FUNAFUTI / GENEVA (19 July 2012) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to safe drinking water and sanitation, Catarina de Albuquerque, called on the international community not to turn their back on the impacts of climate change in the human rights of individuals and communities in Tuvalu.

From the weekend Tuvalu and Kiribati will be amongst the island nations bracing for king tides.

In January and February the low lying atoll nations are hit by massive tides, which damage foreshore areas, destroy crops and affect water supplies.

Tuvalu is just recovering from a major drought where it ran out of fresh water, with the Australia and New Zealand defence forces providing desalination plants to ensure supplies.

Presenter:Campbell Cooney Speaker:Tatuau Pese, secretary general, Tuvalu Red Cross

Updated December 12, 2011 09:12:36

The Tuvalu Red Cross say while the country still has concerns about fresh water supplies, the start of the rainy season has helped ease water shortages.

Early this year Tuvalu ran out of fresh water, with the Australia and New Zealand defence forces having to provide desalination plants to ensure supplies. But the Secretary General of the Tuvalu Red Cross, Tatuau Pese says with the rain arriving most families now have supplies, and this along with improvements in water storage, means the threat has gone.

Updated November 21, 2011 09:18:24

Women and children in Tuvalu are already suffering from the effects of Climate change.

A conference in Fiji has been told Tuvaluan children living in flood prone areas on the island have often been admitted to hospital for diarrhoea, skin and eye infections after flood occurrences.

The Tuvalu National Council Of Women coordinator, Pulafagu Toafa told the the International Council of Women 5th Asia Pacific Regional Conference in Nadi that the government was too busy travelling to do anything for the affected areas.

This bulletin is being issued for information only, and reflects the current situation and details available at this time. The Tuvalu Red Cross Society with the support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), has determined that extended external assistance is not required, and is therefore not seeking funding or other assistance from donors at this time. The current partners of Tuvalu Red Cross in the Pacific will support as required.

The situation

Updated November 2, 2011 09:42:08

Countries recovering from desperate water shortages across the Pacific are begining to look at long term solutions to avoid future water crises.

In Tokelau and Cook Islands emergency declarations have been lifted and government's are looking at options such as permanent desalination plants.

But drinkable water and other aid is still being delivered to Tuvalu from Australia and New Zealand.

Presenter:Geraldine Coutts
Speaker:Peter Mueller, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Pacific

Australia is providing more water to the people of Tuvalu following a severe drought on the Pacific island.

Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs Richard Marles announced that Australia and New Zealand today delivered a shipment of 450,000 litres of water to Tuvalu's main island of Funafuti.

'This much-needed water will fill government storage facilities and enable households to access more water in Tuvalu,' Mr Marles said.

Tiny nation is suffering from severe La Niña pattern but its problems run deeper with the risk of being swallowed whole by the Pacific Ocean

Toby Manhire in Funafuti, Tuvalu

guardian.co.uk, Monday 17 October 2011 14.59 EDT

A light, taunting shower of rain fell in Funafuti recently. It lasted minutes, with the slightest film of moisture quickly burned away by the bright sun, dashing the hopes of this crowded, parched atoll.

The government of Tuvalu says the water crisis is likely to last until at least January, when there's more chance of heavy rain.

Similar problems in Tokelau, Samoa and the northern Cook Islands are likely to be around just as long too.

A state of emergency has been declared across Tuvalu's nine, drought-stricken islands.

Despite a relief operation by Australia, New Zealand and the Red Cross, water supplies are still severely limited and crops are dying.

Presenter: Dominique Schwartz, New Zealand correspondent