Bodies and bones washed away as shoreline cemetery ravaged by overflowing sea water

Residents of Laone, a coastal village in the Republic of Vanuatu, had perhaps their harshest reminder yet of the perils of rising sea levels and soil erosion. The area's main cemetery was the latest casualty of the troubling trends.

What's happening?

The Daily Post reported on the loss of all of the graves from the community's largest cemetery as water continues to encroach on the island. In response, locals did their best to recover as many bodies and bones as possible for reburial in safer locations.

In a heartfelt ritual to commemorate the loss of a mother, the community did a traditional pig-killing ceremony. The graves of missionaries of long ago were also part of the ceremony.

"We could only recover and rebury the bones we managed to save," said Philippe Rihu, the younger brother of Chief Joseph Rihu Viragui, per the Post. 

Graves near the shoreline have been particularly vulnerable, and trees have fallen after losing the soil support that kept them standing. 

Why is Vanuatu's sea level rise important?

The washing away of graves was far more than a symbolic moment. Vanuatu is considered one of the world's most vulnerable countries to climate risks like cyclones and rising sea levels.

Residents are defiant and want to stay, even as their traditional methods to predict the weather are becoming less reliable.

"We see the waves coming in every day, yet we cannot leave," a matriarch told the Post. "We have invested in permanent houses here, and we will not abandon them."

Young people are invested in taking on the growing challenges, but the encroaching sea is proving a formidable foe. Residents said the sea has intruded 20 meters (66 feet) in just the last 10 years, causing massive trees to fall.

What's being done about sea level rise in Vanuatu?

Viragui highlighted the challenges of addressing all climate risks in Vanuatu. Large trees help protect the island against cyclones, but, in his view, contribute to erosion.

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The Department of Forestry is encouraging the planting of two tree species to mitigate soil erosion and help limit seawater intrusion. Locals are trying to use stone and wooden walls to protect against waves.

Other efforts include the establishment of Laone Forest Park and the Laone Marine Protected Zone, which aim to reduce human contributions to the changing climate. Still, these efforts may fall short in the wake of unprecedented challenges.

"These trees have always protected us from cyclones, but climate change has created a new problem," Viragui noted, per the Post. "If all trees are gone, there will be no windbreakers, and waves will reach our homes more easily."

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