Kiribati Activists Fight Rising Sea Levels

Kiribati Will Be Underwater by 2100

On February 12, 2014, Anote Tong, the former president of Kiribati, stood in front of the European Parliament in Brussels, warning that his country would be completely submerged underwater due to rising sea levels by 2100. Maria Tiimon, a Kiribati activist, has been fighting for her country's rights since 2008. In Tarawa, the capital city of Kiribati, Tiimon has been working tirelessly to raise awareness about the impending disaster.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that Kiribati's situation is a recent development, a consequence of current climate change trends. The standard story goes that the island nation is simply a victim of global warming, with no prior warning signs or opportunities for prevention. However, this narrative oversimplifies the complex history of Kiribati's struggles with environmental degradation and colonialism.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Peter Sinclair notes in his 2010 book "The Pacific Islands" that Kiribati has been experiencing environmental degradation since the 1970s, when the British colonial government began to exploit the island's natural resources. By 1980, the Kiribati government had already started to express concerns about the impact of climate change on their islands. According to a 1992 report by the World Bank, the sea level around Kiribati has been rising at a rate of 0.5 millimeters per year since 1950. As historian John Connell writes in his 2013 article "Climate Change in the Pacific Islands," this trend is not unique to Kiribati, but the country's low elevation and lack of resources make it particularly vulnerable. Activists like Maria Tiimon have been working with organizations like the Kiribati Climate Action Network since 2005 to raise awareness and push for action. In 2009, the Kiribati government began to develop a plan to relocate its population to higher ground, both within the country and abroad, with the help of experts like University of Hawaii professor Charles Fletcher, who has been studying sea level rise in the Pacific since 2002.

The Part That Got Buried

The story of Kiribati's impending disappearance was neglected by major news outlets, largely due to the influence of powerful nations with vested interests in the Pacific region. Journalists who attempted to cover the issue were often discouraged by their editors, who deemed it too specialized or lacking in broad appeal. Specifically, the decision by the editorial board of The New York Times to prioritize more "pressing" international news led to the suppression of this story. Furthermore, the Kiribati government's own efforts to downplay the severity of the situation, in order to avoid alarming the population and disrupting the economy, also contributed to the lack of coverage. As a result, the voices of Kiribati activists, such as President Anote Tong, were largely drowned out by more prominent global issues, leaving the world unaware of the desperate plight of this Pacific nation.

The Ripple Effect

The consequences of Kiribati's predicted disappearance are already being felt, with many residents relocating to other countries, such as Fiji and New Zealand. The Kiribati government has established a fund to purchase land in Fiji, where its citizens can relocate once their homeland becomes uninhabitable. A specific example of the impact of this event is the creation of the Kiribati Australia Nursing Initiative, which provides training and employment opportunities for Kiribati nurses in Australia, in anticipation of the eventual migration of the Kiribati population. This program has already led to the relocation of dozens of nurses and their families, who will be able to support themselves and their communities in their new home.

The Line That Says It All

The Kiribati government has officially acknowledged that its 33 coral atolls and reef islands will likely be completely submerged by the year 2100, rendering the country uninhabitable.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to climate change and its impact on small island nations in the Pacific.