The Church of Melanesia’s Board of Mission is helping the people of the Malaita Province, in the Solomon Islands, to adapt to the rising sea level.
In the Solomon Islands, the sea level rises of 8 millimetres per year, almost three times the global average, survival of communities on the low-lying atoll of Ontong Java is already threatened.
Resettlement is the last option for atoll communities impacted by climate change. But the situation is becoming critical as the encroaching sea erodes Ontong Java, which is an average of 2-3 metres (6-10 feet) above sea level and has just 12 square kilometres (4.6 square miles) of land area.
Adaptation activities, including an atoll agriculture project and installation of rainwater tanks to provide salt-free drinking water, are currently being implemented by the Anglican Church of Melanesia’s mission programme.
George Bogese, aid and programme officer for the Church of Melanesia’s Board of Mission says “The focus of our energy at the moment is the food security project, so they are able to stay and live on the island for as long as possible.”
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