Land Reclamation the Answer to Pacific’s Climate Risks, Says PNG Leader

James Marape wants the Pacific to tackle climate change head-on, taking direct measures rather than forcing people to leave their homelands.

Papua New Guiney Prime Minister James Marape at APEC haus in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on July 28, 2023. Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images

Papua New Guinea (PNG) won’t follow the lead of Tuvalu, which yesterday secured an agreement with Australia to take up to 280 immigrants from the tiny Pacific island each year as sea levels rise. Instead, its prime minister has called on Pacific nations to take direct action to combat its effects.

Speaking at the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, James Marape told member countries that PNG did not want to talk about climate migration.