Small island states have no way to hide from a climate crisis they have not caused yet one that still threatens their existence, a Samoan minister has said.
Toeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster, Samoa’s Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Lands, said a host of events from rising seas to coastal erosion was hurting its people, with the country needing urgent support to tackle a crisis.
If you look at any one [of the small island states], especially in the Pacific, it is not one event. Vanatu has had three cyclones in one year
Toeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster,
Samoa minister of natural resources, environment and lands
Speaking to The National, Mr Schuster said there was no alternative for Samoans but to stay optimistic at the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai that is now just weeks away.
“We are suffering damage already,” said Mr Schuster. “What will we tell our children and grandchildren?”
Relocating entire villages
Samoa is a country of about 200,000 people in the Pacific about midway between New Zealand and Hawaii. Most of the population live on the coast and are threatened by rising seas and coastal erosion from cyclones that have, according to the minister, eroded between 100 metres to 200 metres of the coast in some areas over the past two decades. Storms such as Cyclone Evan in 2012 and Cyclone Gita in 2018 caused widespread damage.
The Polynesian country has tried to tame the Pacific Ocean by building seawalls and has considered plans to move some buildings of its capital, Apia, inland if the situation deteriorates. More than 20 coastal villages have already had to relocate.
“How would you feel?” said Mr Schuster, when asked if the slow pace of global action angered him. “Yes, it does. We are looked on by our citizens as politicians and government officials to be able to help.
“They look at us and say: ‘why aren’t you doing anything?’ And [then we do not have] the resources to be able to help them.”
Mr Schuster is also the chair of the Alliance of Small Island States, or Aosis. The group was established in 1990 and has become a crucial bloc of 39 developing countries in the global climate negotiations. Small island developing states emit about 1 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions but they are on the front lines of the crisis.
“We are suffering the most impact,” said Mr Schuster.
Small island states have been historic campaigners on climate issues. Vanuatu, for example, championed efforts to ask the International Court of Justice to issue an advisory opinion on the obligations of countries to tackle climate change. The UN General Assembly voted to make the request in March.
Aosis has also campaigned particularly on the issue of loss and damage. While Mr Schuster cautiously welcomed the agreement in Abu Dhabi last weekend that could lay the groundwork for a loss and damage fund to come into operation at Cop28, he said he didn’t want to see any single issue dominate the crucial talks.
Also vital, he said, was ensuring the 1.5°C goal was kept alive. “If we overshoot it, a lot of our states will be lost,” he said. “A lot of our population will be affected and a lot of our economies will be gone.”
Parties that signed the 2015 Paris deal agreed to “pursue efforts” to limit warming to 1.5°C on pre-industrial levels and Cop28 will assess how the world is measuring up through what it is described as a “global stocktake”. The UN has warned the world is way off track.
“The global stocktake needs to point us in the right direction … to ensure that we stay within 1.5°C and to finance that.”
Mr Schuster said it “looks like” the long-promised $100 billion annual pledge from wealthier to vulnerable countries would be finally delivered this year but the money required was “already way beyond that”. He also called for more focus at Cop28 on cutting emissions and scaling up adaptation, which means reducing vulnerability to climate change such as sea defences.
“If you look at any one country in Aosis, especially in the Pacific, it is not one event. Vanuatu has had three cyclones in one year.”
In Samoa, Mr Schuster painted a picture of a resilient community determined to continue its cherished way of life despite the challenges. The country is emerging from drought, with climate change also believed to be affecting the corals through bleaching and fisheries. This, in turn, affects the food supply and imperils food security.
“People are seeing the reality we have been talking about,” he said, referring to a year that has seen heat records smashed globally. “General populations are demanding that governments do something about it.”
Cop28 runs from November 30 to December 12 where leaders will gather to tackle the escalating climate crisis. Mr Schuster said he was coming to Dubai to “roll up his sleeves” to get a good outcome so he can return to Samoa and say: “We have done the best and this is what we are getting to help you.”
“We are resilient,” he said. “We have come through 3,000 years living on a small island. We will continue to be resilient. We’d like to work together with everyone else to make sure we continue to live in these places.”
Her most famous song
Aghadan Alqak (Would I Ever Find You Again)?
Would I ever find you again
You, the heaven of my love, my yearning and madness;
You, the kiss to my soul, my cheer and
sadness?
Would your lights ever break the night of my eyes again?
Would I ever find you again?
This world is volume and you're the notion,
This world is night and you're the lifetime,
This world is eyes and you're the vision,
This world is sky and you're the moon time,
Have mercy on the heart that belongs to you.
Lyrics: Al Hadi Adam; Composer: Mohammed Abdel Wahab
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Torbal Rayeh Wa Jayeh
Starring: Ali El Ghoureir, Khalil El Roumeithy, Mostafa Abo Seria
Stars: 3
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Key facilities
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
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- 600-seat auditorium
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
More on Quran memorisation:
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20Iron%20Claw
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HER%20FIRST%20PALESTINIAN
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Saeed%20Teebi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20256%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%C2%A0House%20of%20Anansi%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
