The ocean is our lifeblood. It is our provider, the foundation of our cultures, and our home. But it is changing before our eyes. Growing up in Samoa, an island nation ringed by a vast blue horizon, it became clear to me early on that my life, and the life of my community – our stories and culture – were inextricably linked to the ocean. Our lives are woven into the ocean, and when it suffers, we suffer too.
The latest UNESCO State of the Oceans report confirms what Pacific Islanders have known for years: the rate of ocean warming has doubled in just 20 years. Villages are disappearing as rising seas creep further inland and saltwater intrusion destroys our crops and drinking water sources.
More frequent and intense cyclones are displacing families and wiping out infrastructure. Entire nations, such as Tuvalu and Kiribati, face the terrifying prospect of becoming uninhabitable within a generation. And yet, Pacific Islanders’ calls for urgent action to restore our greatest climate ally, the ocean, continue to be met with half-measures and empty promises.
