Impact costs state, official says

 THE Government is losing millions of kina annually because of the impact of climate change, the Office of Climate Change and Development says.
Executive director Varigini Badira said: “Climate change is a real and pressing cross-cutting issue that is costing the government real economic, social and environmental losses.”
The Asian Development Bank, in its report, Economics of Climate Change in the Pacific, estimated that the country was likely to lose up to 15.2 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product by 2100 because of the economic losses brought about by climate change.
Badira said it was the highest percentage in the region.
He said some low-lying islands were being affected by the rise in sea level.
Badira said a small island in Manus called Buke had lost 20m of its shore line over the past 10 years.
“Twenty metres may not sound much but with an island width of 100m, this is dangerous,” he said.
He said atolls in the Caterets Island, in Bougainville, to Kwoaira, in Milne Bay, are suffering the same fate.
He said a small village in Karama, just three-hour drive out of Port Moresby, had lost more than 500m of shoreline.
“The nation’s development and growth are faced with the challenges of globalisation and resource curse.
“The domino effects and consequences of bankruptcy of major global economies.
“The challenges in trans-boundary issues, all top off by issues of global climate change,” he said.