Michael Mackenzie - Canberra Climate Change Conference ... November 2005
The Kiribati Islands
Kiribati is a chain of flat islands located in the central
Pacific, about 4,000 km southwest of Hawaii. This tiny chain lies
right on the equator, and that is why Kiribati is sometimes
called Paradise of the sun. This Paradise is formed by 33 coral
islands approximately three meters above the sea
level.
The people
of Kiribati are called "I-Kiribati" - this is our name
for ourselves.
Kiribati is divided into three groups known as the Kiribati islands, the Phoenix Islands, and the Line Islands. Kiritimati Island (pronounce Christmas) is one of the Line Islands. It occupies 609 sq km and has the largest land area of any atoll in the World. Tarawa is the capital of Kiribati.
Since the 1970s the average temperature in Kiribati has been
increasing steadily. In the 1970s, it was recorded as 27.9 deg,
C.
In the 1980s, it was 28.3 deg, C.
In the 1990s, it was 28.4 deg, C.
And most recently in the last decade, the average temperature is
28.5 deg, C.
Similar temperatures were experienced in the 1950s when Kiribati went through a period of severe drought. So we are worried by such high temperatures happening now. We have an expression at home; 'The sun has come down closer to my island' - that is how we feel.
The present
population of my country is about 100 thousand people. And
according to the last census in 2000, the total population of
Kiribati was 84,494. Out of that number, almost 37 thousand live
on South Tarawa and just over 12 thousand live on Betio, which
means that more than half of the total population live on these
two islands.
Christianity predominates in Kiribati; about half of the
population is Catholic.
Kiribati Life - Style
Life in Kiribati is very simple and an I - Kiribati is a
simple person. People live in harmony in extended families. Every
household is made up of grandparents, great grandparents,
parents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunties, nephews, nieces and
children. The most important people within the family are the old
people and the children. These people are the priorities of each
household, for example, they would eat first.
Within this setting the leader is the eldest and normally a man,
who also makes the final decision.
Responsibilities are shared out among family members and are
distributed out by the elders. Each member is expected to do his
or her own part. This makes the family run smoothly and everyone
is happy. 
Singing and dancing are part of an I - Kiribati. This is one aspect of our culture that is important and is greatly used for entertainment and welcoming of guests. Singing is everywhere, in the houses, on the beach, in the trees. This singing creates a friendly and lovely atmosphere.
Resources.
Kiribati has a total land area of 811 sq km. Land is very precious to us. We lose our dignity and as well as our identity without land. It is from the land that we get timbers for construction, food, medicine and money. Land for us is a sign of unity, community and peace.
Our other source is the sea. We live on fish. We get fish from the lagoon and from the Ocean.
People on some islands, that have no lagoon but are surrounded by the ocean, usually find it difficult to fish when it is rough. In the history of Kiribati, coral islands (such as: Makin, Kuria, Aranuka, Nikunau, Tamana, Arorae and Banaba) have experienced starvation and sickness in the past years. This is because of lack of fish and vitamins. Many coral islands are not fertile.
We also earn money from the sea by selling seaweed, seashells, fish and others. Our Government usually gets millions of US dollars by fishing boat licenses from foreign Countries.
Introduction to Climate Changes In Kiribati
A king once called three advisors together to discern a major problem. "Our island is about to be hit by a massive sea level rise. What shall I tell my people?". He commanded that they reflect long and hard on this problem. Finally one says "Great King, you should lead your people to the highest point on our island and then have a marathon prayer vigil." The second says "Lord and Master, I would advise your people to eat drink and make merry for it will be our last chance to do so.". The third advisor says "Your majesty, if I were you, I would immediately tell your people to learn how to live underwater."
Climate change has affected our daily lives. The impacts of human - induced climate change are already visible. We believe in God's creation, and on the other hand, we believe in human's destruction. We believe in the rising of the sun (which is a sign of hope), and we also believe in the rising of the sea level (which is a sign of death).
When we talk about Global Warming and Climate change, at the same time, we are talking about life. It is not only a matter of Environmental Awareness, but also a matter of Life Awareness.
Life is a special gift from God. The entire human race is bound by the divine law to preserve life and to respect it: "You shall not kill" (Deut. 5:17).
We, on our small Islands, see the cause of Global Warming and Climate Change as an indirect way of killing our people.
Main consequences of climate change:
1. Tide and Costal erosion
Our traditional way of understanding the rising of the sea
level is by measuring the damage caused by the sea. We have seen
that the rising of the tide has destroyed the first row of
coastal vegetation. Or it has destroyed the first row of coconut
trees. This is more serious because the tide has reached the
black soil, which means it has touched the life and right of Land
Owners. In other words, it has reduced the size of their land and
taken their food plants, particularly coconut trees and
pandanus.
The extent of erosion is normally measured and understood in
terms of rows of trees from the foreshore.
There are many people living in the coastal areas. These are the
ones that are affected the most. They are vulnerable to the
increasingly high tides and storm surges. For example: the
highest tide this year (2005)occurred on the 9th of February. The
high tide recorded as 2.87 meters. There were many residential
areas flooded. Many people had to shift to safe areas.
2. Falling numbers of fish stock
Shores are eroding and the coral reefs are becoming bleached. Some sorts of fish and crabs living on corals are rarely seen. By the end of last year (2004)the Southern islands in the Kiribati group encountered a threatening experience. Different types of fish were found lying dead on the beach. Fishermen in the open sea experienced the same. Regarding to this sad story, some people said that this could be a sign of a Parousia (the end of the world). Others said that there might a poison in the sea. One old man said that this has happened because the sea is getting warm and the fish could not breath and survive in warm waters.
3. The Problem of Water
The water
supplies and the soil fertility are being threatened by the
intrusion of salt water. This is very important because most
people in Kiribati especially in remote islands rely on water
from the well. Water has become a major problem across the
Country. Twenty years back, people could draw fresh water from
their well. This is impossible nowadays because water becomes
brackish. In some areas in the Kiribati islands, people walk
about a kilometer or two to fetch water.In the year 1999, the President of Kiribati declared Kiribati a State of drought.
4. Agriculture
The food plants are struggling to survive. We believe that the life of people, animals and plants are affected very much by the warming. For instance: twenty years ago, we used to feed our pigs with special grasses called "te wao and temtea" which grew wild in the bush. Nowadays, you hardly find any of these grasses. Some trees that I-Kiribati use for their medicine do not exist any more. People using local medicines like roots and leaves said that these parts of the plants had lost their quality.
5. Weather
The pattern of rainfall has changed in the last few years. In some areas or islands where heavy rain was common, people experience less rain. The normal weather pattern is heavy rain from September till March. We had observed years of this cycle of heavy rain, which goes back some 20 years and it was only in 2002 that this has broken.
People's Reaction and Expression toward a Changing Climate.
The increasing temperature in Kiribati is experienced
throughout the region People claim that:
It takes lesser time for coconut meat (for copra production) to
be dry ready to be taken out from its shell; it normally takes
two to three days, now this stage is reached even at the end of
the first day.
People feel the increased warmth on the land and at sea, and the
discomfort from it, more than ever before. Warmth is felt from
the moment the sun rises in the morning; the coolness of the
early hours of the morning is no longer being felt.
People feel the heat when they walk on the ground and most are
wearing slippers to protect their feet from the heat.
Short
lifespan for pandanus leaf thatch is another problem: before it
lasted 5 to 6 years, but nowadays, it lasts 3 to 4 years and it
gets very brittle and easy to tear away.
Signs Of Changes
Yellowing of the leaves of coconut trees, which affected the
size, quality and quantity of coconuts.
Decline in the quality of food crops, for instance: banana,
breadfruits and coconuts.
Well water is getting brackish, and people are resorting to
fetching water from wells in the bush.
Spreading of diseases like flu, conjunctivitis and
diarrhoea.
Sun burn from a short time in the sun.
Shorter period of time devoted to working in the sun.
When asking old people the question of what happens or why it
happens? The answer is: "The sun has come down closer to my
island."
Challenges we must face regarding the problems caused by the Climate Change.
- Foster the regeneration of coastal vegetations, especially, mangrove trees.
- Avoid importing products containing CFCs.
- The Government to advise people before building seawalls, especially in outer islands.
- The Government to stop building big seawalls and causeways.
- This topic: "The Cause and Effect of Global Warming or Climate Change" to be discussed seriously in schools and Churches across Kiribati.
- The Kiribati Government has to raise this concern and advocate to large countries through meetings and conferences.