Tuvalu Drought

In late 2011 Tuvalu suffered from a terrible drought. Families were restricted to a few litres of water a day.  

By the time I arrived on the island it was swarming with specialists, all proffering theories.  global warming was a favorite. 

An old hand took me out and showed me the real reason when it rained. Poor maintenance on gutters and catchment tanks, on an island that was so low lying that you couldn't use bore water, meant disaster. 

I took the photo six months after the drought had ended.  Sections of gutter were still missing from this government building.  Downpipes didn't exist. Precious water flow into the ground.