Climate change and Kiribati

Climate change and Kiribati

Ricardo Pires, a UNICEF staff member, writes from the UNICEF Children’s Climate Forum in Copenhagen

4 December 2009

If most people were asked to point where Kiribati is on the world map, they would be in trouble. Is it a country? Is it a city? Is it a district? These questions would probably come as fast as the waves that land on the shores of this beautiful island nation, formed by 32 atolls and one raised coral island called Banaba. Curiously enough, Kiribati ’s territory spreads over each hemisphere on the planet.

A member of the United Nations, Kiribati is one of the world's poorest countries, with very few natural resources. Copra and fish represent the bulk of the country’s production and tourism provides more than one-fifth of its Gross Domestic Product.

Despite the geographical isolation, Kiribati and its 98,000 inhabitants share a big concern with the rest of the world: the menace represented by climate change. Surrounded by water, the country will probably cease to exist in a few decades if actions are not taken to prevent sea-rise.

“I come from the capital city, called Tarawa , and I find it very beautiful. But since I’ve been there all my life I can already notice a few differences caused by climate change, like erosions slowly taking over our landscape and our water tasting a bit too salty,” says 17-year-old Iaoniman Oriam, from the Kiribati delegation and one of the 44 climate ambassadors present at the Children’s Climate Forum, in Copenhagen.

Differently from other climate ambassadors participating in the Forum, who had already been involved with climate change issues in their countries before coming to Copenhagen , Iaoniman remembers how his selection to join the Kiribati delegation happened quite randomly, after he saw an advert on television.

“I was zapping and came through an advert about this selection process to come to Copenhagen . I went immediately on the Internet and decided to enrol. Maybe I’d be lucky to get it,” he tells. After going through a few interviews, Iaoniman received a notification with the exciting news.

“My friends are so happy that I’m here. They don’t know much about climate change, as I didn’t know before I decided to join the selection process, but they want to learn from me. Some people in Kiribati think climate change is a punishment from God and decide to accept its consequences. I hope I can now help them change their minds,” he says.

Iaoniman admits that, despite some preference to use religion rather than science to explain the issue of climate change in Kiribati , fear and apprehension are constantly in the minds and faces of people, especially after natural disasters hit neighbouring countries.

“We had some alerts in Kiribati after the tsunami hit Samoa and Toga in October. Some people got really desperate and climbed to the top of coconut trees to escape from any giant wave coming. Some stayed up on the trees for six hours,” he says with an embarrassed smile to his face. “I don’t want to have to climb any coconut tree to save my own life, so I’m here trying to make a difference for my country by telling others that we need help and we need it now!” he says enthusiastically.

Being part of the Children’s Climate Forum is the perfect opportunity for Iaoniman to share his experiences as well as those of his country mates. His main goal is to be the voice of people in Kiribati .

“Children tend to be heard when we speak together, even more if we come from so many different countries. Developed countries need to understand that we need help because if most here are talking about climate change, we in Kiribati are living it,” he concludes.

ENDS

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