‘We don’t want to be climate refugees’: Torres Strait uncles fear for their islands and their people

Uncle Paul Kabai and Uncle Pabai Pabai are afraid for the future of their ancestral homelands. Their country on the outer islands of Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait), less than 10km off Papua New Guinea, is under siege from the impacts of the climate crisis.

The two men fear the loss of their islands, their culture and their way of life, forcing their families and communities to become Australia’s first climate refugees.

The uncles have taken the federal government to court in the landmark Australian climate case, seeking orders that would require the commonwealth to undertake steps to prevent further harm to their communities.

They are arguing that the commonwealth owes a duty of care to Torres Strait Islanders to take reasonable steps to protect them from harm.

During on-country hearings in 2023, witnesses described how devastating their loss of culture due to climate change had been.

“We don’t want to be climate refugees,” Uncle Pabai, who has spent his life on the low-lying island of Boigu, says.