Causeway Reconstruction (Protection of Sea Rise)

Gachpar, Yap State: Portion of the village coastal and inland is mostly mangroves and swamp areas used for taro plantation. The area is about 4,000 feet in length and about 10,000 feel in diameter. The coastal is covered with mangrove plants of different kinds and naturally used for fish breeding grounds. Inland is taro plantation for the village and for individual family.

Between the mangrove plants and the taro plantation is a causeway constructed in the old days to prevent salt water flowing into the taro patches. The causeway was about five feet high and coconut plants were planted along side the causeway to protect the causeway. The causeway is very much destroyed now after so many typhoons, storms and the sea rise due to climate change. The coconut trees are no longer there due to the above incidents.

Due to climate change, especially sea rise, salt water has poured into about half of the taro patches and have damaged good portion of the village taro plantation. Even if the causeway were still in good condition of five feel high, the salt water would still go over it due to the sea rise. The new causeway should be at least eight feet high.

In summary, the project (proposed) is to construct a new causeway, about 4,000 feet and at least eight feet in height and about five feet wide. The village will plant coconut trees along side the causeway. The funding being requested is for rental equipment, heavy equipment, to construct the causeway.
If the village members were to construct the causeway by hand, manpower, it would take a long time to complete it and would involved more manpower which the village does not have it. Therefore, heavy equipment is needed at this time.

The above text was extracted from the proposal, Causeway Reconstruction (Protection of Sea Rise), submitted to Climate Frontlines.