“We Demand Justice”: Carteret Islands Youth Leader Calls for Action Ahead of COP31
Read the article in Local Papua New Guinea news: https://tvwan.com.pg/news/11929
A young island leader from the Carteret Islands in the Autonomous region of Bougainville is calling for greater international support to address growing issues such as coastal erosion, water insecurity and threats to island communities, like hers, ahead of this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31).
Louisa Kumis, 33, is the Director of Taramarei Association Inc., a locally-led organisation supporting women and other marginalised people in her community, including widows, young people and persons with disabilities in the Carteret Islands, who are experiencing the impacts of climate change daily.
Growing up on the remote Pacific islands, Kumis witnessed the impacts of coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion and the devastating impacts that this has brought on the islanders’ homes, traditional food gardens and local livelihoods.
“My heart sank to see how fast the sea is washing away our shoreline,” Kumis said, describing the changes she has witnessed in her community.
The Carteret Islands, located in Papua New Guinea's Autonomous Region of Bougainville, face significant environmental challenges.
A 2025 assessment by the International Organization for Migration identified coastal erosion, food insecurity, inadequate water and sanitation services and gaps in climate adaptation support across the Nissan and Atolls constituency, which includes the Carteret Islands.
For Kumis’ community, climate change is not an abstract science, but an everyday reality. Through Taramarei Association, Kumis hopes to improve access to climate-resilient housing, water and sanitation while supporting practical responses to shoreline erosion.
She also highlighted existing community-led efforts and local resilience to these challenges, including mangrove restoration undertaken by Tulele Peisa, and the need for additional resources to expand local adaptation initiatives.
"We want to voice our needs to the world in order to get assistance," Kumis said.
Kumis is one of eight young island leaders participating in the Island Youth Network's COP31 virtual capacity-building programme, coordinated by Irish-based organisation, Oileán.
This programme supports young islanders to virtually engage with international climate negotiations, strengthen advocacy skills and communicate priorities from their communities.
For Kumis, the immediate priorities are access to finance, stronger community resilience and the protection of the Carteret Islands' cultural heritage for future generations.
