Small Is Beautiful, a decade long plan, started in 2004 has for primary objective to assist the Tuvaluans to survive as a nation, and if possible, to allow them to remain on their ancestral land. Tuvalu is symbolic on many levels. The idea is to start from this tiny example to develop a program of constructive action – one which is replicable and likely to garner the necessary media attention. Tuvalu, a tiny and extremely low-lying nation, is the epitome of vulnerability. It is also, due to its small size, recent habits of consumption, and traditional relationship with nature, a perfect candidate for becoming the first country to operate in harmony with the environment, an environmental showcase of the earth, a living ideal for the planet to emulate.

A media campaign based on a positive, unifying and concrete program: assisting Tuvalu, as its own destruction approaches, to become an environmental showcase - a living, breathing, replicable model of an environmentally respectful and exemplary nation - is a compelling means for Tuvalu to leave both a vital message and an important legacy to the world.

To help Tuvalu become a model of an environmentally respectful nation means working and coordinating with each of the main areas of sustainable development in harmony with the local ecosystem and natural resources : Energy, Water (drinking and waste water), Waste, Atmospheric emissions, Erosion and Biodiversity, which may have also positive consequences on food quality and human health.

The first step of the program consisted of obtaining Tuvalu’s people and government participation and support for the project. It coincided with a request from the Tuvalu government to the French foreign affairs for assistance on Renewable Energy.

The second step is a Renewable Energy preliminary study which started, with a 6 week field trip, in 2005, by Sarah Hemstock and Pierre Radanne.

The third step is to create an environmental and training micro-model for renewable energy on

Amatuku.

TUVALU RENEWABLE ENERGY STUDY

This Tuvalu renewable energy study is probably the most thorough report on the subject made in the region. Hundreds of studies and government finance data, 20 years of agricultural reports and 50 years of wind measurements were analyzed and over 100 people consulted (see enclosed list). If the study has yet to be finalized by Sarah Hemstock and Pierre Radanne, some of the main conclusions and recommendations can be summarized.

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Main conclusions

Tuvalu is close to a 100% oil economy

The primary energy consumption represents the upstream supply (Fig. 2). The only national source is firewood at around 18% based on our 2005 study (photovoltaic and thermal solar are insignificant). The balance of supply is oil. The high level of oil imports dependency mainly for the transportation sector and electricity generation greatly demonstrates Tuvalu specificity. The level of consumption stems from the high needs for sea transport which represents around 40% of the total use. Energy needs in Tuvalu have increased since the construction of the new hospital in 2003 offered by Japan, and the government building in 2004, a gift from Taiwan. A Japanese team is presently implementing 3 new fuel generators. Production will exceed the needs and will go against Kyoto’s directives, who’s goal is to reduce global warming gas emissions before 2012.

This situation is now more worrisome than ever as the world is facing a new oil crisis. Prices will drastically increase in the next decades. If the whole world will have to cope with this, the small pacific islands will be faced with an even greater problem.

Renewable Energy is under used

If Tuvalu was a pioneer in photovoltaic (PV) solar energy more than 20 years ago, lack of maintenance and management failure have today made PV use insignificant.

Potential of other locally available renewable resources such as wind, biofuel (coconut oil biodiesel) or biogas is not exploited at all yet in Tuvalu and not much elsewhere in the Pacific.

Other indigenous resources, such as copra and organic waste are very much under used. Copra production which was developed for export purposes collapsed. Mainly due to distances, Tuvalu’s production is not competitive.

Other topics

Concerning municipal solid waste : apart from aluminium cans which are compacted and shipped to New Zealand, all imported waste stays on site. 70% of the waste volume is organic.

Due to sea water contaminated soil, taro’s culture has been replaced by imported food.

Rain water is the only source of drinking water. Water tanks are multiplying but not everyone is able to buy them. Only 64% of the population is boiling the water before drinking. 40% use firewood, the remaining 60% comes from oil. The only desalinisation plant, on Funafuti, is often out of order.

Waste water is hardly taken care of. Drainage work is rudimentary. Very recently, the presence of smelly seaweeds in the lagoon could mean that the marine eco-system is already contaminated.

Some of the RET study’s recommendations

To help Tuvalu to become more oil independent by developing in priority biomass energies using waste for biogas and coconut for providing biodiesel for ships.

To carry out additional wind measurement to better evaluate Tuvalu’s wind power potential.

To consolidate existing solar installations to optimize the network.

In the past, a number of projects initiated in the Pacific and other small or isolated communities, ultimately failed due to lack of effective training and maintenance follow-through. To avoid past pitfalls, it is recommended to create, a hands-on experience and micro RET’s “showroom”/training center for the Tuvaluans…and an effective, practical 1st step on the way to an expanded national program.

Agreements, supports and contracts

Consultation meetings were organized with 9 women’s groups (300 women), which were very positive - committing support to biogas technology, offering community owned land to site the plants and enthusiastically agreeing to be trained to use and maintain the equipment.

Following our first draft presentation, the government of Tuvalu, in the name of its Minister of Energy and Transportation, officially asked Alofa Tuvalu to pursue its work. In parallel, a contract was signed with TMTI, Tuvalu Maritime Training Institute, to implement a micro model on Amatuku. In March 2006, the study and the micro-model project were presented to Cabinet and discussed at parliament.

Furthermore, meetings with 200 Tuvaluan copra producers demonstrated overwhelming support and showed economical commitment for revitalizing copra market via biodiesel production.

FOR FULL STUDY please contact us

OTHER

« SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL » plan ACT III

A project coordinated by Alofa Tuvalu (Paris-France / Funafuti-Tuvalu)

In association with TANGO (Tuvalu Association of NGOs), Tuvalu Ministry of Natural Ressources and Environment, Department of Home Affairs, The Fisheries Department, NBSAP, and also South Pacific Commission, IRD, SOPAC, SPREP, University of South Pacific, University of Hawaii, Unesco.
Supported by The Total Foundation, NZ Aid, CRISP/AFD

Scientific consultants : Sandrine Job, Expertise on Reef Studies, Noumea-New Caledonia ;
Coordinating Officer for Tango : Semese Alefaio, Funafuti-Tuvalu
Séverine Jacquet, Oceanology and water phd, Anglet-France and Alofa Tuvalu’s Treasurer.

Intermediary report, July 2009

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
 
Over the preparation process, the original project and its title, “Small is Beautiful : “Climate change & biodiversity in Tuvalu : a fish documentation », evolved, into “biodiversity in Tuvalu-Marine Life” to include mammals, turtles, birds and corals as well. All pictures and data will be gathered and published into a book to become a reference to international institutions programmes as well as wide audiences. This project taking into account the scenario that the archipelago may be submerged in a few decades, aims to offer the world patrimony a unique biodiversity tool.

A. BACKGROUND  The project is part of the Alofa Tuvalu 10 year plan « Small is Beautiful » (SiB) chosen by UNESCO as one of the Remarkable Actions for the Decade of Sustainable Development. Sib’s primary objective is to help Tuvalu survive as a nation and to preserve what makes Tuvaluan culture and tradition unique.   Lost in the middle of the Pacific, Tuvalu is a nine atoll archipelago, with a total land mass of only 26 km2 scattered over 1 million km2. With a population of 11,000 people. Tuvalu is the first sovereign nation threatened with becoming totally uninhabitable within the next 50 years due to global warming related flooding. Sea level rise and rising ocean temperatures threaten fish habitats and food stocks. Tuvalu is thus facing a double threat.    Despite the threats, Tuvalu biodiversity has no definitive reference point in any of the existing documentation in the world, neither in the World Heritage Marine Programme being implementing by UNESCO, nor in the Red list of threatened species published by UICN in 2007.

Marine resources are of paramount importance to the people of the archipelago. Land being so small and infertile, the sea is a major source of food for the Tuvaluans. Today, with traditional crops unable to grow anymore due to salt water and imported food costs skyrocketing, the issue is even more of concern. 
 
Tuvaluan relation with their marine resources are based on centuries of tradition and an intimate knowledge of this unique marine environment. As time progresses, rapidly increasing population, new fishing boats and gears, passing away of old fishermen result in a gradual loss of local tradition. Compounded with unsustainable fish harvest from foreign vessels, there is strong un-scientific evidence that marine fish stocks declined (Tuvalu National Environment Management Strategy, 1997). 

B-THE PROJECT : In this context it is vital for the Tuvaluan people to find sustainable solutions to preserve biodiversity and food security in the short term and in the longer scale to prevent both traditional knowledge and natural richness from being lost for ever.   A study (either formal/informal, written/unwritten) and documentation on the ecological knowledge of marine life is not a new area of concern in Tuvalu. The Department of Fisheries, Tango or the Conservation Office have raw datum. Several regional and international organisations also have theirs, on fish, coral or like NZAid project more specifically whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles. However, information are collated  independently, data are fragmented and, for fish, studies are incomplete.

It is in this context that this present project is being developed. Gathering existing information, helping Tango finalizing its last study, completing the survey to fill the gaps will provide an extensive inventory made of both traditional and scientific knowledge, meant to become the first published book about these topics in Tuvalu. 
 
This project, supported by the Government of Tuvalu, is in line with the objectives of the Tuvalu Cultural Council Act (1991) encouraging government agencies, with the Tuvalu National Biodiversity Program (NBSAP), NGOs, individuals and any interested institutions to record traditional knowledge and skills. 

C. OBJECTIVES & EXPECTED RESULTS : The first objective is to create the inventory of Tuvalu unique marine life, taking global warming into consideration paying special attention to endemic species and including fishing methods, calendar, tide and spawning sites..   Locally :  - Education and knowledge : help Tuvaluan communities to preserve their lagoon and coastal marine life  - Addressing needs of people and securing food supply; - Conserving culture heritage; sustaining cultural identity; protecting Tuvalu’s indigenous diversity.

Globally :
- Providing reference publications for local, regional and worldwide release based on scientific monitoring techniques to provide a baseline for future monitoring.
- have the results referenced in the World Heritage Marine Programme from UNESCO and other international and lists directed by institutions and NGO such as UICN.
- become the foundation of future evaluation for surveys on global warming effects and consequences over the next decades. 

C. METHODOLOGY : Rather than reinventing the wheel and start yet another study, we opted to federate past and current projects into a national book inventory as exhaustive as possible. Without partner’s data, pictures and know how, this book project simply cant happen.   By definition, the different projects were and are implemented each with their own scientific methods, most of them internationally recognized. Data have been and will be gathered by ocean and marine resource specialists and scientists, such as Clinton Duffy (NZ Aid), Sandrine Job (Crisp),  in collaboration with local specialists such as Semese Alfeaio, the department of environment, the kaupule, the fisheries etc.

Datas and articles will be published by each of the authors in scientific publications (of which to our knowledge there’s none yet on biodiversity in Tuvalu). All data will be compiled by a team including Severine Jaquet (Alofa Tuvalu). Once consolidated, what is left to be studied will appear obvious. We will focus on 4 islands (Nanumea, the closest to the Equator), the most southern island, Niulakita, one central island (Nui, Nukufetau or Vaitupu) and the main island, Funafuti.
 
Pre publication works will include gathering elements and working on pictures and other elements such as articles by the partner’s teams and scientists, forewords etc, graphism, laying out the book.
 
The book will be a A4 format with a hard cover on 500 pages displaying around 1000 pictures (small format for most) and many tuvaluans and scientists points of views or tales. Printing is done on recycled paper with organic inks. Other leaflets and communication tools can be produced from the book in order to disseminate even further the know how among the Tuvaluan population and beyond.
 
D. PROJECT DURATION : Original project started in 2006. Objective is to release the book in around 2 years from now. To optimize the communication, Tuvalu being already recognized as a symbol of climate change, the release would be linked to an Unfccc international event about global warming.
 
E. COMMUNICATION
If, as a consequence of global warming, the nation of Tuvalu had to leave its land and waters, this Tuvaluan Fish Documentation would become a unique tool and a priceless remembrance book for Tuvaluan culture and tradition as well as a useful tool for public and scientists around the world. Being part of this unique biodiversity tool and reference could definitely become a great communication tool for all stakeholders and partners and before all : Tuvalu.

- Regular organic seeds handing out and awareness raising about gardening, compost, biogas :

Watch 2006, Organic seeds distribution, on YouTube
Watch 2006, 3 Community meetings on biogas, on YouTube

Over the years almost everything implemented has been filmed with what has become Alofa Tuvalu’s 3rd eye -- the video camera. All steps of Alofa Tuvalu’s work are systematically covered as well as ceremonies and cultural activities. Each year, Alofa Tuvalu gives back the pictures it took during its Traditional pictures exhibitions at the Vaiaku Hotel and videos are distributed to the people.

Late 2004, during the « Small is Beautiful » presentation trip to Tuvaluan people, Gilliane Le Gallic, Trouble in Paradise co-director, and Laure Noualhat, journalist of the daily newspaper Liberation, set up the Tuvalu International Francophone Press Club, with the support of the International Francophone Press Union and Tuvalu Media Corporation.