2022
Off the eastern shore of the island of Malaita lie two small atoll cays - Kwai and Ngongoslia. The original residents moved to these islands many generations ago from other areas in Solomon Islands. Now that the islands are facing major challenges with the rise of sea level which will encroach on the little land they have, there is nowhere to go. Because they came from far away, they not longer have land rights on the mainland to be able to move. The government is looking for ways to help them. These photos will show you how precarious their existence has become. The majority of the inhabitants make their homes from thatch collected on the mainland of Malaita. They are dependent on rainwater for drinking water and during times of drought they have to take their canoes and fetch water from Malaita and transport it back one jerry can at a time. You will notice from the last 360 that many of the people on Kwai cay have chosen to build their homes on stilts to stay dry during the ever rising high tide events. Take a look at these disappearing islands in the Street View images below. Jump in and take a spin!
Ngongosila island from the reef at low tide
In the center of Ngongosila grows an old Banyan tree
Homes on Kwai are built on stilts to protect belongings as tides are rising
