Klaemet Storis
Solomon Islands' online climate change knowledge hub
Presented by Solomon Islands Climate Action Network (SICAN)
What is ‘Klaemet Storis’?
Wat nao 'Klaemet Storis'?
Purpose: "Solomon Islands' online hub for climate change education"
Purpose: "Ples blong Solomon Islands fo lanem abaot klaemet chens"
Solomon Islands understand that climate change poses a significant challenge for its environment and communities.
Solomon Islanders save that klaemet chens hem makem bigfala challenge fo olketa environment and communities blong iumi.
This website is proposed as a hub for reading and sharing information about climate change, including the experiences of women, youth, and people across different provinces of Solomon Islands.
Klaemet Storis is presented by Solomon Islands Climate Action Network (SICAN), a group of motivated local organisations, companies and individuals who have banded together to raise awareness, educate, and drive action on climate change.
Cover photo credit: John Clemo, 2019
What is climate change?
Wat nao klaemet chens?
NASA's definition:
Definition blong NASA:
Climate change involves a range of global effects caused predominantly by burning fossil fuels, which add heat-trapping gases to the Earth's atmosphere.
These phenomena involve increasing temperature trends, but also include changes such as sea level rise; more intense weather events such as tropical cyclones; more severe droughts, affecting agriculture; and ice mass loss in polar areas and mountain glaciers worldwide.
There is near certainty in the scientific community about human-caused climate change.
Definition source: NASA, 2019.
Photo credit: John Clemo, 2019
What are the main effects of climate change in Solomon Islands?
Wat nao main effects blong klaemet chens long Solomon Islands?
.
- Sea Level Rise: The ocean around the Solomon Islands is rising at 2.5x the global average - between 1994 and 2009 sea level rise around Honiara was measured at 7.7mm per year. This can lead to coastal erosion, salt intrusion into water supplies/aquifers, and susceptibility to more intense storm surges.
‘- More intense rainfall and flood events: While there may be fewer cyclones around Solomon Islands, higher ocean and air temperatures mean storms will be bigger, retain more moisture and lead to more intense rainfall. Examples of storms in recent years include Tropical Cyclone Harold (April 2020) and the 'April Floods' in Honiara in 2014 - which killed 22 people and displaced 9000.
- Droughts and food security issues: As our climate changes, many areas will experience longer periods without rainfall. This could result in water shortages and agricultural effects. Other effects on food security include the disruption of supply chains due to intense storms.
- Landslides on steeper areas: Higher rainfall, combined with deforestation and development in hilly areas, can lead to more landslides. This is particularly the case with rising populations in Solomon Islands' towns and cities, and as coastal areas become less habitable due to sea level rise.
- Sanitation and hygiene issues: as populations increase, and floods and storm surge become more severe, there is a risk of health issues arising from sanitation/infrastructure problems.
How can we address the effects of climate change in Solomon Islands?
Hao nao iumi save address olketa effects blong klaemet chens long Solomon Islands?
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Climate adaptation: The process of adjusting how communities, cities and countries operate, in order to build resilience in the face of potential climate effects. An example is training or building capacity within communities to improve responsiveness, or the physical process of protecting or improving buildings from the effects of climate change.
Climate mitigation: Processes of absorbing (or sequestering) carbon to slow down the 'Greenhouse Effect' which causes climate change. This can be through natural mitigation - e.g. protecting forests from removal, or reforesting areas of land; or science/technology based - such as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). An engaged and organised community could obtain carbon credits by climate mitigation projects such as reforesting land, or protecting forest, if the project goes through the legal process and gains accreditation.
Climate adaptation and mitigation are both occurring in Solomon Islands. An example of a climate adaptation project is Climate Resilient Honiara, which focuses on building community resilience and is funded by the Adaptation Fund. An example of a climate mitigation project is the proposed Tina River Hydropower scheme, which will enable the transition away from expensive and high emission diesel power generation in Honiara and in surrounding communities.
Photo credit: Monga Bay News, 2019
