Diana’s call for global climate action
For Diana, aged 15, the climate crisis isn’t way off in the future. It’s happening right now.
Her home in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean is just 16 metres from the shore. That may sound like a paradise. But her community is being badly hit by rising sea levels and extreme heat.
Diana’s home and their small plot of land get flooded by high tides. She says they live in fear.
“We have nowhere to go,” Diana explains. “Moving to higher ground would lead to disputes with the people who live there. Instead, we have to face staying here.”
The flooding leaves a mess of washed-up rubbish that makes her upset and angry. Her education is affected too. “When the school grounds are too flooded, our teachers send us back home. Missing lessons makes me sad,” says Diana.
Diana’s community is also facing extreme hot weather at some times of the year, which is having a disastrous effect on their crops. “Our plants die,” she says. “The crops we grow in our garden, like potatoes and cassava, are badly affected.”
Fighting back
Diana is at the sharp end of the climate crisis. But she’s fighting back.
“We want to fix these problems ourselves,” she says. “But we need help.”
She’s calling for the world to take notice of what’s happening to her community and to act.
“World leaders should take climate change seriously.
“The young people here, like me, are the ones who will be the most affected. So let us join our hands and work together to try to solve this crisis.
“Let us protect my village, my island, and my country."
How are we helping?
In the Solomon Islands we’re determined to support children through this. We’re helping communities to anticipate climate threats by setting up early warning systems for extreme weather. And we’re working with communities to protect homes, schools and land from flooding.
Call for Boris Johnson to act now
As our prime minister prepares to host the global climate summit in Glasgow, call on him to take urgent action and recognise the threat to children today and their futures tomorrow.
Email Boris Johnson – remind him that children are at the heart of the climate crisis. How he leads in Glasgow can have a huge impact on their lives and futures. Let’s give children everywhere reason to believe a better future is possible.
Learn more about our work supporting children living through the climate crisis
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