The Bishop of Polynesia has made a desperate appeal for prayer after visiting the island of Tuvalu in the Pacific.

Archbishop Winston Halapua, one of three Archbishops of the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, reports seeing children roaming the streets because their schools have closed due to water shortages.

Tuvaluans told the Archbishop that they were critically short of drinking water because their wells are being contaminated by sea water.

Breadfruit, banana and coconut trees – a main source of food for the islanders – are withering and dying because their roots are being poisoned by salt water, he reports.

The visit to the island has convinced the Archbishop that concerns about rising sea levels are no longer abstract theory but reality.

“For me, to go to Tuvalu – that’s all the information that I need,” he said.

“For me, seeing is believing. What I have seen is the reality of sea rising.”

With no rain forecast for Tuvalu for the next three months, the three-day visit has left the Archbishop so alarmed that he has issued a call to the worldwide church to pray for Tuvalu.

He adds, however, that immediate relief is only a “tiny part of the story”.

“The bigger story is this: please do something about climate change,” he said.

Archbishop Halapua urged Christians to pray for rain in Tuvalu, climate change and rising sea levels.

People are being asked to donate to the Anglican Missions Board, which is working with the Church of Tuvalu to provide food and water to islanders.

The Archbishop also encouraged Christians to learn more about the causes of climate change and its impact on marginalised people.

To donate to the AMB Tuvalu Appeal, email: office@angmissions.org.nz