rted to growing her taro in old kerosene cans because the soil in her village had been destroyed.Recently in the Pacific Islands an undeniable increase in freak storms has been observed, scientist attribute this to the el Nino weather phenomenon, which has become markedly more frequent and intense over the past two decades. Some sceptics blame the increased beach erosion on the local inhabitants who use what theyve deemed inappropriate land-use practices. However, what can explain the erosion on the islands where there is no immediate development along the coasts? Nearly all the islands have noticed an increase in the destruction of low-lying man made structures. Bridges, causeways, and sea walls are being washed out more frequently than ever before. The increase in tropical storms has already begun to destroy some of the beaches skirting the islands. For people who rely heavily on tourism revenue this is just one more are of concern for them. The people of the Pacific Islands are afraid that with the increase in beach erosion and unpredictable weather patterns, peoples desire to visit may wane as the problem worsens. The impact of the collapse of the tourism industry would be catastrophic for many inhabitants of the islands, the revenue generated from tourism affects nearly everyone. Another point of concern for the people of the Pacific Islands is a depletion in available fresh water. On the islands fresh water amounts have been declining thanks to the droughts and the increase in salt in the groundwater. In the high-lands of Papua New Guinea, Australia spent 40 million U.S. dollars air-lifting food to the isolated area because the inhabitants were nearly starving due to the poor crop yield from the drought. The droughts and tainted groundwater have led to major decreases in crop production on the islands. Last year Fijis sugar cane production, which normally provides 40% of its export earnings, was more than halved. If the droughts c...
