Pacific Island Nations Ask Neighbors To Prepare To Receive Their People

[hatrack]

NADI, Fiji Low-lying South Pacific countries are asking their neighbors to prepare for a complete exodus of their people if global warming causes rising seas to swamp their island homes.

Kiribati President Anote Tong, whose nation of 32 atolls and 92,500 people has almost no land higher than 3 meters (10 feet) above sea level, said he would ask Australia and New Zealand to accept the region's environmental refugees.

"If we are talking about our island states submerging in 10 years' time, we simply have to find somewhere else to go," Tong said at a news conference Monday ahead of a meeting of the 16-member South Pacific Forum.

EDIT

Tong is the leader of a group of the smallest Pacific nations. Besides Kiribati, areas considered under threat from rising sea levels are Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands and sections of Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.

EDIT/END

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/24/asia/AS_GEN_South_Pacific_Summit_Sinking_States.php

[gulfcoastliberal]

1. Wow, that's tragic. At least they're thinking ahead- but should try harder for NZ

... for NZ, since Australia barely has the resources for its 20+ million people. And here we are sitting at 300+ million. We only lag behind India and China in terms ofmost populated nations.

[XemaSab]

2. Oh no! No more .tv domain registration!

:cry:

[bananas]

3. it will become .atlantis nt