Japan to finance at-risk islands
Print Edition
JAPAN yesterday pledged 55 billion yen (US$452 million) in aid to Pacific island nations that are battling rising sea levels and natural calamities as a result of global warming.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made the pledge at a two-day meeting with the island nations’ leaders in Iwaki in northern Japan.
The assistance will be doled out over three years to help fight environmental disasters and to provide access to clean water, renewable energy, waste management and related issues.
Japan will also help with expert exchanges and training. Participants agreed to work together to preserve ocean life and encourage trade and investment.
The island nations include Fiji, the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands and others, some of which are threatened with rising sea levels.
Scientists say the melting of Arctic glaciers is a key factor in the sea level rise that’s threatening island nations, many of which are built on coral atolls just meters above sea level.
In a report in 2014, a United Nations panel on climate change said oceans could rise by up to 1 meter by the end of this century if no action is taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“In order for us to face up to the fury of nature and recover better from disasters, we must bring to each other our wisdom and experiences,” Abe said.
He also thanked the nations’ leaders for helping in the recovery of the remains of Japanese soldiers who died on the islands during World War II.
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