Our Climate Photo of this week is by Filipino-American photojournalist Coleen Jose. It features increasing coastal degradation in the Marshall Islands, whose citizens are facing violent high tides that swamp sea front buildings and vital infrastructure.
In this image, islander Milner Okney stands next to the recently destroyed facade of his aunt's home in Majuro, the capital of the Marshall Islands.
"When is the next wave coming?" Okney said to a reporter. "That’s what I think about. My cousin next door also thinks about when the next wave will come and break down his house. It has the same structure as this one. He doesn’t have a seawall because he can’t afford gravel and sand."
Pacific island nations are on the front line of climate change, which is threatening the development achievements of the last years. The specific needs of highly vulnerable small island developing states to build resilience to climate change was a central issue at the UN Secretary General Climate Summit in New York last September.
About the photographer Coleen Jose
Coleen Jose is part of a three-person team supported by the GroundTruth Project, a non-profit organization training the next generation of foreign correspondents and funding in-depth projects.
"One of my pursuits is to tell under-reported stories that connect my two countries, the Philippines and the United States. One of those topics intersects at the cause and consequences of global warming", Ms. Jose explained to the UNFCCC Newsroom. "Like the Marshall Islands, the Philippines and many other nations contribute very little to global carbon emissions yet are on the frontlines of climate-related disasters. As I report on climate impacts in the Philippines and the Marshall Islands, what is most inspiring is the resilience of people. Their voices and stories seek urgency in addressing the root of this global challenge."
The picture above can also be seen in the Every Day Climate Change Instagram feed.
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