Impacts of climate change on South Pacific explored in exhibition
Stark images of the rising sea levels, tropical cyclones and frequent floods in the South Pacific are on display in a new exhibition at the National Library. Trouble in Paradise presents the 60 winners of a competition run by the British government to document the effects of the climate crisis in the Pacific . Images of bleached corals in Fiji and submerged houses in Samoa from photographers as young as eight were among those on display, giving visitors a first-hand look at the impact climate change had on communities and livelihoods. Visitors would also be able to see illustrated works from the Alexander Turnbull Library rare books collection featuring animal and plant species recorded in the South Pacific. READ MORE: * Alexander Turnbull Library buys Gutenberg Bible leaf for $200,000 * One hundred years of the Alexander Turnbull Library * Push to get every Kiwi student to see founding documents The opening of Trouble in Paradise coincided with COP26, a major UN climate change conference held in Glasgow. It is seen by many as the last chance to get the world on track to address the urgent threat of climate change. British High Commissioner to New Zealand Laura Clarke said the exhibition was confronting, but showed why urgent action was needed to tackle climate change and help those on the frontline adapt. Pacific Island communities are already facing the impacts of a crisis they did next to nothing to cause, with climate change posing an existential threat to their future. This exhibition will give visitors a first-hand look at what is a very real emergency, and one that is happening right on New Zealands doorstep. Te Pouhuaki National Librarian Rachel Esson said a significant part of the National Librarys role as stewards of Aotearoas documentary heritage was to preserve the memory of New Zealand and its place in the Pacific. We are proud of the ways in which the Alexander Turnbull Librarys New Zealand and Pacific collections support research in New Zealand and Pacific studies and can shine a light on pressing global issues, such as climate change, she said. The photos displayed at the National Library were the winning entries from Englands Pacific Climate Photography Competition, which ran in January. The images were taken by residents of the Cook Islands, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. Trouble in Paradise is free and closes April 30, 2022. More detail natlib.govt.nz