Rising sea levels threaten to wash away entire country | 60 Minutes Australia

if you were to imagine the perfect Tropical Paradise sunny skies sparkling warm water and pristine beaches talu is as close to it as anywhere on Earth the country is a narrow strip of tiny Islands halfway between Australia and Hawaii that's made all the more special by its isolation yet for all its wonder the people of talu are facing a devastating threat rising sea levels mean their home is disappearing and what's really frightening is how quickly it's happening but all is not lost yet a group of ingenious Australians are working to raise the height of the island in an extraordinary engineering feat that's also having significant political [Music] implications it's the least visited country on Earth but looking around you have to wonder why everywhere you turn into Valu looks like a postcard the are no mountains and no Hills and no rivers and all we've got is uh the surrounding Waters the ocean 11,000 people call this place home it's a Tropical Paradise where life is full of simple Joys but behind their smiles there's great sadness and fear because almost the entire country will be underwater Within 50 years for MP SE pinu watching his country disappear is heartbreaking it's quite sad really and and it's something that uh I'm deeply worried about your land consumed by the ocean you love Yeah that's the end of talu uh civilization end of talu culture that's something that we cannot comprehend it's something James Lewis can't comprehend either we're going to lose a nation you know if talu goes who's next and how can we consciously let this happen the coastal engineer is from the Gold Coast but talu has become his second home he spent the best part of 4 years here contracted by the United Nations to try to protect the country from rising sea levels why is taru so vulnerable it's because of its low-lying nature D just half a meter one meter above the sea you're floating on a raft basically but it's made out of sand so when the tide comes up comes up through the island just because it's so low and so close to the edge of of the ocean like everyone who lives here James knows the closeness to the ocean is what makes this place beautiful but it's also why the country doesn't stand a chance during King Tides every time The Tide Rises to more than one 1 and 1/2 M you better get your gum boots because this pocket of paradise turns into a flood zone the crazy thing is that this is not from rain or waves coming over this is water coming up through the island the Island's poorest so because the Tide's so high it's coming up through the water table bubbling up through the road bubbling up through the island and through people's houses we're looking at homes and families cut off that's right this is the main road to access between the North and the South to the island my house is over there I can't get through at the moment until the tide goes down it's crazy but how often does this happen um close to this tide we'll probably get monthly now from now on in when it rains on top of this it all adds up so you know this is a bluebird day and and we're need Deep in water VI meco's house sits right in the middle of the main island as far from the ocean as possible but still this is her front yard during a king TI living like this is really hard it damages the house sometimes it damages our especially the bikes and the cars cuz it's corrosive you sea water are you worried you're going to lose your home I am worried I know these houses have the septic tanks underneath it and every time the water comes up if you think about it standing inside a water that you know is contaminated it's usually not very very like good way to live especially with my baby around what V worries about the most is the frightening future ahead for her little boy she fears by the time Theo grows up there will be hardly anything left of his homeland James Lewis knows for well it's a valid concern how much worse is it going to look well this is 2060 just under normal Tides no waves no storms 50% % of the island we're on will be underwater on on monthly daily High Tides it's not long at all no um we extend that out to 2100 and we're looking at 95% of this island is underwater just by daily tides that's without storms and anything else it's an unfathomable forecast for the people of talu but remarkably they still have hope even though their country is one of the worst hit by rising sea levels it's also becoming the best example of how the problem can be solved James came here as an engineer but he'll leave more like a savior he's helped build the first stage of an incredible project to quite literally keep the main island afloat we're keeping our country going you know this is the first stage of the grand plan 7 and2 hectares of new land built from the ocean up not just as a barrier to stop waves but also as a platform high enough above the sea to stop water rising up through the ground causing a flood basically raising the shoreline of 800 M of uh vulnerable Coast um 2 m above the highest tide at the moment which will keep them flood free till 2100 so it looks like a white strip of sand here but what's what's underneath there yeah so underneath we've got um huge mega containers you know over 100 tons in weight looks like big sausages um on the reef Edge and then out the front we've got um some some smaller geotextiles to protect them just in case um from Nicks or boats or you know any flots in in the area at first no one was sure if it would actually work but so far it has a remarkable engineering feat that's making another queenslander Cameron Hall and his team very proud not the worst place in the world to set up shoing work yeah Adam it's certainly a bit of paradise out here it's a little bit different to um Port Headland in West Australia or uh Darwin over 6 months this dredge sucked up sand from the bottom of the Lagoon and pumped it through the ocean in pipes up onto the work site we had uh 40 odd people there um dozers excavators um people building The seaw Wall the bags they feel like they're achieving something they actually feel like they're leing behind a a real Legacy making a difference to the lives of the people there's not much work back home where you're saving a country well that's right it's interesting to build a road in southeast Queensland but for them it's more interesting to uh to create land for people that otherwise will have no hope the proof it works is undeniable while the old land is flooded during high tide the new land looks like a desert this is your work doing its job right now yeah at the moment there this is a highest tide we still got you know at least 2 m up till the highest point there land here is is so valuable and we just created another 7 hectares it's dry flood free but this is only the beginning the long-term plan is to build enough new land for everyone into Val so the entire population can move to Higher Ground so it looks like you're almost doubling the existing Island yeah more more than doubling the existing Island and but raising it up um it'll incorporate huge new Greenport facilities um commercial areas obviously huge residential area you know you're not going to get in undated every day you know underneath your floorboards from water solving Tal's climate crisis is something the Australian government is just as conscious of prime minister Anthony albanesi has signed a groundbreaking deal offering Tans a ticket to Australia to escape their sinking country but coming up what else did he put in the fine print nowhere else in the world can you join a soccer match on an international runway they're all on you but in talu this is a daily tradition one of many the locals are desperate to preserve as they fight to stop their country Vanishing into the ocean because of rising sea levels you know I've grown very close to this community and I'd hate to see no future for them or having to move away You' probably already felt the Warmness of the people here and the very unique Traditions um to see that go would be such a shame Coastal engineer James Lewis is working hard to save talu he's designed new land that sits much higher above the sea so the entire population can eventually move to safer ground but it's not the only option on the table tuvaluans could move to Australia instead under a landmark treaty our government signed last year this is a groundbreaking agreement it's no surprise Australia wanted to be the one to help given taro's location in the hotly contested Pacific region where China is spending billions in other countries to try to gain the upper hand it is the most comprehensive agreement any Australian government has entered into with a with a Pacific country from our side we're very happy to to have you here minister and welcome foreign minister Penny Wong nutted out the deal with members of tavo's government including SE panu who was then the climate Minister we rely so much on our Waters yet it is also our enemy posing a a big danger and risk uh to the consistence of to going forward the treaty offers a way out allowing up to 280 Talons a year to move to Australia it doesn't sound like many but SE says it doesn't matter because fleeing overseas is the last resort I don't think there would be many that want uh to go our culture is too Valu and therefore we would like to maintain our culture into Valu rather than taking it uh away and leaving it somewhere else the most interesting thing about the Treaty has nothing to do with climate change and everything to do with China when the deal was signed last year it stopped talu making security and defense agreements with other countries without Australia's permission that gave our government the extraordinary power to block any future alliance between Tal and bying two Val view is to take that out uh but Australia put that uh into the document we were really running out of time and it didn't allow uh a proper opportunity for vetting the entire document you rushed there was limited time available for us we wouldn't like uh Australia or any other country for that matter uh to determine our uh own feet uh and especially in terms of security purposes did we as a country just try to slip that in no look nothing was no not at all I mean we had very open Frank and respectful discussions with t there was a suggestion that it was quite rushed no not at all actually I I know Minister SE well I met with him when I was in tuvalu this was very very comprehensively discussed uh uh with between us and the government uh and we were very upfront about what we were able to do uh what we were putting on the table and they were very clear about what they wanted as well what talu wanted was a promise that Australia will help protect them from climate change or any other threat they might one day face like a natural disaster or War it's a small price to pay when you consider what we get in return it effectively though gives you a veto in the back pocket right so if they want to have any sort of arrangement with China that you can step in we can step in and just say not happening well the security guarantee is a is a is a mutuality to it uh including uh that that we will provide security for them do we need to keep China out of talo at all costs look China's a a great power and it's doing what great powers do you know they they uh you press for their interests uh they work hard to increase their influence we have to work much harder to be a partner of choice and we have to think about well how do we engage in a way that is reflects our motivation which isn't domination it's partnership uh and reflects the respect for the countries of the Pacific Beijing they have their agenda but their agenda always brings some disasters to the area the way I look at it because Australia is not the only country concerned that China has size on tal Taiwan is always wanted to be a international player Taiwan is so worried their Deputy foreign minister Tien chunwang has come all the way here to firm up their friendship I think not only Taiwan should be concerned I think Australia the United States New Zealand in that matter should pay more attention because the equilibrium been changed once China comes in they they come in with with warships sometimes and war planes how do you combat that potential influence first of all we don't compete with China because the Democracy never compete with totalitarian regimes which is not Apple to Apple number one but uh resar or Taiwan would do whatever they need and whatever Taiwan is capable to offer but that strategy has failed in other Pacific island nations Maru the Solomon islands and kirbas have all switched their ties from Tai to Beijing in The Last 5 Years leaving talu is one of only three allies in the region why do you think some Pacific Islands are shifting to Beijing well probably some politicians they have their personal agenda I can only say this some they've been woed but you're confident beijing's not going to woo to Val no maybe they try maybe they try they always try but I don't think they they're going to succeed Inu this is the man Beijing will be trying to impress if it wants to gain a foothold in talu so prime minister this is talu Parliament uh yes uh this is the chamber the Prime Minister Fetti too who only got the job last month have you filled an offers from China to help well not me we haven't even contemplated any Beijing issues in our new Administration and we don't intend to do that uh so soon after we are in in office longer term can you rule it out entirely uh well right now uh we don't have any basis to uh to contemplate uh that scenario I'm sorry but uh I have far more immediate uh development challenges to address at the top of the PM's list is CL clim change the coastal adaptation project designed and built by Australians has a long way to go so far it's cost $55 million Australia chipped in 2 million and the rest came from talu and the green climate fund pool of donations from around the world but talu will need much more to pull off the rest of the plan and build enough new land to move the entire population to Higher Ground I don't think you can put a price on saving a country can you but how much is all that going to cost it's going to be into billions that's a lot of money where does it come from well I will continue to plead to the to the good hearts of our development uh partners and uh International and Regional organization that do have the resources uh to uh help to Value uh build this resilience against the impact of climate change expensive yes um but it's it's been worth it I think as you see and and at the end of the day it's a B Drop in the Ocean to what you're saving [Music] definitely as exciting as it is to see phase one of his dream design now complete the science isn't what drives James Lewis he's in it for the giant Smiles on these faces knowing they'll have a h for generations to come why should it Australians back home care about what happens here why shouldn't we you know we're going to lose a a culture something so precious they're so close to us as far as you know our Pacific neighbors can we stand by and watch this happen um I know I I [Music] can't hello I'm Adam hey thanks for watching 60 Minutes Australia subscribe to our Channel now for brand new stories and exclusive Clips every week and don't miss out on our extra minute segments and full episodes of 60 Minutes on .com. and the N Now app

Channel: 60 Minutes Australia

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Id: XFQwAVB2BdM

Length: 19min 10sec (1150 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 14 2024