This heavenly looking south pacific island is far from heavenly. So far that many of its residents and natives would tell you it is hell itself. Read on and tell me if you didn't shudder…

Nauru is a small island country, one of the world's smallest independent republics, and is located in the Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia. It has just 21 square kilometers area and a population of around 10,000 people. Sounds perfect for a paradise? Yes, but not Nauru.

The biggest victim of her own big blessing, Nauru is the best example of a terrible curse in divine disguise; and, of blatant colonial exploitation in the name of profit and trade…

Nauru was discovered in early 1900s to have richest, highest, purest quality phosphate reserves in the world. Then, Britain, New Zealand and Australia dove into extensive mining that in the next 90 years depleted the reserves and devastated 80% of Nauru's entire eco-system, as well as economic, social, and geographic environment leaving it nearly uninhabitable by 1990s.

What's now left of Nauru is tragic, criminally outrageous, unforgivable, and unusable.

The list of environmental (and other) disasters that Nauru is reeling with, is heart breaking!

1. Extensive environmental degradation caused by uncontrolled run off mining. 80% natural land is now rendered unusable and uninhabitable.
2. 40% of marine life is estimated to have been killed by silt and phosphate runoff.
3. Large areas of the island have been stripped of vegetation and topsoil, leaving behind barren landscapes that are prone to erosion and degradation. The soil quality is now among the poorest in the world!
4. Fauna has become sparse.
5. Sharp decline in biodiversity and extinction of several plant and animal species. Many indigenous birds have become endangered or even extinct owing to the destruction of their habitat. There are no native land mammals. The Polynesian rat, cats, dogs, pigs, and chickens have all been introduced through shipping.
6. It has caused many negative health and environmental effects, like poor water quality, greater erosion rates, poor precipitation, higher droughts, and greater CO2 emissions.
7. Ocean acidification and coastal erosion is rampant.
8. Coconut farming, mining, and introduced species have seriously disturbed the native vegetation.
9. Nauru has no rivers and streams. Water is gathered from roof catchment systems or has to be imported.
10. Stripped natural tree cover has left Nauru vulnerable to intense heat on an island so close to the Equator.

Economic effects:

1. Fishing, scuba diving and snorkeling are the only activities with bare-minimum tourism. There's no other economic activity for locals to earn money from.
2. Nauru currently lacks money to perform many of the basic functions of government
3.  The National Bank of Nauru is insolvent.
4. Unemployment rate is estimated to be over 23%
5. Fresh water has to be imported and can be subject to scarcity.

Social effects:

1. The Nauruan people face extremely high rates of alcoholism, prostitution, poorer mental health rates, and myriad other health issues that stem from these problems.
2. Alarming prevalence of violence, sexual violence in romantic, domestic relationships and violence towards pregnant women.
3. 16.8% of households are below the basic needs (clothing, shelter, education, transport, communication, water, sanitation and health services) poverty line.
4. 30% of school children aged 13–15 reported having attempted suicide.
5. 24% of children under the age of five are stunted.
6. Documented loss of Nauruan traditions like subsistence farming as well as the violations of their rights to their own land and the continued human rights violations.

Health Effects: Tell me this doesn't bleed your heart

1. Phosphate dust pollution and cadmium pollution has severely damaged and infected the water and air quality.
2. In absence of money, vocation, food, water, health facilities, education, infrastructure and self care, Nauruans are the most overweight people in the world, lacking resources to healthy life style; 97% of men and 93% of women are overweight or obese. In 2012, the obesity rate was 71.7%
3. Nauru has the world's highest level of type 2 Diabetes, with more than 40% of the population affected. Other significant dietary-related problems on Nauru include kidney disease and heart disease.
4. Growing STDs
5. Nauru has the world's highest tobacco smoking rate (48.3% in 2022).
6. It has one of the highest child mortality rates.
7. Life expectancy in Nauru in 2009 was 60.6 years for males and 68.0 years for females.
8. All food must also be imported because of the loss of 90% of arable land to mining, leaving people with a diet of mainly processed foods, such as rice and sugar which links it back to poverty, obesity, diabetes, heart and kidney diseases.
9. 24% of the population is well below poverty line.
10. Only 66% of residents have access to reliable toilets. Open defecation is still practiced by 3% of the population
11. Schools are frequently forced to close because they do not have reliable toilets or drinking water for students to use.

How can Nauru be helped today? Can we do something? 

Project Rescue Nauru. Today. It is urgent

All hope is not lost. There's still a plenty that can be done.

Nauru will need to focus on its sustainable industries: Develop tourism, fisheries, and renewable energy to reduce dependence on aid and phosphate mining.

Digital Economy: Invest in IT infrastructure and remote work opportunities to integrate Nauru into the global digital economy.

Regional Trade and Partnerships: Strengthen economic ties with Pacific nations and form trade agreements to boost exports.

Health solutions

Nauru will need to take immediate concrete steps to pull its people out of this problem.

Promote local food production and reduce reliance on imported processed foods.

Exercise & Wellness Initiatives: Implement community fitness programs to counter obesity and diabetes.

Healthcare Infrastructure: Improve hospitals, train local healthcare professionals, and secure medical aid from international partners.

Mental Health and Addiction Support

Counseling & Awareness: Establish mental health programs to address issues like depression and substance abuse.

Rehabilitation Services: Create support systems for alcohol and drug addiction recovery.

Social Solutions

Education and Capacity Building

Higher Education Access: Partner with universities abroad to provide scholarships and distance learning opportunities.

Vocational Training: Focus on trade skills that support emerging industries like tourism, IT, and environmental conservation.

Infrastructure Development

Public Transport & Roads: Improve transport systems to enhance connectivity within the island.

Housing & Sanitation: Upgrade housing and sanitation systems to improve living conditions.

Cultural and Environmental Preservation: Surely, isn't it already being done?

Reviving Traditional Practices

Arts & Handicrafts: Encourage traditional art forms, music, and crafts to preserve cultural heritage.

Community Events: Host cultural festivals to strengthen national identity and attract tourism. This shall also help boost mental health of locals.

Environmental Rehabilitation 

Reforestation & Land Restoration: Revitalize mined-out lands for agriculture and ecotourism.

Renewable Energy Investment: Implement solar and wind energy projects to reduce reliance on imported fuels. 

I do hope, the world is listening.

We surely cannot abandon this island to its fate that is entirely the result of our own greed and ambition!

Why hasn't anyone come forward to help already? Or at least to amend? Where are the nations that hurled Nauru to this fate? Where is UN and WHO and Support Organisations?

Does no one know about Nauru, while Nauru bleeds to its slow, silent, anguished death, all alone and forsaken?

How can we dream of going to Moon and Mars and leave Earth behind in this state?

Thanks for reading!