Reader\'s Digest Australia - 08.2019

PHOTOS: OMOMOM

A

t first sight, the South

Pacific islands of Ra-

rotonga and Kiribati

look like heaven on

earth with their lush green

hills, white sandy beaches and

turquoise sea. But appearances

are deceptive. The islands are

feeling the serious effects of cli-

mate change. Large areas of Kir-

ibati, for example, now lie less

than two metres above sea level.

Scientists believe that the island

will be inundated by the sea in

the next couple of decades.

For nine years, photographer

Barbara Dombrowski has been

visiting people particularly

affected by climate change as

part of herTropi c Ic eproject.

After travelling to the Amazon,

Greenland, Mongolia and Tan-

zania, the islands of Oceania are

her fifth and final stop.

The South Sea islands of Rarotonga

and Kiribati are idyllic locations

• but for how much longer?

PARADISE

in

DANGER

READER’S DIGEST

PHOTOSBarbara Dombrowski

TEXTCornelia Kumfert

94 Augus t 2019