Kiribati, Climate Change and the Pacific

While the existence of global climate change has largely been accepted as another fact of life by most, the question of what exactly to do about it remains unsolved. While the scientific community continues to gather research and world leaders philander and debate over who owes what to the world, many people have already begun to struggle with real-world effects of climate change. Many of those suffering live in the undeveloped and often forgotten corners of the world.

One such example can be found with the Pacific Island countries and territories, where citizens and leaders have begun to ponder very drastic solutions to equally alarming dilemmas. High tides and low GDP are an accepted way of life for many living on Pacific Islands, but with steadily rising sea levels and shifting ocean and weather patterns compounding monetary struggles, some nations can no longer wait for foreign aid.

The Pacific island of Kiribati caught worldwide attention recently by announcing its' consideration of a solution that many other island nations have already begun to debate: relocation. The cabinet of Kiribati President Anote Tong has officially endorsed an emergency plan to purchase over 6,000 acres of the Fiji island of Viti Levu and relocate Kiribati's population of 103,000. The price of the undertaking would amount to well over $10 million. Much of the archipelago of Kiribati rises mere feet above sea level, and intrusion of seawater into the nation's underground freshwater supplies has already done major damage to trees and crops on Kiribati, which are vital for the island's economic and environmental security.