Who is he?
Kench is an Associate Professor at the University of Auckland. He works in Tuvalu with Tuvaluan environmental officials, helping the state to have a better understanding of the different threats and to establish plans of action.
Did we speak with him?
No.
Nationality:
New Zealander.
Important Publications/Articles on Tuvalu:
The dynamic response of reef islands to sea-level rise: evidence from multi-decadal analysis of island change in the Central Pacific.
What methods does he use?
Paul Kench used aerial photography and geological surveys in order to map out the topography of the islands and to study the morphology of the coral atolls.
His take on the controversy:
While Kench does not question the prospect of future sea level rise, he is firm in his belief that Tuvalu will not be submerged. He points to the nature of coral atolls like Tuvalu, which are capable of changing shape according to changes in sea level.
Quotations:
“Eighty percent of the islands we’ve looked at have either remained about the same or, in fact, got larger”