The
REAP Report - NO TIME TO WASTE
Solid
waste - cans, glass, paper, plastic, etc. - is a serious concern
on Rarotonga. Relative affluence and a surge of tourists have
brought a flood of imported goods whose discarded packaging
winds up in streams, school-yards and on beaches. The combination
of modern lifestyles and increased tourism means more trash.
Rarotonga's
pollution doesn't yet rival that of Kiribati, Tuvalu, or the
Solomon Islands. But on an island of 67 sq. km there are few
places to hide garbage. Hundreds of junk vehicles are scattered
along the backroads; a mountain of car batteries sits in the
yard of the Ministry of Works depot, while the islands recycling
centre resembles an unofficial new landfill.
Rarotonga's
spectacular landscape, with wild mountain streams tumbling from
jagged central peaks into lush valleys, means toxins and sewage
easily find their way into the island's encircling lagoon, harming
coral, fish, and potentially people. From time to time, Rarotongans
boycott certain beaches, saying they are unsafe for swimming.
The water supply is also questionable; residents are advised
to boil all drinking water for at least 10 minutes. Some fear
that if visitors start falling ill, the 'cash cow' of tourism
could also sicken; if an epidemic struck, medical facilities
will be overwhelmed.
According
to the Asian Development Bank the Cooks' overloaded waste management
system is damaging the environment and threatening the health
of residents.
In
the Cook Islands, growth seems to be haphazard. There is no
master plan for the development of Rarotonga, and no one is
quite sure what limits to place on tourist numbers and accommodation.
Many Cook Islanders feel that the country must be careful as
to how it develops tourism because of waste and water limitations.
'We must realise how vulnerable we are.'
That
lesson has not been lost on REAP's young Environmental Rangers
who volunteer to clean their islands of discarded cans, bottles
and paper from picnic areas and beaches 'They want to keep their
islands clean so they can be beautiful at all times.'
The
Cooks can still be redeemed. But if the warnings go unheeded
- as they have elsewhere in the Pacific-- this string of island
pearls could be sullied forever.
(Edited
and reprinted with permission from TIME Magazine)
Cook
Islands News, 17 February 2003
