Tuvalu: Connecting islands, weathering storms

By Yusuke Taishi

In an era of smartphones and social networks, connecting with family and friends has become an integral part of everyday life for many people. Here in Bangkok, I know when my old classmates have had a reunion on a Friday night in Washington, D.C. — or more importantly, when my friends report themselves as safe on Facebook after an earthquake in Nepal or a typhoon in the Philippines.

However, in many other places such as Tuvalu, a remote Pacific island country, distance remains an unyieldingly defining element of life.

In June 2010, I made my first trip to Tuvalu, which has a landmass of 2.6 square kilometres and maximum elevations of a few metres. Anticipating intensifying tropical cyclones as a result of climate change, the government had asked UNDP to help improve communication between the country’s nine islands.

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Much has changed since my first visit to Tuvalu back in 2010. Now we are nearing the conclusion of the project, and a lot has been achieved.

Tuvalu has enhanced its communication channels, so that even during the severest of cyclones, at least one line will remain functional.

The AM radio system is equipped with a back-up battery, so that even when the primary source of power is out on the main island of Funafuti, emergency radio transmission is still possible.

The emergency operation centre, which is set up inside the Government building at the time of disaster, now has a mobile radio console so that radio transmissions can be made from the same location where disaster response decisions are made.

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