Kiribati is a collection of small islands in the South Pacific, only 6 feet above sea level. Kiribati is technically in the four corners of the world. The islands are divided in the Northern and Southern hemisphere and are on both sides of the International Date Line. However, it is considered to be one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world. Its population of 110,000 is scared of what’s to come in the next 10 years or so due to rising sea levels and climate change. The country is comprised of 34 islands in total, Tarawa Atoll being the most populated.

TOURISM:

Kiribati is a country that not a lot of people know where it is, or have even heard of it. And for this reason, it doesn’t have much appeal to tourists. But this country is the one to visit if you are looking for a different kind of tourist destination, and if you are eager to understand a different culture, not just witness it.

Even though Kiribati isn’t marketed as a tourist destination, there are plenty of things to do on the different islands. Surfing, fishing, bird watching, diving and snorkeling, exploring World War II historical sights, and learning new cultures are all possible things to do on these beautiful islands.

EMISSIONS:

Kiribati, on average emits only 0.43 metric tons of CO2 per capita on average, whereas the United States emit 19.13 metric tons on average.

CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS:

Two of the islands disappeared underwater in 1999 due to changes in climate. Sea level rise is detrimental to low lying countries such as Kiribati. Climate analysts predict that sea levels in the year 2100 would be 50 cm higher than today’s. Scientists and development experts say, rising sea levels are likely to worsen erosion, create groundwater shortages and increase the intrusion of salt water into freshwater supplies. With this increase, Kiribati would be largely submerged and its soils would have increased numbers of salt concentrations in it. They also experience droughts fairly frequently, therefore their soil is too infertile for large-scale agriculture. Climate change is not only affecting their physical environment, but it is also affecting their economy as well. Ocean acidification is an enormous problem, especially in the South Pacific. Kiribati farms seaweed and exports it, which really stimulates their economy. However, if the ocean becomes more acidic, it could affect the seaweed to the point where it couldn’t grow anymore, hitting to Kiribati economy hard.

SOLUTIONS:

Kiribati’s national government created a program to reduce their vulnerability to the effect of climate change and sea level rise. The Kiribati Adaptation Program (KAP) works on raising awareness of climate change, assessing and protecting available water resources, and managing inundation. Representatives from each of the inhabited islands identified what had changed climatically in the past 20-40 years, and they suggested coping mechanisms to help combat the change. Initiatives include improving water supply management in and around Tarawa; coastal management protection measures such as mangrove re-plantation and protection of public infrastructure; strengthening laws to reduce coastal erosion; and population settlement planning to reduce personal risks. So far, they have developed water-management plans, built coastal sea walls, planted mangroves and installed rainwater-harvesting systems. This has provided them with fresh water and has saved hundreds of miles of their coastline.

In order to cope with these tragedies of climate change, Kiribati has some plans to fix their problems. Many solutions require their economy to grow stronger, but this seems to be a problem because their biggest sources of income are from their agriculture, which is taking the biggest hit from climate change. They are carrying out these initiatives at a community level. They are focusing on the resources that they do have, and on educating people about the problems and what is occurring. They have integrated climate adaptation approaches into national strategies. Teachers in all primary and secondary schools have been trained on climate change issues. Courses were tailored to the region’s specific circumstances.

Kiribati is still working hard to improve the problems that climate change has brought upon them, but they still have to accept that there are some things that are inevitable. The Kiribati government purchased approximately 6,000 acres of Fiji as a potential refuge to promote “migration with dignity,” calling on the Kiribati people to move abroad with employable skills. Fiji is higher above sea level and a more stable shoreline, making it less vulnerable to the destruction of climate change. There are also some locals who refuse to leave, believing that Kiribati is home for good.