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Professor of Pacific Studies says that the increasing frequency of natural disasters, land erosions, as well as rising ocean temperatures means that new terminology is needed to describe how dire the environmental situation has become.
Steven Ratuva is the co-leader of Protect Pacific, a New Zealand-government-funded research project. He said that the term “climate change” doesn’t adequately address the impacts seen in the Pacific and elsewhere around the world.
Steven Ratuva, the head of New Zealand’s MacMillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies at Canterbury University, is the chief of this centre.
Photo: Supplied/Steven Ratuva
Ratuva stated that it was time to stop referring to climate change.
He said that the term climate change has been around since a while and people have used it repeatedly.
“Ofcourse climate changes, it’s natural induced seen through weather. But the situation now shows that it’s not just evolving but we’re at a level of crisis – the increasing number and severity of category five cyclones as well as the erosion, heating, and death of coral reefs in the Pacific. And the impact on human lives.
“All these events are happening at a very rapid pace.
“So, the term climate change doesn’t address the dramatic changes occurring so we need a new way to frame it so that the term climate crisis can be used now because it is right in the middle.
[https://www.protectpacific.com/ Protect Pacific is a research project]The University of Canterbury, the University of the South Pacific, and the New Zealand government are collaborating to address climate crisis in the Pacific region.
At the recent Oceans Conference, Palau, Minister Aupito Williams Sio from New Zealand announced that his [https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/465354/our-ocean-conference-commitments-worth-us-16-billion government will allocate $US3 million] Ratuva stated that the majority of the funds will go to research on 16 Pacific islands.
Pacific will lead the research project. Ratuva stated that Pacific is excited about the opportunity to finally take part in a study that takes in their lived experiences.
John Kerry, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate and Palau President, Surangel Wipps Jr.
Photo: US State Department
He said that the Pacific’s dependence on aid meant that they have had to look for climate expertise from outside the region, rather than relying solely on their own knowledge.
Ratuva stated that aid has not allowed the Pacific to fully express their independence.
“The pattern for economic development, governance, and the pattern of doing business has always been dependent on aid donors. They determine what must be done with the money.
“Often, the Pacific climate policies are driven primarily by international narratives from United Nations and other aid donors. It’s important that evidence be generated within the Pacific using our expertise.”
