The lack of proper clean drinking water has become a major concern for villages along the Kaipi Constituency in Central Kerema.
Koaru village in particular has been hard hit by rising sea level caused by climate change and majority of the villagers have been moving inland to resettle away from the coast.
The village has a population of more than 800 people and has been dependent on water from wells dug out from the sand over the years. It was recently that they discovered the taste of the water turning salty.
"Before the waves were small, nowadays the waves are very big like the coconut trees crashing right though the village and even flowing into the sago swamps behind the village," said village councilor Roger Hao.
He also said this is the reason why most of this sago swamps are dying and having stunted growth because the saltwater is trapped in the swamp and with the heat of the sun, it kills the sago trees.
The councilor expressed grave concern over the issue saying that no disaster officer has ever visited them since 2012.
Meanwhile the Disaster Office in Kerema explained that they are unable to move around to inspect these sites due to funding constraints and the remote geographical locations some of these areas are located in.