RelocationonlyOption for
Solomon IslandCommunity toCombat
Tsunami andClimateChangeRisks
BMTWBMhas recentlypartneredwith
BuckleyVann townplanners and the
School of Civil Engineering at the
University of Queensland todevelop a
comprehensive climate change
adaptationplan for theprovincial
capital of Choiseul in theSolomon
Islands.
The capital is locatedon a small coral
atoll withinChoiseul Bay, calledTaro
Island,mostly less than twometres
abovemean sea level.
Coastal hazards such as tsunami and
ocean storms present a significant risk
to theTaro Island community, and
thesehazardswill be compounded in
the futurewith climate change and
sea level rise inparticular.
The climate change adaptationplan
for Choiseul Bay, preparedonbehalf
of theAustralianGovernment through
thePacificAustraliaClimateChange
Science andAdaptationPlanning
(PACCSAP) program, details the
staged relocationof theChoiseul
capital to the adjacentmainland. This
is the first time anywhere in thePacific
Islands that aprovincial capital with all
its services and facilitieswill be
relocateddue to coastal hazards and
climate change.
ForeignMinister JulieBishopwith theAustralian andPapuaNewGuineanEmergingLeaders
12 WATER&ENVIRONMENT ISSUE 2 2014
