SOLOMON ISLANDS CLIMATE DISPLACEMENT IN LAU LAGOON, SOLOMON ISLANDS. PHOTOGRAPHS BY BENI KNIGHT.
Photography Copyright Š Beni Knight/Displacement Solutions. Publication Design by Arteria Studio. Published April 2017. This document was produced using vegetable based inks, environmentally sustainable practices and is printed on 100% recycled, carbon neutral paper. Produced by Displacement Solutions Rue des Cordiers 14, 1207 Geneva, Switzerland www.displacementsolutions.org If you would like to find out how you can help the people of Lau Lagoon in their quest for a brighter future and to keep abreast of developments relating to our Climate Displacement Land Initiative, please feel free to have a look at the Displacement Solutions website: www.displacementsolutions.org or write us at info@displacementsolutions.org
COVER: Tauba2 is a classic example of a decaying island; its permanent inhabitants have dwindled to single digits in the last few years.
SOLOMON ISLANDS CLIMATE DISPLACEMENT IN LAU LAGOON, SOLOMON ISLANDS. PHOTOGRAPHS BY BENI KNIGHT.
From 2016-2020 Displacement Solutions is implementing its Climate Displacement Land Initiative (CDLI) in five frontline countries presently grappling with the very real effects of climate change. Building on our more than a decade of field experience working on climate displacement issues, during the Initiative we are working with groups in Bangladesh, Colombia, Fiji, Panama and the Solomon Islands to identify areas vulnerable to climate displacement and land sites near these threatened areas that could serve as viable relocation sites for communities no longer able to remain in their current homes.
groundbreaking work on Ontong Java Atoll, which were also spearheaded by Beni. Our report Climate Displacement in Ontong Java Atoll, Solomon Islands and our film on the same theme were some of the first efforts to draw international attention to the very dire circumstances facing the 3000 people who call Ontong Java home.
This report focuses on one of the first places in the Solomon Islands facing climate displacement and the quest to find new land resources for those needing to move from their present homes. In late 2016, DS sent photo-journalist Beni Knight to Lau Lagoon on the island of Malaita to document the challenges facing island dwellers in the area.
A series of internal planned relocation measures have already been undertaken across the country, with further relocation plans to be implemented in the coming five-year period. Most of the relocation undertaken thus far has been in the provinces of Malaita and Temotu.
This report builds on earlier efforts of the Initiative in the country, most notably our
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The Solomon Islands is at the frontlines of global climate displacement, with a growing proportion of the 560,000 people who call the country home threatened with involuntary displacement due to the consequences of climate change.
Low-lying coastal areas on the mainland, notably Lilisiana on Auki Harbour, as well as the entire atoll of Ontong Java - which is one of the world’s largest atolls - are
also slated for relocation due to continually worsening conditions. Planned relocation because of climate change is always complex and fraught with countless challenges, and this is also the case in the Solomon Islands, due to potentially explosive land disputes relating to often distinct cultural practices between different groups that will increasingly be forced to live in close proximity to one another as a result of climate relocation. The government of the Solomon Islands has developed a number of national policies and plans recognizing the need for the planned relocation of communities affected by climate change and the acquisition of land for this purpose. In the Solomon Islands as elsewhere in the world, land is at the heart of rights-based solutions for climate displaced persons in the country, and our work examines national land needs assessments for climate displaced communities to determine the likely scale of climate displacement in the country, the geographical areas most likely to be affected, the groups working on these
issues and the projected land requirements in each country to repair and resolve all manifestations of climate displacement.
THE LAU LAGOON Perched on the north-east tip of Malaita in the Solomon Islands archipelago, the Lau Lagoon covers 35 km2 of shallow reef. It is shadowed by the island of Maana‘Oba in its northern reaches and exposed to the deep Western Pacific Ocean in its central and southern parts. Dotted throughout the lagoon are nearly 100 man-made islands of coral that house anywhere from five to 400 people each. Increasing numbers of these islands now lay uninhabited as residents flee the ever-worsening consequences of climate-change that are destroying their homes and making island life increasingly unviable. Sitting an average of less than one metre above the mean high tide mark, as is the case in so many areas decimated by climate change, the islands have the outward appearance of a tropical wonderland.
The landscape is drenched by salt and sun. The flora is shaped by the easterly trade wind. Most homes are still made of timber and palm fronds. Dugout canoes negotiate their way throughout the lagoon, and the continual heat leaves a blanket of humidity that softens the entire scene to a sun bleached paradise. Combined with a healthy supply of fish and vegetables, and plenty of island smiles and laughter, it would appear that the islands have a long and happy future. The artificial islands gather as a monument to man’s ingenuity and instinct to survive. As the story is mostly told they have been made by the wane i asi (people of the sea) to evade the mosquitoes and disease of the mainland, to be closer to the water that provides them fish and, some say, to avoid conflict with the wane i tolo (people of the bush). Though to be fair to the complexities of tribal life, not all the islands and their respective tribes can be grouped together in their history. Each has its own unique past. Simply to know the inhabitants as wane i asi is enough, as it rings a particular truth.
Using coral from the lagoon floor the wane i asi built the islands piece by piece, just as they continue to be built and repaired today. Using larger blocks of coral to establish a perimeter and smaller crushed pieces to fill the interior, the islands rise out of the relatively shallow water to form extremely low-lying platforms on which new villages are built. As the seas rise and the storms intensify due to climatechange, however, the coral used to build these islands is being increasingly torn away and returned to the lagoon floor, leaving homes unprotected and islands shrinking; to repair them is seemingly just delaying their inevitable loss. According to locals, the islands were first conceived and built some 16-18 generations ago, dating them back to the 17th Century. Throughout this time, the islands have stood strong and continued to increase in number, with only maintenance and occasional repair required. Today the islands are dealing with a different set of circumstances that have been brought about by climate change. The seas are rising, the weather is extreme and the
seasons increasingly unpredictable. These circumstances caused the artificial island of Tauba1 to first submerge completely underwater during a high tide sometime around 2005. Tauba1 is just one of the many islands of the Lau Lagoon, and serves well as an example of the common plight of islands in the lagoon. There are two tribes that co-exist on Tauba1, as is common throughout the lagoon, and some islands have as many as five different cultural groups. John Kaia is chief of the Aenabaolo tribe on Tauba1. He has held the government seat of honourable member of the Lau/Baelelea district, and he commands attention with his calm and thoughtful demeanour. John is 52 years old and has seen the climate change dramatically in his life. “Before we used to know the seasons, but now the wind, the rain, the cyclones can come at any time. We don’t know when. Cyclones always used to come when the wind was from the west, now they come even when the wind is from the east”, he says. This refers to the seasonal trade winds
and the predictable weather that once came with them. In July 2015 Cyclone Raquel landed in the Solomon Islands and is the first recorded cyclone at this time of year in the Western Pacific. This caught much of the Solomon Islands by surprise and left many villages devastated in its wake. The fear of extreme weather events is thus growing with each passing year. The seasons now cannot be relied upon, and to people that survive from food they harvest daily it makes life particularly difficult. John adds, “Climate change has not only affected the weather, it has effected everything, the people, the sea, the land, even the food we eat has changed, people’s lives have already changed so much”. Words like this allude to a deep connection with the surrounding environment and nature. The thought that one aspect can change without affecting all others is foreign. John believes that “food grown using fertilisers (due to erratic seasons) has been harmful to people’s health and has changed the lifestyle on the islands”. John also says that it is even dangerous at times for children to attend
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school as they have to paddle/sail to the mainland and back each day from their islands. “Storms now can happen any day and come very quickly. The children must be very careful while in their canoes, if the wind hits their sails hard the canoe can roll over very easily�. These dangers combined with the worsening conditions on the islands is leading the inhabitants to search for new land on the mainland to settle. The Aenabaolo tribe is lucky enough to share a parcel of land on the mainland with three other tribes. This has seen most relocation occur here, but due to a recent land dispute, as is common in the Solomon Islands, all building has been ceased by court order until there is a decision regarding the matter. Other islands in the lagoon face different circumstances, some without land to relocate to at all. One such island is Taluabu, a small island consisting of only one tribe with around 20 permanent residents. The people of Taluabu without option of land on the mainland, have become experts at the craft of constructing these unique islands.
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With nowhere to go they are resigned to the fact that they will have to persevere through whatever nature may serve. They have been allowed for generations to farm a parcel of land on the mainland, but have not received permission from the customary landowners to build houses so as to be able to relocate the tribe. This is also a common story throughout the Lau Lagoon. With no option of land elsewhere they continue to persevere with the rising sea level that consumes their islands at least once a year for the last 10 years or so. Even when land to relocate to is available, it is not often without complications on the island of Malaita. The complicated structure of customary land tenure sees Malaita dealing with land disputes on a very regular basis, keeping the courts busy and prolonging the findings to sometimes take years. During this time there is no construction allowed and people are left uncertain of their futures. Families that have already relocated to the mainland appear to be content with their situation there, although they remain sad
to have had to leave their islands even if they are now safe from the sea and close to their gardens. There is a deep connection to the islands they still call home and most return at least once a year for Christmas from their new homes on Malaita or in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands. During the festive season the numbers on the islands can quadruple with the tiny island of Tauba1 estimated to swell from 100 to upwards of 400 people at this time. The national government has long been aware of the situation of their low-lying islands and their need for relocation. Within the last year this matter has been pushed up the political agenda as the situation has worsened and become critical. Though there is intent from all concerned, there is still far to go before any relocation plans are put into practise, and entire tribes are safely and properly relocated. There is an urgent need for a national framework to deal with internal displacement in the Solomon Islands, and the Prime Minster’s office is aware of this. Malachi Baate is posted in the Ministry
of Environment, Climate Change Division of the Solomon Islands Government. According to Malachi the framework is still in its concept stage and thus has a very long road ahead before being put into action. Though the situation is urgent the scale of the task ahead is daunting and requires the cooperation of many and varied government agencies, adding to the complexity of any possible solution. The Solomon Islands government is not the only one concerned about this issue. The Anglican Church of Melanesia (ACOM) has thus far taken the lead in any adaptation and relocation plans concerning the threatened low-lying islands, and has implemented many programs thus far. ACOM now has the potential to lead a group of concerned parties that include local and non-local NGO’s and Pacific Island church groups. The potential to avoid bureaucratic delays involved with government agencies is the major strength to this concept, though their support and assistance would bolster any potential program.
The work that is required in the Solomon Islands has been carried out already in many countries around the world. With access to these programmes and experiences and the agencies involved in drafting and implementing them, the Solomon Islands can look to forge their own unique framework based on others experience and work, thus expediting the process and ensuring a safe and prosperous future for those threatened by climate change and the rising seas.
BENI KNIGHT AND SCOTT LECKIE Beni Knight is a photojournalist who works regularly with Displacement Solutions in climate change hot spots around the world. Scott Leckie is the Founder and Director of Displacement Solutions.
Building national policies around the normative framework developed in the Peninsula Principles on Climate Displacement Within States would appear to have much to offer the authorities and the citizens of the country. Although planned relocation to the mainland due to these worsening conditions has been happening for over a decade, there exists today a new urgency. Shortages of suitable, available land for relocation are leaving the people of the Lau Lagoon anxious about their future and that of generations to come.
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A precarious existence: At high tide, the islands lay barely above the waterline. During king tides and high wind events, which are becoming increasingly frequent, some islands are completely submerged. 9
The Chief of Tauba1, John Kaia, just 52 years old, has weathered many changes to the islands and his people’s way of life since his childhood.
Approaching the island of Tauba1 after sailing from the mainland. “Out of sight cannot mean out of mind: Sailing from the mainland: canoes are required for the journey to Tauba1, a mid-sized island jointly inhabited by two tribes.”
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Living with rising sea levels is a steep uphill battle. Essential structures such as this outhouse, which is only accessible by bridge, require constant maintenance to support life’s daily needs. Watching one’s lifelong home become unsustainable is a taxing ordeal which most people of privilege will never have a true understanding. A woman observes the remains of an abandoned island. 12
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Where there is life, there is hope. The beginnings of a brand new island offer a foundation for the future of those who have no option of relocation to the mainland.
Mangroves are essential in defending against rising seas and erratic weather, but are also often the only source of firewood. Resources are stretched thin, but life must carry on. Children in the distance travel by boat to reach school on the mainland.
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In the wake of a large wind and wave event, ruined homes lay in shambles. Due to the steady erosion of protective mangroves, futile attempts at rebuilding have been foregone.
A sign of steadily changing times: What was once an outhouse is now only of use to birds and sea creatures. 16
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The structure of an unfinished church sits idle behind a cemetery. As the amount of inhabitable land steadily decreases, tribes are left to dispute ownership; half-completed construction projects inevitably dot the mainland.
Religion plays a central role in islanders’ day-to-day lives, with prayer and devotional rituals providing faith and comfort in trying times. 19
Surviving climate change is a laborious effort. This very small and sturdy man-made island in Lau Lagoon is home to just one family, yet requires extensive quantities of natural resources and lifetimes to create and maintain. 20
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A dense tropical rainstorm impedes daily demands; during the dry season, no less. Uncertainty is the only constant here.
Raised houses have become exceedingly common throughout the islands. This structure on Taluabu Island offers some semblance of security. 23
Through trying times, islanders’ smiles remain a genuine constant.
Up is the only way from here: traditional homes are built on stilts to evade rising water levels. 24
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A bonus of boating home from school: quick swims to beat the oppressive heat.
Brightness must be found wherever possible: children play joyfully inside a disused shop. 26
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Sailing between islands on traditional dugout canoes with tatty plastic sails. Islanders’ seamanship is strong and remains essential to survival. 28
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An underwater perspective magnifies the heavy reality of living at the frontlines of runaway climate change. 30
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