Views of Young Pacific Islanders on Climate Change

Recently, CHEC received an important letter from Samoa sharing the views of young pacific islanders on climate change. The letter, penned by Fogamomi Nicollo Moeono-Alaiasa, a member of CHEC Oceania, highlights the importance of both resilience and moral leadership in battling climate change. It's a short but highly important statement.

It can be read in full below:

LETTER TO CHEC FROM SAMOA EXPRESSING THE VIEWS OF YOUNG PACIFIC ISLANDERS

Dear members of the Commonwealth Human Ecology Council,

I write to you as a member of CHEC Oceania, an executive board member of Global Shapers Apia, a professional engineer for the Government of Samoa and a Matai (High Chief) of my village. I am a citizen of Samoa, a representative for the Pacific Islands and a voice for Pacific communities battling climate change – here on the ground

Climate change in the Pacific is a battle of resilience and moral leadership. It is a human story that involves both indigenous knowledge and modern knowledge to boost resilience in the face of extreme weather events, food and water insecurity. The Pacific countries are least responsible for creating the climate crisis, yet we are leading the way in adopting renewable energy technologies and environmental stewardship. On the global stage, this makes us powerful moral leaders. Yet, moral leadership and resilience can only go so far. We need to include the voices of youth on the global stage from the Pacific today and for the future. The IPCC report 2021 outlines that we are on-track to exceed 1.5°C in 20 years. The Pacific countries will face frequent flooding, high sea level rise (loss of indigenous land), mitigation and more. The solution is a global cooperation from all leaders, from all ages and from all voices. The Pacific in particular has a critical leadership role to play if we are to ensure humanity’s survival.

Fogamomi Nicollo Moeono-Alaiasa