SHARM EL SHEIK, November 14 (IPS) – The only thing Taren Chilia remembers about Cyclone Pam is that it flattened his school in Vanuatu, swept away his books, equipment and – well, almost all of his dreams. his.
Cyclone Pam, a Category 5 hurricane, was one of the worst storms to hit the South Pacific island in 2015, displacing about 45% of its 270,000 people. It also resulted in several deaths and destruction of property, homes and crops. Human-caused climate change is warming ocean temperatures, fueling tropical storms caused by warm, humid air, scientists say.
In Vanuatu, a tornado tore through Efate Island in Shefa province, near the capital, Port Vila.
Chilia, now 20, from the village of Mele, recalls fleeing as the water rose as a storm swept through his village.
“I am at home with my parents, school is closed and everyone is at home. We couldn’t go out, but we could hear the wind howling and thunder as my neighbors came to pick us up from the house that wasn’t safe from the storm,” said Chilia, who was in elementary school at the time. told. IPS on the sidelines of the event COP27 Summit.
On the agenda of the global meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was the issue of loss and damage and how developing countries could be benefited. compensation for damage caused by severe impacts of climate change. .
“As we rushed out of the house, I heard a big wave, and our village was flooded. The school has been washed away, like everything around it,” said Chilia, who was chosen to lay the first brick to rebuild the first classrooms in her village after the storm that devastated Pam.
With donations from well-wishers in Australia after Cyclone Pam hit, the villagers were asked to rebuild Chilia’s school within three days, and they did.
“We used the large white tents sponsored by UNICEF as classrooms until the construction of the school. The whole village participated in the construction on the first day (ie) on Friday. On the second day, we draw the school, on the third day, we hold the opening of the school. On Monday, we went back to school,” he said.
Climate justice delayed is justice denied
Chilia argues that Pacific islands like Vanuatu need to be compensated to repair and restore infrastructure lost to the effects of climate change. He said that developed nations responsible for the high carbon emissions that lead to global warming should take responsibility for their actions and pay the price.
Chilia told IPS: “I call on all countries of the world to advance climate justice for the Pacific Islands by supporting (creating) a loss and damage base at this COP27. He explained that the Vanuatu government should seek advice from the International Court of Justice in resolving the issue of compensation for damages caused by climate change.
Developing countries that argue that they have already suffered the effects of climate change to which they have not contributed are promoting a loss and damage fund to offset climate impacts.
Espen Ronneberg, Senior Advisor, Multilateral Agreements on Climate Change for Pacific Community (SPC), said the loss and damage would continue without ambitious mitigation action and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions. He says the effects of climate change are already being experienced.
“We are also looking to the future and how much worse those impacts will be unless mitigation is intensified and unless technical and financial assistance for example is also supported,” said Ronneberg. enhanced,” said Ronneberg. – Aims in addressing the current impacts of climate change in the Pacific island nations.
“The kind of loss and damage that we’re seeing now, and that we’re predicting under different scenarios, won’t really address those impacts. We know that there is humanitarian assistance, there’s Funds. Green and the Adaptation Fund, but these don’t meet the needs we’re seeing,” he said.
“Loss and damage to facilities is a key for the Pacific Islands, but there is a lot that is unknown at the moment. We know what we don’t want. This must be resolved jointly with our development partners, and everyone must be on the same page on loss and damage issues. We are not quite there yet.”
For Chilia, the effects of climate change are real.
“Climate change has affected me personally and affected human rights,” says Chilia. “My mother used to be a traveling saleswoman, but she returned home because a tornado destroyed her stall.”
Chilia says he is currently supporting his family.
“I’m the breadwinner of the house with seven people in my family, and I work a job in restaurants and bars just to feed my family.”
Chilia was unable to complete his high school after being forced to drop out when his mother lost her travel business. His father was unable to work after suffering from back pain. He used to work as a seasonal apple picker in Australia and New Zealand.
He says coming to COP27 was his first chance to travel, but the experience has enriched him. He has learned a lot about climate change and can’t wait to tell his village about restoring lost coral reefs.
“I love to snorkel, and when I go snorkeling, I don’t see any more colored reefs, but we can do a lot to restore the reefs that we are losing. go because of climate change.”
Vanuatu Island relies on coral ecosystems for economic benefits, livelihoods and coastal protection. Rising ocean temperatures have led to coral bleaching, while acidification has reduced the availability of calcium minerals in the water that corals need to grow and repair themselves.
“I had a dream – although my dream was shattered because I didn’t finish my 10th year of school and had to get a job to help support my family,” says Chilia. “But I want to draw the world’s attention to climate change,” said Chilia, who believes her active work as a member of Greenpeace Australia Thai Binh Yang will help make a difference.
Report of the UN IPS Office
By @IPSNewsUNBureau
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