Australians may be called upon to help at-risk islanders

CANBERRA - Australia should prepare to accept climate change refugees from Pacific island nations likely to "sink" under rising sea levels, the Australian Labor Party says.

The federal opposition will today release a Pacific climate change strategy aimed at planning for mass relocations of people living on vulnerable islands in Australia's region.

Low-lying Pacific island states like Tuvalu - whose islands lie just a few metres above sea level - are at risk from rising sea levels brought about by global warming.

The phenomenon is likely to generate a new mass class of refugees - environmental refugees.

Labor argues Australia needs to be prepared for such an exodus of people from their homelands in the region.

"Australia needs to establish a Pacific climate change strategy and part of that, obviously, has to be dealing with the issue of climate change refugees," opposition environment spokesman Anthony Albanese said.

"Australia needs to establish an international coalition, particularly from Pacific rim countries, so that when a country does become uninhabitable Australia does its fair share."

Mr Albanese said he did not know how many people regional climate change would force out of their island homes, but he said the United Nations should develop a specific charter for a new class of environmental refugees.

"We need to establish a UN charter in terms of refugee recognition which isn't there at the moment in terms of environmental refugees," he said, adding the federal government must take action to address the potential problem.

"The Howard government can't continue to simply pretend that this is an issue that doesn't have to be dealt with in our region.

"We need to actually be proactive about the effect of climate change, do as much as wen can early, rather than simply sitting back and not engaging with our neighbours."

Yesterday, the Bureau of Meteorology revealed that 2005 was the hottest year on record in Australia, prompting calls for the federal government to take action on climate change.

- AAP