Kiribati and climate change | DW Documentary

Summary

Kiribati is a low-lying Pacific nation of 33 islands, home to about 120,000 people. The documentary describes how rising seas are shrinking land and threatening homes, roads, crops, and freshwater. Some areas are about three metres above sea level, but much of the land is only around one metre high.

Residents say high tides—sometimes called “king tides”—now reach farther inland, eroding shorelines and undermining trees and coastal walls. Scientists are said to have recorded a rapid rise in sea levels since the 1990s.

Saltwater is also intruding into soil and groundwater. This is damaging crops and making some wells undrinkable. Rainwater collection is important, but changing and unreliable rainfall makes water supplies uncertain. Residents fear that continued land loss and water scarcity could eventually force people to leave, threatening their culture, language, and community.

Responses and proposed measures

• Residents build and repair coastal walls, though stronger tides and waves are making them less dependable.
• A local climate group is restoring a flooded plot by draining it and building a protective wall.
• To grow food in salty conditions, residents use raised beds and make planting soil by layering woody material and leaves beneath better soil.
• Households collect rainwater, maintain wells, and share well water with neighbors.
• Large-scale proposals include raising the main island—an undertaking that would require demolishing and rebuilding many structures—or filling land to create a replacement island. The government’s plans remain unclear, and both ideas would require substantial funding and technology.
• Residents seek international assistance. The documentary notes a conservative projection of sea levels rising 1.1 metres compared with today; the consequences for Kiribati remain uncertain.

Researchers and sources featured

No individual researchers are named in the subtitles; sea-level projections and observations are attributed to scientists generally.

The documentary features residents and local advocates, with names rendered as follows in the auto-generated subtitles:

• Max Te
• Kirana, Max’s grandfather
• Peli Alofa, climate activist
• Maris Peter, Peli’s colleague
• Ralph Spring, Peli’s nephew and gardener
• Claire and Tangaroa
• Tabo Araoa
• Cindy Bonato, Tangaroa’s niece and choir singer