Climate Change Impact and Structural Reforms in Kiribati
KIRIBATI
4.
Sea level rise (SLR) has already impacted Kiribati islands through territory loss and
forced relocation. Residents of the village of Tebunginako, in the island of Abaiang, Northern
Gilbert Islands, have already been forcibly relocated, after SLR, erosion, and salinization rendered it
uninhabitable. More generally, many of the low-lying islands of Kiribati are predicted to be
submerged due to the naturally low elevation of the coastal areas on almost all islands as melting ice
sheets lead to higher average sea levels over the coming decades.
5.
Climate hazards have the potential to disrupt crucial natural resources in Kiribati.
Freshwater lenses, soils, and fisheries are the most critical natural resources for the economy of
Kiribati. Thickness of freshwater lenses and soil enrichment depend heavily on natural rainfall on the
atolls and will thus follow future rainfall patterns. Moreover, saltwater intrusion could pose additional
challenges, as lenses are depleted during prolonged periods of scarce rainfall, which are increasingly
frequent, and permanent damage is inflicted on groundwaters by saline contamination. SLR and
ocean acidification also have the potential to inflict heavy damage to ecosystems. More frequent
coastal inundation may lead not only to direct infrastructure damage, given that the high point on
most of Kiribati's atolls is at or below 4 meters, but also to decline and eventual loss of cultivatable
lands and permanent destruction of ecosystems as wildlife will be unable to survive. In addition,
ocean acidification may disrupt coral reef replenishment and in turn lead to extinction of marine
species that constitute the bulk of fishing activity. Moreover, climate change is projected to lead to
migration of tuna stocks outside of current exclusive economic zones of some Pacific Islands.²
6.
Damages may also affect economic and social outcomes, both directly and indirectly.
The agricultural sector of Kiribati could be disrupted primarily by water scarcity and more frequent
extreme weather events and heatwaves. Moreover, crop diversity is limited given the low fertility of
the soil, making adaptation more challenging. Social outcomes, including poverty, inequality, gender
disparity, social peace, and health, could further be deteriorated by an intensification of adverse
climate events. Indeed, research has shown that poorer strata of the population, as well as women
and children, stand to bear the brunt of climate change (WB, 2016). Health outcomes, already
negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, could see further deterioration by the more
frequent occurrence of droughts or depletion of freshwater resources by saltwater intrusion.
7.
International cooperation is critical to help Kiribati address its challenges from climate
change. As pointed out in the speech of Kiribati's President at the 2022 United Nations Climate
Change Conference (COP27), the cost of maintaining the livelihoods in Kiribati in the face of climate
change already exceeds its means. Therefore, international cooperation not only on full
implementation of the Paris Agreement, but also on financial support-either through
bilateral/multilateral funding mechanisms or through climate funds—is crucial to help Kiribati cope
with existential climate threats.
8.
Meanwhile, the nation should continue to undertake effort to mitigate climate impact,
which is the main consideration of this paper. To safeguard the future of their nation, Kiribati
2 While there may be an increased presence of tuna in Kiribati according to some projections (Pacific Community,
2018, and Brouwer et al., 2019), there is still uncertainty regarding tuna stock displacement due to climate change.
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