World Oceans Day Spotlight: Strengthening Kiribati's resilience to support its vulnerable communities

World Ocean Day serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness between healthy oceans and a stable climate. We can see the close relationship between climate and oceans in Kiribati, one of the most vulnerable atoll nations facing the brunt of climate change.

Eita village divided by the sea

From in-depth discussions with local communities in Kiribati, the stark reality of their extreme vulnerability to climate change comes to light. High seas, intensified wind and rain storms, storm surges and tidal flooding in villages and gardens during spring tides cause immense challenges.  The people of Kiribati are losing precious land and trees. Their ocean and lagoons are suffering from rising sea temperatures and acidification – fish are moving further offshore, shellfish beds are less productive or in a state of decay, and coral reefs which provide precious fish and seaweed habitats, are being damaged.

Compounded by population pressures, Kiribati is grappling with a dual crisis of waste management and water scarcity. The population on the chain of islands means a build-up of garbage on the land which finds its way to the sea. With little space to build additional traditional landfills, as well as a reliance on plastic bottled water due to a shortage of potable water, pollution of land and sea is choking the natural marine life and poisoning pristine water. 

Raised garden beds

The intrusion of saltwater into aquifers from tidal flooding has rendered once-fertile soils infertile and well-water contaminated. During a recent visit, some villagers expressed to ICLEI Oceania how they  “can’t have gardens anymore!” This is leading to a shortage of fresh food and reliance on imported packaged food which exacerbates the plastic pollution problem and negatively impacts community health.

With German IKI funding, ICLEI and partner Common Local Government Forum (CLGF) are supporting the communities and their councils to adopt new ways of producing fruit and vegetables, using raised garden beds, composting organic waste and seaweed, trialling the use of Biochar to boost productivity and combat salinity, as well as aquaponics to create a closed loop system for fish and vegetable growing, and new ways to farm pigs and chickens. In addition, the Blue Green Development for Kiribati project is exploring innovative ways to sort and recycle waste, while setting up small markets to exchange surplus produce. These initiatives are all being designed to create local enterprises and job opportunities. 

Mapping climate risks on our island

While in its early days, this project is already building resilience to climate change, reducing pollution of the lagoon and ocean, and creating decent jobs which will support some of the most vulnerable communities affected by climate change. This work forms part of ICLEI’s global Frontline Cities and Islands initiative.