In the South Pacific near Australia and Fiji lies another potential
tale of natural resources lost, ecosystems destroyed, and
species becoming extinct all due to man. The Solomon Islands
are at the core of this story. These islands are in danger of losing
some of their capital (social, economic, and natural). This
potential loss of capital comes from mans short term thinking. In
todays world of an everything quick and fast, mentality, lies one heart
of the Solomon Islands problem. Nature and all of its many resources do
not mix well with profits and greed in terms of long term sustainability.
In order to sustain nature,
serious management from its users is required. Unfortunately
this management is not used or does not create profits for the many companies
investing in the Solomon Islands.
The Solomon Islands are threatened because of their limited natural
resources they have to offer for revenue. The Solomon Islands receive
one half of their gross domestic product from agriculture, fisheries, and
forestry, and over 55% of the islands exports were wood (web page Solomon
Islands). The Solomon Islands sell this wood to companies for a profit.
However, this resource is not infinite. The trees have to be
allowed to regenerate or else the product will disappear along with the
revenue. The common sense approach allows for re-growth of the trees,
but this is exactly what is not happening in the Solomon Islands. As written
by Nicola Baird in her article "Unwisdom of the Solomons", Baird says that
the sustainable rate of harvest of wood is 325,000 cubic meters per year.
However Baird continues that the government of the islands has given
logging permits to cut 4 million cubic meters per year. The Solomons
are taking down trees faster than they can regrow. Profits are continuing,
but only for a few more years. The future of the islands wood supply is
forecasted to be depleted in the next 15 years (web page Solomon Islands).
In the meantime, the tropical forest disappears at an alarming rate which
fattens the pocket book with money but steals money form mother natures
pocket book. Loss of trees causes a chain reaction of destruction
in the Islands. Taking trees takes homes of many species, which in
turn causes their death. Taking trees takes away stability in the
soil, which causes run-off of soil into the ocean. This run-off causes
a normally clearly healthy water to change to conditions which drastically
alter the natural ecosystems of the Solomon Islands. Evidence of water
gone bad is also seen in Bairds article. Baird writes about a "dead river"
in the islands whose water has turned into "hot chocolate" because of the
logging practices.
The domino effect of deforestation on other natural aspects of the
Solomon Islands is potentially huge and destructive. The consequences
of this destruction have already been seen. This is a real problem
that needs an immediate solution or plan of attack to stop it. In
order to plan for a successful sustainable Solomon Islands, one needs to
understand the people and culture that exists there, for they are the people
who control the fate of the Solomon Islands.
Social Aspects
The people who can solve the Solomon Islands problems are the islanders
themselves. The Solomon Islands lie about 800 miles east of New Guinea
and around 1100 miles Northeast of Australia in the South Pacific Ocean.
The Solomon Islands are a smaller group of islands in a bigger collection
of islands named Melanesia. The major islands in the Solomons are
Guadalcanal, Ghoiseul, Santa Isabel, New Georgia, Malaita, and Malcira.
On the main islands and on the smaller surrounding islands lies a population
of about 350,000 people. The population is around 13% urban as compared
to the United States which is around 75% urban. The average density
of people on the Solomon Islands is about 13 people per square kilometer;
90% of the people on the Islands live in rural locations. Thus
the people of the Islands are spread out as opposed to clustered in
few locations. The people on the Islands are 90% Melanesian, while
4% are Polynesian. The official language is English on the Islands,
but the most common spoken language is Pidgin. Besides these main
languages, there exist numerous other dialects. The age structure
of the population is interesting. There are relatively fewer older
people (65 and older) living on the Islands. The majority of the
population is younger than 65
(roughly 97%). About 4% of the people observe the traditional religious
beliefs of the past generations, while the majority of the people belong
to a more popular type of world religion such as Anglican, Roman Catholic,
and Methodist. The people here have relatively simple lives as compared
to more developed countries in Europe. The Solomon Islands are a
remote
location that supports itself by its traditions of the people. The
ways of life of the islanders have been passed down by many generations
of Melanesians. Some of the people on the Islands live simple lives
without any need of the modern advanced technology available in the U.S.
Other people on the Islands live more complex technological lives.
These are the people who run the Islands government. The Islands have a
history of war. During World War II the Japanese and the Americans
fought on the Solomon Islands. Many remnants of the war still remain
today (i.e. sunken ships ). Up until 1978 the Islands were
under British control as a British colony. On July 7, 1978, the
Solomon Islands won their independence from the United Kingdom and started
a parliamentary democracy form of government that still exists today.
This government is similar to the United Kingdoms government. The
head of the Solomon Islands government Prime Minister Hon Bartholomew Ulutaalu
Ulufaalu controls a nation with a GNP per capita of about 800 million
dollars. This places the Solomon Islands at about the lower middle
income bracket. The Islands major economy is based on agriculture,
forestry, and fisheries. These three sources of exports are the main
driving force of the Solomon Islands economy. The biggest exports
in 1991 were fish (41%) and timber (31%). A major partner of the
Islands is Japan. Japan is the biggest buyer of goods from the Solomon
Islands (Bank of Hawaii web page). These more developed countries
like Japan and Australia represent a prosperous, profitable way of life
to less developed countries. The Solomon Islanders believe that the
simple life of generational family knowledge which is passed down is not
going to advance or support the Solomon Islands as a nation. In order
to survive among a world of advancing civilizations, the Solomon Islands
as a nation must advance too. People believe in the advancement of the
Solomon Islands even if it means discarding traditional customs.
Money and power shape the decisions of this group of people on the Islands.
So within the Islands lies basically two groups of people with different
beliefs about how they will survive. The latter people, who believe that
money can solve all of the problems on the Islands are the section of the
population who have the biggest
potential for the destruction of the ecosystems and other natural habitats
on the Solomon Islands.
Technical Aspects
The Solomon Islands lie a little south of the equator. Within
and around 20 degrees of the equator are most of the tropical rain forests
of the world (Lineback). The Solomon Islands are around 10 degrees
south of the equator. The average temperature of the Islands is between
72 o F and 80 o F (Lineback). The weather is hot and humid.
There is extreme moisture in the air that makes life uncomfortable to those
who are not accustomed to it. The rainy season lasts from November
to April, although
it continues to rain from May to October, but rains much less.
During the rainy season (November to April) are the strong tropical storms.
The land itself is rugged and mountainous. Covering this rugged terrain are tropical rain forests. In these rain forest lie are different species of wildlife and plants. The rain forests are the only place where these species can survive. Protection and shelter are not the only function of the rain forests. The rain forests have a warm wet climate that can support a vast majority of plants and animals. With very tolerable average temperatures year round the species in rain forests can grow and prosper at a far greater rate than a species who has an environment with only one survivable season. With a constant supply of water available to life there, almost anything can survive. Since abundance of water supports most life forms, the rain forest is a complex entanglement of numerous ecosystems that are all interconnected. The soils of the rain forest provide a poor base for most plants and animals. Since the rain forest is dense and is growing constantly, the ground is covered with dead material that provides nutrients for the surrounding species. Of the animals that live in the Solomon Islands are small mammals like opossums, bats, mice, snakes, and lizards. Also found there are sea turtles and crocodiles in the interior swamps. As for birdlife, there are exotic birds such as parrots and the incubator bird. The plant life on the Islands include mangrove forests in the coastal regions. Also on the coast are coconut palms. The variety of plants also includes rough grass and swamp plants. Mixing all of the above mentioned species creates just a fragment of a slice of life on the Solomon Islands.
The Solomon Islands produce agriculture such as copra, cocoa, palm oil,
and kernels. This agriculture takes up only 1 % of the land on the
Solomon Islands4. 85% of this land is farmed at a subsistent
level2. The main cash crops of the island are copra, palm oil, and cocoa.
These crops are produced by individual smallholder farmers throughout the
island. The only large plantation on the island producing copra
is the Lever Solomon Ltd. (LSL)1. This mill became operational
in 1993 but did
not operate at full capacity. The smallholders still produced
enough copra to prevent the LSL from being the sole producer of copra.
Cocoa production on the islands shrank from around 4,000 tons in 1992 to
about 3, 250 tons in 19931. The reason for this decline was due to
a drop in production. Palm oil and kernel are replacing the cocoa revenue
with production by the Solomon Islands Plantation Ltd. Production
levels of these crops stayed consistent over the 92-93 year and are expected
to
expand. Fish around the Solomon Islands are plentiful.
There is big potential to make money from fishing in the islands.
Certain parts of the island are still off-limits to fishing, but these
parts could be opened up. Agreements are being set-up with outside
nations to fish in the 200-mile exclusive economic zone2. Fish from
the islands are a major protein source and export. Fish feeds and
pays for a great deal of income on the islands2. In addition to fishing,
the islanders also grow giant clams on the reefs surrounding the islands.
This sort of water reef farming does not produce the amount of money as
regular fishing but it is
another source of income for the islanders who sell the giant shells
and pearls.
An issue affecting fishing and water clam farming are the changing water conditions due to run-off on the islands. Due to decreased forests which are taken away by loggers, the land becomes bare and the soil moves where it normally would not. This soil travels into the water ways and eventually ends up in the surrounding waters of the islands. This causes a change in the ecosystem in and around the islands which sometimes causes damage. The changing conditions of the water could be unbearable to the organisms in these waters. Change is at hand under the unnatural control of man.
Logging the forests of the Solomon Islands is another major income source
for the island. The rate of harvest for the forests on the islands
were at 700,000 cubic meters per year5. The sustainable rate of harvest
was determined to be 325,000 cubic meters2. This large amount of
logging creates barren unsupported soil at unnatural rates. The soil
on this barren land creates run-off where there originally would not be.
This run-off then goes into the water ways which causes many problems.
In addition to the forests are the natural resources like gold,
bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, and nickel. These resources are
mined and sold for revenue. The mining of these materials destroys
the natural environment around the mine. The mines strip plantlife
and cause a barren landscape. This barren landscape again causes
run-off into the local waterways.
Surrounding the Solomon Islands are coral reefs. These reefs protect
the main islands from the volatile ocean. These reefs support a complex
ecosystem of life. Living on the coral reefs are many species of
fish, clams, and other species. These species depend on a specific
range of tolerance that the reefs provide. When the environment around
and in the reef changes, the organisms that live there must change too.
The organisms that cannot adapt die. The coral reefs are also vital
to the
people of the islands for the purpose of giant clam farming.
These clams are then sold for high prices.
Problems
Agriculture in the Solomon Islands is a tough business. The main
commodities produced are copra, cocoa, palm oil, and kernels. The
problems in producing these products lies in a fluctuating world market.
In order to make a profit only large scale operations can survive, and
this can only when the market for these products is stable. Smaller
operations do not stand much of a chance for long term viability.
These smaller operations mainly produce these products for localized consumption.
Fisheries in the Solomon Islands also have problems. While
there is a vast amount of catch left around the islands, there is a potential
problem of reduced amounts of catch due to dying coral reefs. Fishing
is such a major part of the peoples lives on the islands. Not only
do people use fishing for jobs but they also use fish as one of their
main sources of protein. While sustainability in fishing is at a
moderate level, this could become worse due to other factors such as a
run-off from
deforestation.
Forest products are another major source of income for the Solomon Islands. The problem in foresting lies in the present harvest rates. Sustainable harvest rates are being ignored for the big buck. This in turn causes an abnormal amount of barren land that contains soil that moves or runs-off. This run-off causes surrounding water sources to become cloudy and unusable for the people and the organisms that are used to a clearer, less changed water. Coral reefs are a major loser in the process of deforestation. Run-off from deforestation spreads into the water ways and those water ways lead towards the coast which directly leads to the coral reefs surrounding the islands. These reefs are fragile and have sustainable conditions that are narrow in range. Deforestation changes these conditions and causes the reefs to die, which also causes a chain reaction of destruction to the organisms which rely on the reefs for subsistence.
Mineral mining on the Solomon Islands is another matter of concern. The Pacific Islands are now a big potential source for gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, and nickel. Mining is a reasonable practice as long as environmental concerns are met, but there could be another problem like deforestation. The exploitation of these minerals needs to be controlled to decrease the chance of run-off and damage to the local ecosystem.
Another problem in the Solomon Islands is in the area of health concerns. Malaria is a big problem in the Islands. Malaria has not been controlled. The government infrastructure is a major problem in dealing with Malaria. Many foreign travelers will not come to the Solomon Islands because the Malaria is bad and sometimes incurable. Without foreign visitors there is potentially no foreign investment in the islands. Malaria needs to be controlled to help both residents and people who may want to come to the islands and invest.
Money is the final problem the Solomon Islands have to worry about. A rich country has many resources with which it is able to solve problems. Without money, resources are depleted and solutions become more difficult. The above mentioned problems could all be solved or improved upon by money.
Opportunities
In order to solve the Solomon Islands problems and keep the islands from further danger there are a variety of options to consider. Solving the problems requires a variety of different approaches which may work best if implemented together in order to attack the problems from as many angles as possible.
One potential idea is ecotourism. Ecotourism is basically having people come to admire the natural beauty of the Solomon Islands. To implement this solution, certain areas of the islands need to be protected from destruction. Setting aside areas of land that could be used as preserves could be a good start to attract visitors and create revenue with tours of the islands.
A second idea is to curb logging to a sustainable rate. Permits
must be issued and enforced. Regulation of logging must be improved
upon greatly. Without strict regulation and enforcement of sustainable
logging rates the islands will eventually lose their forests. In
addition to stricter permits and regulation of logging rates comes in managing
exactly where loggers can cut. Logging must be decreased in land
area which would increase run-off. Logging must be implemented only
when and where the
natural ecosystem is not damaged beyond repair. Loggers will
learn that cutting down huge amounts of trees in one place can cause vast
amounts of environmental change throughout the island.
In addition to regulating logging, there also is the idea of aquaculture to solve some of the Solomon Islands environmental problems. In order to protect the surrounding waters of the islands from overfishing, a possible alternative could come from raising fish in a controlled area. This type of aquaculture called fish farming could produce another source of fish that could reduce the stress of the natural ocean. Keeping fishing at a sustainable rate will benefit everyone in the future and present generations.
On land changes that could benefit the islands environment are changes in mining and restrictions on mining. Like logging, mining must be kept under a strict and watchful eye so as not to change ecosystems beyond repair. Mining permits should be extremely tough to get, and proper management of these mines must be enforced.
If all of the above opportunities could be used or tried, the Solomon
Islands environmental state could improve. The biggest
responsibility comes from the people who control the islands.
These government leaders must take control and prevent the islands environmental
decay.
Works Cited
1. http://www.boh.com/econ/pacific/solaer. Bank of Hawaii-Solomon Islands Economic Report
2. http://www.tcol.co.uk/solomon/sol2.htm Solomon Islands
3. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/2446/ethnogra.htm Ethnography of the Vaturanga
4. http://www Solomon Islands- CIA world fact book
5. http://www Paradise Lost? By Neal Lineback
6. http://www.tcol.co.uk/solomon/solmap.htm Solomon Islands map
7. http://www.ust.hk/~webrc/ReefCheck/summary.htm Summary of Reef Check 97
8. http://www.op.net/docs/Geography/Solomon Islands Solomon Islands Facts
9. Baird, Nicola. "Unwisdom of the Solomons". New Scientist. v.149. n.2014. January 27, 1996. p30-33.
10. Whitemore, J.C.. "Changes Over Twenty-One Years In The Kolombangara
Rain Forests". Journal of Ecology (1989). v77