Pacific

State of emergency declared in Bougainville due to flooding

17:33 pm on 28 February 2022

The Bougainville Government has declared a state of emergency after severe flooding on its remote Atolls.

King tides have washed across all of the atolls - Nissan, Mortlock, the Carterets and Nuguria.

East coast of Bougainville. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Johnny Blades

Flooding is very common in this part of the autonomous Papua New Guinea, with the United Nations saying in December that as many as 7,000 residents had to move their homes due to flooding from king tides.

The atolls are considered to be among the most threatened parts of the Pacific from climate change and sea level rise.

The head of NGO Tulele Peisa, Ursula Rakova, said these latest tides were worse than normal.

"We have had king tides which have resulted in the salt water going up the gardens and basically you can't see any garden anymore. The Bougainville Government has placed a state of emergency and that they will be supplying some food rations back to the atolls - I don't know when and how soon," she said.