In Fiji, dead palm trees on what used to be beach
By Fred Wesley Tomasi Daunivucu harbours a dream. In fact it has been nagging him for a couple of years. He wants to see the waterfront that makes up his village at Saioko in the district of Nakorotubu in Ra, saved from the forces of mother nature. Like every member of the 29 households in this village by the sea, he has noticed mother nature slowly eat away chunks of village land. He nods in acknowledgement when ‘global warming’ is mentioned. But I wonder whether he understands the implications of this global issue. … Over the years, he’s noticed something frightening happening to his village. He points out to the dead remains of coconut tree trunks. "See those trunks … the beach started there," he says. The roots of the dead tree trunks are under water, and the sea has spread about five metres inland at low tide. A recent spell of bad weather saw waves washing into the village hall about 10 metres further inland. "We’ve noticed the waves moving inland over the years," he says. "It is a concern because it’s eating away at our land and recent bad weather made us realise the impact it will have on our homes in the future. Waves were crashing onto some of our homes." …
