Mixing science and tradition to cope with climate change
An early warning system will help communities on the frontline
Climate change has made traditional stories about the seasons unreliable. UNDP is teaming up with the Solomon Islands Government to put in place a dynamic weather data network that will give people accurate information about droughts and extreme storms. The knowledge will save lives by helping fishermen avoid rough seas and it'll help farmers optimize their harvest to avert food crises in the future. Vulnerable communities like Taro and Tuwo in the Solomon Islands may be remote, but now they get regular weather reports that are shaping their water usage and preparedness for climate change. These two towns are part of a climate adaptation project (SIWSAP) led by the Solomon Islands Government and the plan is to expand the early warning system to more communities across the country.
Women of Tuwo gather in the forest to perform a traditional kastom song about the changing climate. Knowledge about crops, weather and seasons has been passed down through stories and songs generations, but changes in the climate make this guidance less reliable.
Joy Papao is one of the Solomon Islanders who assisted in setting up the equipment and monitoring stations to make the early warning systems work. Remote communities present a major challenge for the team and careful planning is essential as its sometimes days back to the warehouse to get a spare part.
A storm gathers on the horizon dwarfing both the Shortland islands in the distance and a lonely fisherman on his way home to Taro. Unpredictable and more violent storms can make daily routines like fishing become a matter of life and death. In small communities like Taro the loss of fisherman impacts everyone and many in the community know someone who’s drowned in recent years because of unpredictable and violent storms.
Peter from Taro operates the ferry boat between Taro and Supizae. The short crossing costs just $2 and it takes less than 5 minutes to row across and it’s an essential link to the provincial capital. Sea level rise and coastal erosion is widening the distance between the islands and Francis says storms are becoming more frequent and more intense.
A woman from Tuwo carries a kettle of fresh water back to her kitchen. New tanks and news wells from the project have eased water stress for now, but the early warning system will help the community plan their water usage and prepare for the longer dry seasons. Good information on expected rainfall from the system will advise when women can take a bucket and when a kettle must suffice so everyone has enough.
Because of climate change Taro is vulnerable to sea level rise, extreme storms and water shortages. The early warning system will help save lives by giving people trusted information to plan their trips by boat to avoid unseasonal storms.
Rachel from Tuwo will bear the brunt of climate change. Life on the atoll is all she knows and an angry rising sea makes her future uncertain. Data about weather patterns will help Tuwo adapt to the volatile new climate but Rachel and her generation could be the last one to live there because of climate change.
A chain link fence protects the sensitive scientific instruments from the curious and playful hands of children. The equipment is a welcome addition to the community as everyone recognises the need to better understand the erratic storms and fitful rainfall.
Mostyn heads up the pilot project committee that’ll be the trusted information channel for early warning information in Tuwo. As a respected member of the community he plays a pivotal role in explaining weather data so that it connects with his neighbors in a way that’s relevant and in tune with the local culture.
An aerial shot of the thatched houses of Tuwo shows how vulnerable the community is to the sea. Some families have already moved multiple times to escape the king tide and extreme storms, rising sea levels. While the weather system will help save lives by ensuring better preparedness, the community will have to find long term solutions to the growing problems of climate change.
A primarcy school teacher in Taro. New water tanks from the project mean that her students always have good water to drink and clean hands to help stay healthy. She teaches children about climate change and the unpredictable future that lays ahead. The early warning system will be a critical tool for the community as they brace for everything the sea and the sky will throw at them.
XX XX doesn’t know exactly how old he is but it’s widely agreed he’s over 100. He’s one of the keepers of the kastom stories which is a catalogue of wisdom about the seasons and survival. In the past the seasonal arrival of a frigate bird might heralded a good time to plant, now this wisdom needs to work alongside scientific data to create a new awareness to help guide fishing and planting in Tuwo.
*The Solomon Islands Water Sector Adaptation Project, “Gud Wata Fo Strongem Komuniti Lo Evritaem", is funded by the GEF-Least Developed Countries Fund and implemented by the Water Resources Division of Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification with technical support from the United Nations Development Programme. The project aims to improve the resilience of water resources to the impacts climate change and improve health, sanitation and quality of life, so that livelihoods can be enhanced and sustained in the targeted vulnerable areas.
Hydro Met stations installed under the project were led by Solomon Islands Met Service and NIWA of New Zealand and are part of the overall national CLEWS. SIWSAP exists at the request of the Solomon Islands Government and in line with current national development plans. UNDP implements SIWSAP on behalf of the Solomon Islands Government.
To find out more, go to: http://siwsap.org.sb/