Carteret Islands: Every Drop Counts

The first person we met this morning on the Carteret Islands was Nicholas, a 32-year-old fisherman with an easy smile who will lead the youth tour (climate change awareness tour) to Tinputz in the northeast corner of Bougainville. Tall with short spiky hair, Nicholas speaks three languages occasionally spicing up conversation with archaisms like "drunkard fellow."

He agreed to an interview and we spent the morning walking around the main island. Han is approximately .6 miles long and it takes less than 10 minutes to walk across the width of the island. Small huts crowned with palm leaves line the white sand beach from point to point. Handmade canoes drifted past the island and young boys climbed coconut trees, their legs bound with cloth for support. Often a soft melodic voice could be heard singing in the distance.

Nicholas mostly discussed the water crisis. The fresh water wells on the island have been contaminated by salt water, and although the Bougainville government sent rainwater tanks to the islands, they remain low during the dry season. By tapping on the outside of the tank, Nicholas showed us the water level – it rested near the bottom third. When the levels get too low, the islanders must rely on coconut water alone for drinking and cooking.

Tim and I are having our own water crisis. (There was some confusion when we went shopping for supplies. We were told not to buy too much water – it had been raining constantly on the islands. We stocked up for about three days, but we definitely didn't bring enough for five or six). By drinking sparingly and bathing and washing clothes in the sea, we hope to stretch our supply.