Who is he?

Connell is a professor at the School of Geosciences of the University of Sydney. His principal research interests are concerned with political, economic and social development in less developed countries, especially in the South Pacific region and in other small island states.

Did we speak with him?

Yes

Nationality:

Australian

Important Publications/Articles on Tuvalu:

Losing Ground? Tuvalu, the Greenhouse Effect and the Garbage Can

Environmental change, economic development, and emigration in Tuvalu

Climatic change: a new security challenge in atoll states of the South Pacific

Climatic Change and the future of atoll states

What methods does he use?

Connell never performed scientific analysis in Tuvalu (ie measures of SLR, geomorphology, climate etc). Rather, he focused on the economy and migration and read just about anything he could find on the country.

His take on the controversy:

Connell doesn’t believe that the changes occurring in Tuvalu signal its imminent disappearance. For him, some parts of all atolls are eroding and some parts are accreting/growing, Connell believes that human activity can also be blamed.

Quotations

“Everyone has a role to play but the scientists are important in defining the nature of changing contexts – though even they are unlikely to be in agreement, given the limited amount of data. The rest must interpret all this as best they can – in a context where personal opinions are important and there are complex politics – linked to aid, economic development, migration, and, of course, power.”