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Taiwan to help global warming victims

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday it would cooperate with the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) to work out a project to assist the nation's ally, Tuvalu, deal with problems caused by global climate change.

Tuvalu, one of the nation's 24 allies, is suffering from rising sea levels caused by global warming.

Increasingly intense tropical weather, rising ocean temperatures, and rising sea levels -- all documented results of global warming -- are of immediate concern for Tuvalu, Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Director-General Donald Lee (李傳通) said yesterday, quoting recent wire service reports.

There are about 12,000 Tuvaluans live on nine coral atolls totaling 25km2 scattered over 1.3 million square kilometers of ocean south of the equator and west of the International Dateline.

At its highest point, Tuvalu is no more than 5m above sea level and some scientists say the sea could devour the country within a decade, making its residents the first casualties of climate change.

Lee said that the rise of the sea level had already forced many Tuvaluans to evacuate, many of whom had emigrated to New Zealand

"The ministry will coordinate with the EPA to work out a project to help Tuvalu cope with this disaster caused by climate change," Lee said.

Concrete details had not yet been planned, he said.
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