Cook Islands

Tradition may not be enough

The eventual rise of ocean levels caused by global warming will no doubt imperil Pacific islands such as the Cook Islands.

In the remote Cook Islands, named for 18th century British naval explorer Captain James Cook, delegates from all over the Pacific Ocean gathered in early 2000 to discuss the threats of climate change and rising ocean levels.

The island nation and its neighbors will most likely be the first to feel the effects of global warming.

Most of the people at the conference were from small, sparsely populated island nations. These countries are afraid they may be under water before the world does something to help them. So they formed an alliance, the Association of Small Island States, determined to make their voices heard.

Also at the meeting were observers from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and wealthy neighbors such as Australia and the United States.

Opening the conference, the viewpoint of the island nations was spelled out by the Cook Islands Prime Minister Terepai Maoate.

"What do I say to my peoples when they lose their lands and their homes?" Maoate asked. "And what comfort can I give to the families of cyclone victims when unexplained weather patterns continue to cause havoc on small unprotected communities? Do I tell them that the developed countries are not yet ready to acknowledge their welfare by reaching the desired reductions in gas emissions? We cannot lose sight of the impact of our changing climate and the management of our resources."

Scientists say global warming is already causing coral reefs to bleach and die, leaving low-lying atolls unprotected from the pounding of the ocean. In Antarctica, scientific observations have now demonstrated that the ice is beginning to melt, causing sea levels to rise.

At a meeting of the Association of Small Island States, Cook Islands Prime Minister Terepai Maoate talks about how to persuade developed countries to reduce their emissions of gases that may contribute to global warming.

According to research by the Climate Change Unit at the University of East Anglia in England, if the level of the sea continues to rise by 4 inches every decade, the effect will be catastrophic. Densely populated mainland regions will be under threat and hundreds of low-lying islands may disappear.

On several Pacific islands people have maintained traditional practices that include ancient ways of caring for the environment. Long before the world began to hear about sustainable development, Cook Islanders preserved the marine ecology in their own way.

For periods of time a section of a lagoon is closed to human activity. This allows the organisms to renew their natural cycles undisturbed. In this way fish stocks are preserved and replenished.

The custom is called Raui. Aside from its practical application, it has a spiritual significance. No fisherman would dream of breaking it.

Ecologists point to these ancient practices as important ways of managing local resources. They also say that as global problems such as climate change affect the islands of the Pacific, their people cannot be expected to solve them alone.