Indonesia’s Islands For Rent

The Indonesian Maritime Minister has proposed the idea of renting out some of Indonesia’s islands to nations affected by the rising sea levels resulting from climate change.

The Global Humanitarian Forum reports that Pacific Island nations are likely to be hardest hit, with more than half the region’s population living within 1.5 km of the shore.

According to Damien Lawson, the national climate justice coordinator for Friends of the Earth Australia, people in places such as the Cartarets (islands that are part of Papua New Guinea) are being forced to relocate already. The Maldives, Tuvalu and Kiribati are also considering their options should sea levels rise and forced the people from their island.

Indonesia has more than 10,000 uninhabited islands, and it is proposing that some of these can be rented. The proposal has not yet been passed by the government, however the minister believes Indonesia will acknowledge a responsibility to help small island communities affected by rising sea levels as a result of climate change.