He spent 25 years as the only priest in Tuvalu, which is about two hours, by air, north of Fiji.

In 2010 Tuvalu's population of 8,357.

When Kamilo arrived in 1986 there were just 26 Catholics and when retired in 2011 at the age of 82, there were 123.

In addition to the usual priestly ministries: Word, Sacrament and Leadership, Kamilo also repaired the road, built houses, and established better supplies of fresh water.

In 2007 a visitor to Tuvalu, related an encounter with Kamilo.

Once in a while he slows down his vehicle, pointing out a well-constructed house.

"I built this one. And that one."

Asked whether he helped the families get funding for construction he responds with pride: "I physically built these houses."

"I rolled up my sleeves, brought my tools and built them."

However, Kamilo once said, "No matter how much work I had to do, I always put prayer first!"

How did Fr Camille DesRosiers end up in Tuvalu?

In November 1985 Kamilo was asked by Cardinal Pio Taofinu'u of Samoa-Apia and Tokelau to introduce Bishop John Rodgers to the people of Tuvalu.

Having previously served as Vicar Apostolic of Tonga and Nuie and later Bishop in Tonga, Bishop of the Cook Islands, and Auxillary Bishop of Auckland, Rodgers had been appointed to be the "Superior Missio Sui Iuris" in Tuvalu

A Superior Missio Sui Iuris, is a rare type of missionary pseudo-diocesan jurisdiction, ranking below an apostolic prefecture and an apostolic vicariate, in an area with very few Catholics, often desolate or remote.

However, shortly after his appointment Rodgers had a stroke, and he nominated Fr Camille DesRosiers to the Apostolic Nuncio to be the man for Tuvalu.

56 Years in the Pacific Islands

Fr Camille DesRosiers was ordained on the 4th of June 1955, along with two other Marists, he had already been invited by Fr Lawrence Ross to "follow me to Samoa."

He and Fr Bertrand Soucy bought a car and had many adventures driving across the United States, from Boston to San Francisco, arriving in September of 1956 .

Here they boarded the "Oriana" and sailed to Honolulu, then on to Suva, then on to Samoa arriving on the 9th of November. He remembered it as being "hot".

He spent 10 years in Savai'i, 10 years in Upolu, 8 years in American Samoa, and 2 years in Tokelau.

Nine times he was called in by his superiors to ‘rescue' situations, when the priest in that post was in difficulties for one reason or another.

Fr Reynaldo Getalado MSP, is at present the Superior of the Catholic Mission on Tuvalu.

Previously, he worked for some time in the diocese of Auckland.

Source

• Supplied
• facebook.com
• Image: diocese.ddec.nc

This is the first successful application for residency on humanitarian grounds in New Zealand that has featured climate change.

The Immigration and Protection Tribunal said the family has strong ties to New Zealand and found "exceptional circumstances".

A bid from a Kiribati man to become the world's first climate change refugee was rejected earlier this year.

The international Refugee Convention does not recognise victims of climate change as refugees.

An environmental law expert said the Tuvalu family decision did not provide an open ticket for climate change refugees hoping to come to New Zealand.

Continue reading

When the sun sinks, and the baking heat subsides, the 1.7km airplane runway in the capital Funafuti comes to life as the main sports ground on the island with games of football and volleyball taking place all around.

It turned out that the airfield was built during World War II, which gave Tuvalu a fast link to the outside world and also a vast area that for many decades was its only playing field.

However, this runway also paved over the farmland on the main island and Tuvalu has been reliant on imported food ever since.

One of the main reasons that football is the national sport here instead of rugby, which is very popular throughout the Pacific region, is you simply can't play rugby on a runway - or not without serious injury! Continue reading.

Mark Beaumont is following the Queen's Baton Relay around the Commonwealth, leading to next year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, UK. Regular updates are posted on his blog.

Source: BBC

Image: Twitter

Christian Church of Tuvalu leaders report that the southern island of Nukulaelae is most severely affected by the extreme water shortage and locally produced food. The Church Secretary has reported that "the coconut tree tops have started falling off, breadfruit trees are dead, banana plantations are dried up and the traditional pulaka pits are rotten because of the drought."

A big meeting on climate change that has just finished in Panama was urged to consider the plight of Pacific nations.

Presentations from Tonga highlighted the impact of climate change in the Pacific - including the current water shortages in Tuvalu and Tokelau.

However, according to John Hunter from Australia's Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre in Hobart, Sea level rise is not a major factor in the water shortages in Tuvalu and Tokelau at the moment.

The current drought affecting the central pacific is due to a La Nina weather pattern, but sea level rise as been suggested by some as being a factor in the water shortage in low lying atoll nations.

Source

• The Drum
• Pacific Beat
• Pacific Beat
• Image: Journey

The island groups of Tuvalu and Tokelau have declared emergencies, relying on bottled water and seeking more desalination machines. Parts of Samoa are starting to ration water.

Six months of low rainfall have dried out the islands. Climate scientists say it's part of a cyclical Pacific weather pattern known as La Nina - and they predict the coming months will bring no relief, with the pattern expected to continue.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully says other islands in the South Pacific are also reporting water shortages.

He said New Zealand is carrying out a regional assessment amid fears the drought could lead to crop failures and food shortages.

Tuvalu

In Tuvalu supplies are precariously low after a severe lack of rain in a region where underground reserves have been fouled by salt water from rising seas that scientists have linked to climate change.

Families in Tuvalu's capital, Funafuti, are being allowed only two buckets of water a day a. The government estimates the country has five days of drinking water left.

A New Zealand Defence Force Hercules carrying Red Cross supplies and desalination units arrived in Tuvalu on Monday carrying water and desalination units. Andrew McKie from Red Cross New Zealand said they were transported to an island right in the south of Tuvalu, Nookilaulau, which although it's a small island was one of the ones worst affected by the drought

Tokelau

A priest who has just arrived in Tokelau says people are happy to hear that assistance is on the way.

Father Oliver Aro runs a mission on the atoll of Nukunonu, and says people are conscious of using water.

"As far as I have observed, people's lives are limited with things like hygiene, using their bathroom. They are more particular, because they don't want to waste water now."

The three main atolls that make up isolated Tokelau, a New Zealand-administered territory with a population of 1400, residents ran out of fresh water altogether last week and are relying on a seven-day supply of bottled water that was sent on Saturday from Samoa.

A Defence New Zealand Force Hercules carrying water containers flew to Pago Pago in American Samoa on Thursday, where it met up with a US Coastguard vessel. The ship, which has an on-board desalination plant to fill the containers, will then travel to Tokelau's three main islands.

Churches commend swift action and call for long term plans

The Right Rev Peter Cheyne, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand has commended McCully for his prompt action. The Presbyterian Church has a strong relationship with Te Ekalesia Kelisiano Tuvalu.

Bruce Mullen, from the Uniting Church of Australia's Pacific division says Australia may need to consider resettling people from the Pacific in the future, with a number of the island nations in the grip of a serious drought.

"The long term issue is that some of these atoll islands are not going to be sustainable for human habitation indefinitely. So the long-term issue is how we address relocation - there's nothing worse than having to dislocate people as a matter of urgency and trauma. It's much better to think these things through with a bit of time."

Source

• Radio New Zealand International
• Savali
• TVNZ
• New Zealand Herald
• Australia Network News
• Image: CNN

As a follow-up a conference on Internal Displacement in Natural Disasters which was held on 3 May. A Pacific-wide workshop on protection for internally displaced persons was organized in Suva, Fiji, from 4-6 May, where these issues were discussed. Participants included representatives from Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

However Pacific Islanders who may have to move to other nations because of rising sea levels don't like being described as 'environmental refugees'. Jane McAdam, from Australia's University of New South Wales, says the term environmental refugee does not exist in international law and is not an accurate description of the challenges facing Pacific Islanders.

People from countries such as Tuvalu and Kirbati do not want to be seen as refugees she said. "[The label] would make us feel like helpless victims." Pacific Islanders I spoke to said we also don't want to be seen as a burden on the international community. "Instead we would like to have the opportunity to migrate with dignity and to be skilled people who can be moved to other countries and perhaps over time build up pockets of community abroad."

Source

• Australia Network News
• Image: OHCHR Pacific Office