Richard’s Story

“The first impact we started to see was the rising sea level,” Richard Gokrun, Executive Director of the Tuvalu Climate Action Network shares. “That’s when we started losing our drinking water.”

For generations, Tuvaluans have relied on groundwater sources for fresh water. But as sea levels rise, saltwater intrusion has rendered many of these sources undrinkable. The contamination has forced communities to depend almost entirely on rainwater, which is becoming increasingly unreliable due to changing rainfall patterns and prolonged dry spells, both made more frequent and intense by the changing climate.

The rising tides aren’t just threatening water supplies — they’re reshaping the very geography of Tuvalu. Low-lying areas are frequently inundated, especially during king tides. Families are being displaced, and health risks are mounting.

“Our septic systems were not built to withstand this,” Richard explains. “They’re just pits dug in the ground. When the tides rise, they overflow, spreading waste and creating unsafe living conditions.”

With these challenges mounting, many Tuvaluans are making the difficult decision to leave their homeland. “We’re seeing a decrease in population,” Richard says. “People are migrating for a more secure future for their children. It’s become a form of adaptation.”

Amid these struggles, there are glimmers of hope. Oxfam’s partnership with TUCAN, supported by the New Zealand government through the Kōtui programme focuses on empowering women and children, ensuring they have access to resources and climate finance.

“We sincerely thank the Government of New Zealand,” Richard says. “They’ve shown us that we matter—that we are heard, and that we are human beings.”

“They give us the grant to do what we want—not to tell us what to do with it,” Richard emphasizes. 

“We don’t often have donors who listen,” he says. “But when they do, it makes all the difference.”

Tuvalu’s story is not just about loss—it’s about the power of listening, the importance of partnership, and the urgent need for just and equitable climate action.