外交部 Tuvalu Falls Early Victim to Global Warming and Sea Level Rise　(Embassy of the Republic of China(Taiwan), Funafuti, Tuvalu)

Nowadays when people talk about global warming and sea level rise and the threat to big cities like New York, Boston, Tokyo, Shanghai, London and even big cities in Taiwan, their concerns are for the upcoming 10 to 50 years. However, those concerns are really happening in Tuvalu right before our own eyes. (Attachment 1)

During the early hours between 3 and 4 AM on April 17, 2007, villagers on the low lying areas in the southern part of Funafuti were awoken to the sound of roaring waves rushing in, damaging their pig pens and washing away some of their household belongings. The tide rose by approximately 3.6 meters and was well above the ankles when pouring into the houses and onto the road. It was so dangerous that Tuvalu’s cross-ministerial Disaster Relief Unit, Red Cross Society and police set up a task force and evacuated seven households consisting of around forty people. Although some livestock and household goods were lost, fortunately no human lives were reported. (Attachment 2)

When the ROC Embassy (Taiwan) learnt of the incident later that morning, they contacted the Tuvalu Red Cross and expressed concern for the affected families. On behalf of the embassy and government of Taiwan, Ambassador Daniel Liao kindly donated food items, such as bags of rice, sugar, meat and canned foods, for the families. In addition, the Taiwan Technical Mission took some of the produce from its farm and bread to help the families. These acts were warmly acknowledged by the Secretary General of Tuvalu’s Red Cross, Ms. Eseta Lauti, and reported by the government radio station of Tuvalu. (Attachments 3)

More incidents like this could strike Tuvalu at any time. Our embassy in Tuvalu would like to remind everyone to pay closer attention to issues on global warming and rising sea levels, and to be prepared at all times. In places likely to be highly affected, people should start taking precautions to prevent the situation from further worsening. As the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Photo1： An aerial shot by the Associated Press of area in Funafuti affected by sea level rise.
(Picture taken on 17 February 2007, and shown in 3 major newspapers in Taiwan)
Photo2： Flooded house with high swells of the Pacific Ocean in the backdrop.
Photo3： Ambassador Dr. Daniel Liao donated food items to Tuvalu’s Red Cross Society and was received by the Secretary General, Ms. Eseta Lauti.