By Emma Brannam
Drought worries are spreading around the South Pacific as small island nations struggle with a shortage of drinking water.
New Zealand stepped in to help on Monday after Tuvalu declared a state of emergency and now Tokelau has declared one too. Parts of Samoa are also starting to ration water.
Tuvalu worries about its long term future with rising sea levels but now it faces a short term crisis as the drinking water runs out.
“Here the residents are quite worried. This is the worst drought they've experienced in Tuvalu. We really need some help especially from overseas,” says one resident.
Without lakes or rivers people on the island rely mostly on rainwater.
There's been little rain for months and underground water supplies are contaminated by sea water when low lying areas flood.
“We've managed to store some supplies but I've heard that there are families that are really suffering with the drinking water,” says the local.
These small South Pacific islands are familiar with drought but this year it's much worse.
“It's basically down to the La Nina that we've had for most of the last year or so. A very strong La Nina development about this time last year persisted right through the summer and into the autumn and the effects of that on rainfall in the pacific and now we've got La Nina redeveloping again,” says NIWA principal climate scientist James Renwick.
New Zealand has sent two desalination plants to Tuvalu, equipment which proved vital in Christchurch after the earthquake.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Red Cross have also sent people over to help.
“There are reports of crops being affected by the lack of water so it could evolve into a bigger situation,” says Andrew McKie of the New Zealand Red Cross.
MFAT says it's monitoring the situation across the pacific.
The Red Cross says the drought could lead to sanitation issues and disease.
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