On November 24, plans were put in place to evacuate the 980 people living on the six Carteret atolls, after they battled for decades with the effects of climate change. The Papua New Guinean government will move 10 families at a time to Bougainville, 100 kilometres away. Within two years the Carterets will be uninhabitable, and they are likely to be completely submerged by 2015. The people living on these islands have struggled to survive for many years, relying on emergency aid as saltwater intrusion has destroyed their trees and prevented food from growing.
From Green Left Weekly, November 30, 2005.
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