For most of us climate change is something that is in the distant future. Some, don’t believe there is such a thing. There are others who are bogged by so much in their life that, making those small changes seems Herculean. But, two weeks ago, a small incident told us why we have to pay attention to everything that we do because, time is running out.
Let me explain.
We were at Expo2020 Dubai. The day was beautiful with overcast skies and the cool breeze. The walkways that are dotted with small kiosks that offer great snacks and hot drinks complemented the perfect day. With light jackets and a pair of comfortable shoes, we strolled entire stretches without a pause.
We sanitised our hands, walked through the doors of many countries, watched films over large screens, spoke to the volunteers, enjoyed the various shows — we lived the little dream of travelling around the world. The small yellow Expo passport was soon filled with stamps and we glowed with happiness — till we entered one small nondescript pavilion.
Tuvalu, is a country somewhere in the Pacific Ocean beyond Papua New Guinea. Why we stopped by this pavilion even as we skipped the other halls that flanked this place baffles me now. This little hall which held the country’s heritage beckoned us with open arms even as we pushed the door open. The name nagged us with a distant memory — perhaps we have seen the name in a map?
Dot on the map
But, it is near impossible because, the country which is an archipelago is a spattering of dust on the large blue of the ocean that it takes a magnifying glass to notice it. True to its dot on the map, Tuvalu is a neat little corridor hidden in the large colourful backdrop of the Expo where rich countries splash out their colours in extravagant displays of promise.
The first thing that struck us was the unusual quiet. Unlike the big and the mighty where people snaked up in the front to get in, this space was empty. We walked along the colourful display of handicrafts, posters and other details. And then, we let out a gasp. The population of this country stands at a mere 11 thousand people — which means, almost everyone will know everyone else.
But, again, it is unlikely because, with so many islands they may be separated by water. We laughed at first making jokes about the population. “Phew. So, will they send out invitations for a birthday party or just put up a poster”, we giggled. As we moved along, we noticed other things. The highest point above the sea level stands at a mere 4.8 meters.
A big wave from the sea could gulp up large portions of land and people. That moment, we stopped our giggles and we looked at each other registering a frown of worry. The land, the language, the natural diversity — everything held by a handful of people. A strong pang of guilt engulfed us. The three of us who laughed at the size of the country were now staring at a speck on the geographical map that we had never noticed.
An afterthought
A lady walked in just then holding a laptop. She settled down at a table nearby. She smiled graciously when she noticed us. We nodded a tad bit embarrassed about our actions. “What do they speak in this country”, I asked her. “Tuvaluan and English”, she replied. “We are sorry we didn’t know about this country”, my husband said feeling awkward. “Don’t worry sir”, she smiled thoughtfully, “most of them don’t”, she nodded her head.
“You see”, she said as an afterthought, “climate change is a real thing for us”, she pointed to a poster, “with the sea-levels rising, who knows what will happen. People live in constant fear”, she met our eyes.
We looked at her feeling guilty about all the bad decisions we have made and contributing towards this disaster.
“It is a collective effort you know — to not just save this country but to save its heritage”, she shook her head.
We stood there for a couple of more minutes imagining and reading about a country we probably may not be able to visit. And, we are all responsible — every single one of us if it disappears from the map. Climate change is real and every little action matters. Next time, when we are tempted to play with Nature, let us take a moment to think about those 11 thousand people and their heritage. It is our responsibility to save not just this archipelago but those other unknown pieces of land and glaciers that are melting at a pace that is unprecedented.
Sudha Subramanian is an author and writer based in Dubai. Twitter: @sudhasubraman
