Islands face watery grave

THE prime minister of the South Pacific atoll chain of Tuvalu blamed global warming for “king tides” that are threatening to submerge the nine islands.

The tides began covering the lowest points in the country late on Thursday, flooding homes, offices and part of the airport.

Higher tides are expected over the weekend.

The highest point in Tuvalu, the former Ellice Islands, is 4.5 meters (15 feet) above sea level. The king tides, once rare for the islands, now occur every two years, Prime Minister Saufatu Sopo’aga said.

He called on the international community to tackle global warming to prevent the island nation of 11,500 people from disappearing under water.

“The evidence is there, and our nation is suffering because of it,” Sopo’aga said. “We do not need further scientific research into this global phenomena on sea-level rising. It is already there. We are talking about the extraordinary high tides now. It is now becoming common to Tuvalu.”

The tides are a worrying reminder that the low-lying atoll country could one day slip beneath the waves of the rising ocean.

The unusually high or “king tides” began on Thursday, peaking just before sunset and coming not over the beach as would be expected, but as frightening springs of seawater everywhere on this capital atoll.

The tides flooded homes, offices and even part of the airport. Higher tides are expected over the weekend.

Several hundred metres into the island, as far as possible as it is to get from the sea, the worst of the flooding occurred around homes and in ancient compost pits where generations have been growing root crops.

“I am very worried about the sea levels,” said Losi Tuaga, 18, as she stood outside her home, ankle deep in seawater bubbling out of the soil.

Tuvalu is a Polynesian nation of around 11,500 people living on just 26 square kilometres (10 square miles) of land spread over nine atolls, none more than five metres (16 feet) above sea level.