Paul Kabai's ancestors have lived on the islands of Boigu and Saibai for over 65,000 years. Now, he fears an escalating climate crisis could flood the islands, forcing local communities to leave.
Pabai Pabai also fears being forced to leave Boigu, with the island being core to his identity and cultural history."If you take us away from this island then we’re nothing. It’s like the Stolen Generation, you take people away from their tribal land, they become nobodies." The case brought on behalf of the remote islands of Boigu and Saibai in the Torres Strait is the first climate class action brought by Australia's First Nations people, its backers said.
The Torres Strait Islands, dotted north of Australia, face the threat of floods and salt ruining their soil as global warming leads to more storms and rising sea levels.