HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Marshallese government leaders met with scientists, the military, and community members in Honolulu this past week to see how military technology can help manage its climate change crisis.
Marshall Islands’ Ambassador to the U.S. Charles Rudolph Paul led the delegation and joined HNN’s Sunrise to talk about the takeaways.
“We’re seeing more inundation of waves, we’re seeing even hotter and hotter days which means that the habitat for the fish and the livestocks and the food security issues and water, more droughts, so it’s becoming a major issue for us. So we have to look outside to try to see how we can complement what we currently have and build on it,” Paul said.
Hundreds of small volcanic islands and coral atolls make up the Marshall Islands, which face constant threats to its food and fresh water supply. In 40 years, they could disappear completely, according to U.S. Department of Defense research.
Under the Compacts of Free Association or COFA, the United States has a military base on Kwajalein Atoll, while Marshallese citizens can live and work freely in the U.S. About 10,000 live in Hawaii, with more migrants expected as the crisis worsens.
Among the possible mitigation measures — a system that pulls moisture from the air to create drinking water created by a local company called Waiea Water.
Another resource — big cargo drones that can carry hundreds of pounds food and medicine to remote island communities.
The Marshallese government and the U.S. Office of Naval Research also set up the Kwajalein Atoll Sustainability Laboratory (KASL) on remote Ebeye Island, described as a resource hub that helps the Marshallese community collect ideas on adapting to climate change.
Even as the Trump administration rolls back climate change policies, Paul says the message of resilience resonates with everyone, regardless of where they are on the political spectrum.
“It’s a reality for us and in my work in diplomacy in Washington DC. I use certain words that do not trigger. I’m not triggering to whatever side of the aisle you’re on, so I use words like adaptation and mitigation, and those tend to resonate by describing the issue as opposed to labeling it,” said Paul, who added he’s confident his nation will continue to receive funding and support from the White House.
Paul says increased competition from Beijing is strengthening America’s relationship with the Marshall Islands.
“China is in the Marshall Islands. They’re embedded in the communities and they’re trying to win the hearts and minds of the communities, and that’s something that if you look at back to 50-60 years ago, that’s how the U.S. was able to win the hearts and minds of Marshallese.”
In the race for survival, working with other countries will be critical to stemming the tide of Marshallese climate change refugees.
For more information, visit kasl.earth.
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