Extreme weather hits Papua New Guinea's Niningo Group

The  Niningo Group in the Western Islands of the Bismarck Archipelago experienced severe impacts of extreme winds and king tides this past Christmas and New Year. King tides flooded entire islands and destroyed homes, food gardens and services facilities such as schools and churches. The Ninigo Islands are located over 200 km from the northern coastline of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Their remoteness prevents regular boat visits and presents a challenge for emergency response. 

For many small and remote island communities in PNG, access to transportation and communication services remains a major challenge. We were able to obtain some video footage and photos with the assistance of a local priest and village leaders of Lau Island in order to report on this unfolding humanitarian disaster. Lau Island’s food gardens, including food staples like banana and taro, have been flooded by sea waters that is at least knee high.

Intense storms and floods are becoming more frequent in recent times. An independent study commissioned by the AsianDevelopment Bank revealed that natural disasters have increased by 600% overthe last 60 years. Specifically, hydrological disasters such as floods and storms are far more frequent than disasters from geophysical events such as earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions which have remained roughly the same.

Upsets in the biosphere’s carbon cycle ultimately spark climate change which is the main cause for hydrological disasters. The two main drivers are increasing carbon emissions and decreasing carbon sinks. Deforestation reduces the storage capacity of the earth’s carbon sink to sustain emissions for carbon fuel combustion - thus giving rise to drastic climate change and its vast impacts. 

Small island settings like the Ninigo Group are the most vulnerable. Climate action failure and extreme weather are two of the top 10 global risks by severity according to the World Economic Forum’s 2022 GlobalRisk report. 

Rapid cartel-run deforestation in Papua New Guineais inevitability contributing to the first eight of those top 10 global risks. PNG must play a significant role in protecting the precious tropical rainforest under its stewardship for the benefit of all humanity. Join us on our journeyto raise the plight of our remote and marginalised people, standing up topowerful promoters of rapid deforestation and its heavy price on our people andenvironment.