in Belém will influence the trajectory of global climate policy for years to come. Brazil's presidency of COP30 is a powerful reminder that the fate of the planet is intertwined with the fate of the Amazon. With bold action, global solidarity, and justice at the core, this summit could be the turning point the world urgently needs. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" Arts & Culture Hawass Foundation Launches 1st Course to Teach Ancient Egyptian Language
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Climate
- Perth Now
The long, winding road to a climate-resilient Pacific
Helen Tony's life in a small and low-lying coastal village in the South Pacific is made increasingly difficult by a changing climate. Not only do rising seas and intensifying storms monster the shore and threaten homes, the global consequences of emitting more greenhouse gases extends to food and income security concerns for her family. Ms Tony lives in the village of Unakap on Nguna, one of Vanuatu's small islands off the north coast of Efate and about 4000km east of Cairns. In the 15 years she's resided there, growing fruit and vegetables has become harder especially after cyclones that bring destructive insects in their wake. Her husband is also catching fewer fish due to reef and ecosystem damage from extreme weather, higher seawater temperatures and ocean acidification. Their family of five is able to make money to buy food from local markets but one of their income sources, the mats Ms Tony makes from pandanus leaves, has taken a hit. To weave them, along with fans, purses and baskets, the leaves need to be dry but more rain than is typical has been shrinking her output and the cash she generates selling her wares. Living in an archipelago vulnerable to volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis and landslides, ni-Vanuatu are no strangers to disaster and the long road to recovery that follows. But the addition of climate change impacts and extreme weather events including more intense cyclones and storms are making it harder to bounce back. World Vision humanitarian emergency security affairs manager Pallen Abraham Philip says the country has always experienced cyclones but they are becoming stronger and increasingly hitting out of season. "They're still in the recovery mode, then the next hits," he tells AAP. Category five system Pam, to which Australia was a first responder, devastated the country in 2015, and there have been other severe storms since including twin tropical cyclones Judy and Kevin that tore similar pathways just days apart in 2023. A lot of money is needed to help vulnerable regional and rural communities recover and adapt and there is at least some funding funnelled into Vanuatu through a complex web of instruments and programs. On Nguna and neighbouring islands, dedicated global project the Green Climate Fund is supported by the Vanuatu government and humanitarian organisation Save the Children. Australia's $50 million contribution is part of its broader $100 million package of initiatives to foster preparedness including the Pacific Resilience Facility. This, in turn, allows the Pacific to invest in small-grant but high-impact initiatives to help make communities disaster-ready. Whitely Tasaruru, who is the Nguna and Pele area climate change manager within Vanuatu's Community-based Climate Resilience Project, says each village has its own set of issues and preferred fixes. His job is partly about making sure various adaptation measures like coastal tree planting, sea wall construction and coral restoration mesh cohesively. For Nguna, gradually relocating low-lying villages to higher ground on the island is the long-term goal. In the meantime, the community wants to buy extra time by protecting buildings and infrastructure, including the road connecting communities close to the shore. Planting more vegetation and trees along the shoreline should help, Mr Tasaruru says, as will a planned sea wall in a spot known to be vulnerable to erosion. But sometimes climate impact solutions can unintentionally create new problems. For example, work under way to build a road to higher ground for relocating households has been reliant on mining sand on the island's beach for the slab cement structure. But extracting the sand has created openings and channels on the beach that are leaving nearby settlements more exposed to storm surge and wash damage. "Many community members here have concerns," Mr Tasaruru tells AAP. He believes sourcing sand from Port Vila, the city on the mainland island of Efate, is a better option. On neighbouring Pele, Salome Kalo from Pilliura village has been instrumental in getting solar-generated food drying up and running. Located on sandy and therefore less productive soil, food security has become an issue for the village, especially when compounded by storms and unfavourable weather. To give themselves more flexibility, villagers have been preserving fruit, vegetables and other produce using a solar-powered dryer that blows warm air to prevent moisture. "It helps us a lot," Ms Kalo says. But a few months ago, the dryer in her village was destroyed in a storm. "We have to build that again this month." Like on the neighbouring island, Pele communities have scouted out higher ground to move to over time. Edward Lani, also from Pilliura village, expects their way of life to change when forced to relocate away from the beach. "There are people who live along the coast, they depend entirely on the ocean for food but if they move inland, it would change their way of getting food for the household," he says. But for Mr Lani, moving inland is not his biggest concern. He is more worried young people will leave the island entirely to avoid worsening environmental conditions.
See - Sada Elbalad
21-07-2025
- Business
- See - Sada Elbalad
Environment at the Heart of the Economy: How the Climate Summit Is Reshaping the Global Financial System
ali abo dashish Environmental issues are no longer separate from economic ones—they now lie at the core of discussions on future development and investment. At COP30, it has become evident that transitioning to a green economy is no longer optional; it is an urgent necessity. One of the key themes this year is financing a just energy transition, especially for developing countries that require massive investments to shift from coal and oil to clean energy sources. Several international banks have announced plans to support green projects, and some countries have pledged to increase their contributions to the Green Climate Fund. However, the real challenge remains in translating these pledges into concrete actions, while ensuring that poor nations do not fall into a trap of 'climate debt.' There is also growing debate about linking global stock exchanges to the climate performance of companies—an idea that could radically reshape the global economy in the coming years. read more Analysis- Turkey Has 0 Regional Allies... Why? Analysis: Russia, Turkey... Libya in Return For Syria? Analysis: Who Will Gain Trump's Peace Plan Fruits? Analysis: Will Turkey's Erdogan Resort to Snap Election? Analysis: What Are Turkey's Aspirations in Iraq? Opinion & Analysis Analysis: Mercenaries In Libya... Who Should Be Blamed? Opinion & Analysis Analysis- How 'Libya Nightmare' Takes Erdogan to Algiers Opinion & Analysis Analysis: What Happens After Brexit? Opinion & Analysis Analysis: Strategic Significance of Libya's Sirte, Jufra! News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks
Business Recorder
19-07-2025
- Science
- Business Recorder
Climate-resilient agriculture: SAU, FAO agree to expand collaboration
HYDERABAD: In a concerted effort to strengthen climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable water use in Sindh, the Sindh Agriculture University (SAU), Tandojam, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations have agreed to deepen their cooperation on joint initiatives. The agreement was reached during a high-level review meeting held at FAO's provincial office in Tandojam on Friday. The meeting was chaired by Prof. Dr. Altaf Ali Siyal, Vice Chancellor of SAU, and Ms. Florence Rolle, FAO Representative in Pakistan. Also present were Dr. Julius Muchemi, Head of FAO Sindh Office; Ms. Emelda Berejena, Project Manager of the Green Climate Fund (GCF)-supported initiative; Ms. Amna Bajwa, Programme Head; along with other technical experts. Participants reviewed the progress of several collaborative projects between SAU and FAO, particularly in climate-vulnerable districts such as Umerkot, Sanghar, and Badin. These joint efforts aim to promote adaptive farming practices through improved irrigation efficiency, short-duration crops, intercropping, seed development, and agricultural marketing. Highlighting the university's contributions, Dr. Altaf Ali Siyal noted that SAU experts are working directly with farmers to pilot innovative techniques and conduct field-based training. He added that the university's FLUX Tower is actively recording meteorological data to support crop planning and early warning systems. Additionally, SAU's communication team is conducting outreach and awareness programs, while university graduates working with FAO are contributing to food security initiatives in the field. Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Florence Rolle emphasized that with the support of the Green Climate Fund, FAO has initiated the installation of Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) across Sindh to strengthen data-driven agricultural decision-making. 'Our goal is to ensure that these tools enhance local planning and pave the way for sustainable development,' she stated. Dr. Julius Muchemi shared that nine AWS units are currently being installed in Sanghar, Badin, and Umerkot. These stations will continuously monitor key agro-meteorological parameters, including temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, precipitation, soil temperature, and electrical conductivity. Ms. Emelda Berejena further elaborated on the broader institutional platform being developed through FAO's collaboration with SAU, research centres, and agricultural extension departments. 'This integrated framework is bridging science, technology, and farming communities to build long-term climate resilience,' she said. The meeting concluded with a mutual commitment to enhance institutional engagement, strengthen climate-smart agriculture, and scale up collaborative research and planning efforts across Sindh. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
