Sydney - The world's first climate change refugees will be relocated from their Pacific island home on the Solomon Islands to neighbouring Papua New Guinea next year, news reports said Wednesday.

The Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation said 40 families from Malaita Province will be relocated to Bougainville in March because rising sea levels have inundated their homes.

The island homes are expected to be submerged by 2015.

One third of the 1,500 residents of the island group have refused to leave. (dpa)