Ten years ago, when John Warmington first began diving for the reefs outside his home in Havannah Harbour in Vanuatu, tall stands of staghorns branched into yellow antlers, plate corals layered like canopies, and clouds of darting fish scurried through the maze.
He claimed that “we used to be aware of every inch of that reef.” It resembled a friend, they said.
It is no longer recognisable.
In the aftermath of Cyclone Pam’s 2015 quake, sediment from inland rivers smothered the coral beds. The recovering polyps were swept into and devoured by a starfish called the “Crown of Thorns.”
What was left after two consecutive cyclones in 2023 destroyed. The seabed was then shaken by a magnitude 7.4% earthquake in December 2024.
A coral graveyard was left in the wake of habitat collapses, coral burials, and the loss of life.
Warmington, who has logged countless dives on this single reef, said, “We have come out of the water in tears.” We simply witness heartache.
This Pacific island nation’s rising seas, rising seas, and saltwater intrusion are transforming coastlines and threatening daily life, and that heartbreak is becoming more prevalent.
Sea levels around Vanuatu’s coasts have increased by about 6mm (0.24in) annually since 1993, which is significantly higher than the average global average, and tectonic activity has increased by more than half in some areas.
Vanuatu will be able to contest the world’s highest court on Wednesday. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will provide an advisory opinion on the legal responsibilities that nations have in terms of addressing climate change and the possible repercussions.
The case, which is led by Vanuatu and supported by more than 130 nations, could have a major impact on international climate law.
Although the opinion won’t be legally binding, it could influence future efforts to hold major emitters accountable and secure the funding and support that small island nations need to adapt or survive.
The Pacific nations that have watched their ancestral homelands disappear have long been in the dust.
More than a third of Tuvalu’s population has applied for an Australian climate migration visa, with the average elevation of just two meters (6. 6 ft).
The majority of the nation’s coastline is expected to be submerged at high tide by 2100.
In an effort to raise money for possible relocation efforts, the government of Nauru has started selling passports to wealthy foreigners in exchange for providing visa-free access to dozens of nations.
Vanuatu has already pressed other international courts for opinions, and it is pushing for the international criminal court to recognize ecocide as a crime.
According to Christina Shaw, CEO of the Vanuatu Environmental Science Society, not all of these effects can be attributed to climate change alone.
Ecosystem decline is also being caused by tectonic subsidence, volcanic eruptions, deforestation, and pollution.
The environment in Vanuatu is “quite fragile by its very nature,” she said, adding that it is young, has shallow reefs, has little topsoil, and frequently suffers from natural disasters. However, we must also consider the other human effects on the environment.
The damage includes reefs, gardens, and homes, as well as those that were once thought to be untouchable.
Amos Kalsont, the village chief on the island of Pele, watches as waves slam against the sand-buried remains of his brother.
Just a few yards from the ocean are his brother’s and his father’s graves at high tide. Saltwater intrusion has been the community’s main source of drinking water, and some homes and gardens have already been relocated inland.
The village is currently considering relocating the entire village, but that would require the landowners’ grandparents to be hand-cleaned.
Many people in Vanuatu are still working toward creating something stronger, hoping that the rest of the world will back them.
John Warmington continues to dive the reef he views as a member of his family while he is back in Havannah Harbour. He and his wife Sandy have begun planting coral fragments in the hope of recovering what has been lost while a large portion of it has disappeared.
Source: Aljazeera
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