How might climate change affect Island culture in the Torres Strait?

The Torres Strait Islands are frequently ‘left off the map’ in research on biophysical change in Australia. There are few observational data sets from which modelling work or inundation studies can be performed—even though these communities may be facing imminent threats to their existence. Some of these islands are only a metre or two above local mean sea level; and in the last two years several have suffered major inundation incidents due to a combination of king tides and strong winds. Most of these islands have inadequate infrastructure, health services and employment opportunities. This social context is highly significant in terms of these communities’ resilience to climate hazards because social and economic disadvantage reduces their ability to cope and their capacity to adapt to rapid environmental change. This concern is compounded by a cultural issue not normally considered by natural scientists working on identifying climate impacts in human settlements. Many Islanders connect the health of their land and sea country to their mental and physical wellbeing and, more broadly, their cultural integrity. Therefore, direct biophysical impacts such as rising temperatures, extreme weather events or secondary impacts resulting from these biophysical changes are likely to have significant indirect impacts on the social and cultural cohesion of these communities. In the near term, projected changes could affect subsistence hunting as well as commercial fishery operations with significant nutritional, economic and cultural ramifications. Similarly, change in rainfall could exacerbate existing pressures on potable water supplies unless significant anticipatory planning is initiated to reduce this climate related risk. In the longer term, the very existence of Ailan Kastom (Island Custom) may be threatened if projected sea level rise in combination with extreme weather events increases the frequency and/or severity of inundation incidents and necessitates relocation from the islands. In conclusion, highly participatory adaptation planning is vital to reduce climate risks and their subsequent impacts on Islanders’ cultural integrity in the mid to long term.