Trouble in Paradise: Climate Change in the Pacific

Climate change has reached code red for humanity, and the Pacific islands are among the most vulnerable to its effects. Global average temperatures are rising and soon the planet will reach tipping point, leading to irreversible change. In the Pacific, the destruction is already happening. As the oceans become warmer, sea levels rise and tropical storms become more fierce and frequent, coral and other marine life are dying, and crops are lost. Island communities face economic hardship, but that is not all: climate change poses a threat to their very existence – already the sea is claiming the land.

In the lead-up to the COP26 climate change summit, the UK Government invited people from across the Pacific to document the everyday impacts of climate change in their region. These photographs are the winning entries of the UK’s Pacific Climate Photography Competition, with submissions under the categories of Marine, Land, People, Youth (under 21) and Junior (under 13).

Trouble in Paradise challenges us to reconsider the Pacific not as remote and small, but as Large Ocean Nations with a vital role in addressing global climate change. This exhibition has travelled across Aotearoa New Zealand, including a notable display at New Zealand Parliament. Now, presented at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 20204 (CHOGM) in Samoa, it brings these urgent and compelling stories to leaders of the Commonwealth, and to the people of Samoa, amplifying the voices of those most affected by climate change.

The photographs paint a stark picture of the challenges island nations face. But they also offer hope, showing the resilience of Pacific peoples and their determination to leave the environment in a better state for the next generation.

Date and venues