The iconic Gizo seafront in Western province is rapidly eroding as rising tides continue to eat away the shoreline, causing increasing concerns for local residents and businesses.
Coastal erosion has become more visible in recent months, with king tides flooding parts of the waterfront and damaging structures along the shoreline.
Gizo community members said the situation is worsening, and urgent intervention is needed to prevent further destruction.
Speaking to Solomon Star in an interview, a concerned leader and a resident residing at the Gizo Commercial seafront Thornley Hite said, the tide is rising higher than before, and they can see parts of the seafront disappearing.
“If this continues, we fear that more buildings and roads near the shore will be affected.” he said.
Hite noted that the reclaimed commercial area of Gizo Township incised with the drainage system which serves as man-made waterways is slowly sinking by the year.
“The landing places are slowly becoming inundated as evidenced by king tides. The most affected areas are the KHY waterfront, Magheso Marine workshop, PT-109, Gizo Market and the low-lying east-end areas.
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“The township’s coastal paved road could be underwater in less than 10 years from today.
“This is a serious matter for the Western Provincial government, in terms of town planning. The new provincial government to be formed after December 14, 2022 needs to pass new ordinances that will mitigate climate change impacts,” Mr. Hite added.
He added the new law of the province must take into account climate change mitigation considerations in building codes and standards especially in relation to waterfront developments and coastal roads and other infrastructures.
“This means town and country planning laws must be revised to meet changing circumstances,”Hite explained.
Local business owners along the waterfront, especially fuel depot’s owners have also raised alarms, as the encroaching sea threatens their livelihoods.
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When the king tide reaches the famous PT109 Club and restaurants experienced damage.
Environmental experts warn that climate change and human activities are accelerating coastal erosion.
The removal of mangroves and unregulated development along the shoreline has made the area more vulnerable to rising sea levels.
Mr Hite further added the coastal towns and villages in Solomon Islands already feel the impacts of climate change, most notably in sea-level rise.
He said it will affect people’s lives in more ways than one including food systems such as reef fisheries, seasonal changes in tree crops fruiting and food crops harvests, etc.
“Rural communities in Solomon Islands could stand less chance in mitigating climate change impacts due to associated costs and because they live in customary lands.
“However more awareness is needed for relocation of villages to higher grounds or raising existing areas by means of landfill and other environmental friendly initiatives,” he further added.
Ben Hamlington, a sea level researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and leader of the agency’s sea level change science team, explains that sea level rise is not uniform across the globe.
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“The extent of sea level rise in a given region is influenced by both global and local factors, such as coastal topography and the way glacial meltwater is distributed in the ocean.
“While variations exist from one region to another, the Pacific shows a surprising consistency in sea level rise patterns.
“The effects of an 8-inch (15-centimeter) rise will differ between countries. Some may experience frequent nuisance flooding at their airports, while others could see entire neighborhoods submerged for nearly half the year,” Hamlington said.
According to recent updates, Pacific Island nations are experiencing significant impacts from king tides, with many low-lying areas experiencing coastal flooding due to the exceptionally high tides, particularly in places like Tuvalu and Kiribati; this is further exacerbated by rising sea levels caused by climate change, leading to increased frequency and severity of flooding events during king tide occurrences
As the tides continue to rise, the call for action grows louder. The people of Gizo are hoping for swift intervention before it is too late.
By ULUTAH GINA
Solomon Star, Gizo
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