Environmental Issues In French Polynesia

You may look at places like the islands of French Polynesia, such as Bora Bora, Tahiti, Mo’orea, or Fakarava, as “paradise” or “a perfect getaway”, but have you ever realized that every nation has complications? All around the globe, greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental issues are taking place. While French Polynesia takes no action in these events of global harm, they are the first to feel the destructive impacts on our climate and ocean. As sea level begins to rise and the amount of fresh drinking water decreases, islands of the French Polynesia are being threatened by ecological issues that are only to be blamed on their neighboring nations. By promoting the drastic changes in climate and the limit of freshwater sources by helping …show more content…
French Polynesia is one of the most sensitive countries in the world to the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases (Kammen, 1). French Polynesia is composed of five archipelagos, or groups of islands, which all in all contain over 118 islands. It is one of the most sensitive countries in the world to the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases. The most disappointing point is that they bear little to no responsibility for the actions being done to result in these drastic issues. It’s weakness to drastic climate occasions and flooding shifts over its region, as “tsunamis, cyclones and cyclonic swells represent major inundation risks for French Polynesia islands depending on their height above sea level, or the presence fringing reef.” (Davies, 1). Sea level rise has been taking place over the course of Earth’s history. For example, the formation of the Antarctic ice sheet, tectonic alterations to ocean basins, solar radiation …show more content…
Coral reefs are contrasting and beautiful underwater ecosystems. Coral reefs are built by colonies of tiny animals found in marine waters that contain a variety of nutrients. They provide shelter, nursery, protection, and feeding areas to many types of organisms such as sponges, worms, crustaceans, molluscs, starfish, etc. (Davies, 5) Their beauty isn’t their only importance, though. Coral reefs protect coastlines from the damaging effects of wave action and tropical storms, provide habitats and shelter for many marine organisms, are the source of nitrogen and other essential nutrients for marine food chain, and help with nutrient recycling (the movement and exchange of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of living matter) (Avagliano, 1). The reason coral reefs have an importance to the pacific life especially is because although natural disasters taking place in ocean regions still cause great damage, coral reefs protect coastlines from storms and erosion. With the drastic increase of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and the increase of weather disasters because of this, coral reefs could help out a ton to protect coastal communities being hit. But, coral reefs are being damages just as much as the climate is changing. Urban and industrial waste, sewage, agrochemicals, and oil pollution