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Dotted with turquoise lagoons and home to rare dugongs, or sea cows, the Pacific archipelago of Palau is facing the threat of US military expansion. The scene of fierce clashes between American and Japanese forces during WWII, Palau has since hosted a US military presence, ceding access to Washington in return for funding and visa-free work and study. Now, the US plans to build a new naval harbor, as well as a radar site, airfield and stockpile for marines in order to boost its capabilities in an area 500km west of the South China Sea. The plans have stoked concern among locals, who fear the return of fighting to their shores, and ecologists worried by the construction’s impact on the delicate ecosystem.

AFP VIDEO

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00:29This video is made possible in the description of the video.
00:29This video is made possible in the description of the video.
00:43World War II is not a far-off distant history. It still very much resonates with people today.
00:51If war broke out here, or if something were to happen in Palau, where would Palauans go?
00:57Who would be in charge or responsible for taking care of them? How would they eat?
01:04You know, where would they live? And some very basic questions like that, because the concern is very real.
01:39That important gathering site is so close to a major construction project is concerning.
01:48So, again, the project will be a big experiment, and we hope that the impacts are not only mitigated, but
01:58they're talking about starting and finishing in two years.
02:03So, if we can stay to that timeline, and that's the only disturbance, what I would expect potentially is that
02:10we might lose the concentration of dugongs for that two-year period.
02:15I don't know that. They might just put up with the sound. They certainly put up with a lot of
02:20noise pollution from speedboats.
02:24And then, hopefully, when the project is over, they'll return to their happy place. So, we'll have to wait and
02:32see.
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