Rising sea levels, flooding, and severe storms in the Torres Strait have led two residents of Australia's Boigu and Saibai islands to take legal action to protect their communities from climate change. The plaintiffs argue that their homes could disappear as sea levels rise, making the islanders the country's first climate refugees.
These communities, along with their culture, are at risk of disappearing because they are located in extremely low-lying areas. According to scientific data, sea levels are rising in the Torres Strait, which separates Australia from New Guinea, at twice the global rate. “Becoming climate refugees means losing everything: our homes, our culture, our stories, and our identity. If that is taken from us, we don't know who we are. We have a cultural responsibility to ensure that this doesn't happen and to protect the country, our communities, our culture, and our spirituality from climate change,” said Paul Kabai, one of the plaintiffs.
Links to more information at: https://australianclimatecase.org.au/ and
Rising sea levels, flooding, and severe storms in the Torres Strait have led two residents of Australia's Boigu and Saibai islands to take legal action to protect their communities from climate change. The plaintiffs argue that their homes could disappear as sea levels rise, making the islanders the country's first climate refugees.
These communities, along with their culture, are at risk of disappearing because they are located in extremely low-lying areas. According to scientific data, sea levels are rising in the Torres Strait, which separates Australia from New Guinea, at twice the global rate. “Becoming climate refugees means losing everything: our homes, our culture, our stories, and our identity. If that is taken from us, we don't know who we are. We have a cultural responsibility to ensure that this doesn't happen and to protect the country, our communities, our culture, and our spirituality from climate change,” said Paul Kabai, one of the plaintiffs.
Links to more information at: https://australianclimatecase.org.au/ and