The sun beat down on the small office of the tourist company in Fiji. Outside, the turquoise waters of the Pacific Ocean seemed to stretch out to infinity. Inside, however, a sense of unease hung in the air. A notice from the government had arrived, asking for a comment on sea level rise.
“What do we do?” the General Affairs Department head asked, passing the notice to the Cruise Department.
“I don’t know,” the Cruise Department head replied. “But can someone please do something about those Chinese ships that keep anchoring in our waters?”
The notice was passed on to the Public Relations Department, who were equally clueless. “We can’t say anything,” the PR head said. “We don’t know anything about sea level rise.”
Rumors began to circulate that residents of Pacific island communities might be asked to give evidence at a UN meeting. The pressure on the tourist company intensified.
“What do you think about sea level rise?” the General Affairs Department head asked the Beach Management Department.
“When will it happen?” the Beach Management Department head replied. “This month? Next month?”
As they discussed the matter, an old woman who worked on the beach cleaning overheard their conversation. She had lived on the island her whole life and had seen the changes firsthand.
“The sea and the islands have changed,” she said, her voice filled with a mix of sadness and resignation. “It used to be calmer.”
All names of people and organizations appearing in this story are pseudonyms.
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