Taiwan to join effort to save Pacific islands from rising seas

Taipei - Taiwan vowed Saturday to join the international community in helping Pacific island states cope with rising sea levels caused by climate change.

President Ma Ying-jeou made the announcement in his weekly newsletter, one week after he visited six South Pacific island nations that are among the 23 countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan as opposed to China.

"How would we feel if this beautiful scenery (of the Pacific islands) vanishes in 10 years' time?" Ma asked.

He said that among Taiwan's South Pacific allies, Kiribati and Tuvalu are now only 2 to 4 meters above sea level.

"Some experts predicted that by the end of this century, the sea level will rise 40 centimeters ... and force them to move their people to some other place," he said.

Ma said Taiwan is helping each of its six Pacific allies on environmental protection, solar power, health care and agriculture.

The recognition of Taiwan by the six countries - the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Nauru, the Solomon Islands and Palau - and their petitioning of the United Nations to allow Taipei to join UN organizations are vital to Taiwan, which suffers diplomatic isolation because more than 170 countries recognize China, essentially regarding Taiwan as China's breakaway province.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316949,taiwan-to-join-effort-to-save-pacific-islands-from-rising-seas.html.