A claim by a scientist that some Pacific islands and atolls are growing in size rather than being eroded by climate change has been criticised by an Auckland-based Pacific photographer.
The claims suggest storm surges and severe cyclones that are linked to climate change are actually pushing coral up onto atolls and causing them to increase in size. The findings were published in New Scientist magazine and were co-written by Paul Kench of Auckland University’s School of Environment.
Auckland documentary photographer Jocelyn Carlin who specialises in socially anthropologic images, challenged these claims and she has first hand exposure to Pacific people’s stories from Kiribati and Tuvalu.
Carlin believes the New Scientist report is a “one dimensional view” of the affect of climate change on the Pacific Islands by only measuring land mass.
The real impact, she says, is the seawater intrusion – that is, seawater coming up through the ground, especially during high spring tides and this is nothing to do with the atolls changing shape.
“Try telling the Pacific people their island is OK because it’s growing in land mass. This will conflict greatly with their reality when they are trying to cope with storms that coincide with spring tides and their fresh water supply is constantly compromised.” Says Jocelyn.
She maintains that, while coral debris may increase island mass, the real issue is the majority of atolls are already suffering because of an extreme lack of fresh water because it is infiltrated by seawater, a condition that is exacerbated during drought. Kiribati has just come out of a three year drought and many of the islands are focused on fresh water collection so they can survive.
Jocelyn welcomes a debate with Dr Paul Kench as she says “it’s one thing to be photographing from satellites but my experience of the issues is different from living and working amongst the Pacific Island people. It paints another story of what it’s like to be actually living on vulnerable Pacific Islands that have changed considerably over the last 50 years so that now a lot of them are virtually uninhabitable to the indigenous people”.
Jocelyn is part of the Auckland Festival of Photography Talking Culture series showcasing Climate Change and Environmental Photography on World Environment Day.
Press Release- Auckland Festival of Photography