At the very edge of a storm: The impact of a distant cyclone on Atoll Islands

Abstract

The intensity of cyclones in the Pacific is predicted to increase and sea levels are predicted to rise, so a small atoll nation like Tuvalu can serve as the ‘canary in the mine’ pointing to the new risks that are emerging because of climatic change. In Tuvalu, households are acutely vulnerable to storm surges caused by cyclones even if the cyclone itself passes very far away (in this case about a 1000km). Based on a survey we conducted in Tuvalu, we quantify the impacts of cyclone Pam (March 2015) on households, and the determinants of these impacts in terms of hazard, exposure, vulnerability and responsiveness. Lastly, we constructed hypothetical policy scenarios, and calculated the estimated loss and damage they would have been associated with – a first step in building careful assessments of the feasibility of various disaster risk reduction policies.