BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
MEMBER of the Western Provincial Government for Ward 3 Nusa Simbo, Gideon Tuke, will convene a meeting with community leaders, tribal chiefs and landowners this week to chart a new direction for Simbo Island and the use of its resources.
Speaking to Island Sun, Tuke said the meeting aims to “reposition” Simbo in response to growing pressure on land and natural resources caused by rapid population growth and the impacts of climate change.
“So, what I’m trying to do is to secure some sort of understanding between my people to address some of the pressing issues.
“As someone who grew up on this island, I have seen huge changes in population and in the availability of resources on the land,” he said.
Tuke said the discussions will focus on setting clear guidelines on how communities live, plan settlements and harvest resources in a sustainable manner.
“This meeting will set some sort of guidelines on how people live and how resources should be harvested. This is very important for future generations,” he said.
Tuke said Simbo is made up of two islands with fertile land capable of sustaining the current population and several generations to come.
However, he said continued population growth, coupled with rising sea levels, could quickly make land scarce.
“If the population continues to grow and the sea level continues to rise, land will become limited – adding that mitigation plans must be put in place now to avoid more serious challenges in the future,” Tuke said.
He said the outcomes of the meeting will be documented and formally presented to the Western Provincial Government for further deliberation and possible policy action.
“Another objective of this meeting is to seek the people’s views on the subject of relocation. This is very important.
“Like many other low-lying communities, my people will need to be relocated when the time comes,” Tuke said.
He said relocation should be prioritised in the Western Provincial Government’s 10-year Strategic Plan, stressing that climate change and sea level rise are ongoing realities that must be factored into long-term planning.
“Climate change will not stop, and neither will sea level rise, so it is important to include such priorities in the strategic plan,” Tuke said.
