Cocos (Keeling) Islands heritage under threat
Across the world, small island nations are vulnerable to sea-level rise due to climate change. There is an urgent need for action, writes GML Principal Rachel Jackson.
In 2023, Foreign Minister Penny Wong told Emerging Pacific Leaders that climate change is the ‘greatest threat to the livelihoods, well-being and security of the peoples of the Pacific.’
Last year, the Australian Government contributed to the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF), a Pacific-owned and led solution aimed at helping vulnerable Pacific Islanders exposed to climate change and disaster risks. Supporting the Pacific Islands is commendable, but how is the government addressing the climate crisis facing one of its own island territories—the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean?
A recent ABC news article about Cocos highlighted the Australian Government’s reluctance to fund repairs to the islands’ sea walls that were damaged during unprecedented tidal swells. These sea walls, made up of sandbags and concrete, protect the two inhabited islands, West Island and Home Island. The failure of seawalls and sandbagging has exposed the islands’ vulnerability to extreme weather events. Locals have expressed their concerns about the lack of government funding to undertake recovery and resilience work.
Sandbag seawalls under repair. Photo: Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Damage to seawalls on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Photo: Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
In 2008, GML Heritage undertook a heritage study of the islands. In the 16 years since, no other management plan has been prepared. Developing combined heritage and climate strategies for island nations could be a case study for demonstrating Australia’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11, Target 11.4, which aims to “strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage” and to “make it inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.”
Safeguarding the cultural heritage of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands is critical—not only for the islands’ inhabitants, but also to demonstrating Australia’s broader commitment to sustainable and resilient heritage management in the face of climate change.
Now is the time to address the climate risks and to ensure heritage is resilient. Practical SDG Policy Guidance prepared by ICOMOS for heritage in the face of the climate crisis and achieving sustainable development for future generations is readily available.
