Kam na mauri & welcome
On behalf of the Government and people of Kiribati I am pleased to launch this web site which is designed to bring you information and updates on our situation in Kiribati, and at the Copenhagen Summit.
You will be aware that our small country is facing critically difficult times with regard to climate change issues & its impact on our future. We hope the content and links from this site will assist you in understanding more clearly our situation.
I am also pleased to refer you to the short video clip "Kiribati - A Call to the World" here on this page which very much represents the concerns and feelings of our people.
We thank you sincerely for your interest, and refer you to this site, or our delegation in Copenhagen if any further information is required.
In closing may I offer our traditional Kiribati blessing - Te Mauri, Te Raoi ao Te Tabomoa - may good health, peace and prosperity be with you all.
Anote Tong
President of the Republic of Kiribati
Press release - Copenhagen, December 14, 2009
Kiribati President Anote Tong says history has seen nations lose their sovereignty and human rights through warfare and actions of aggressive neighbours; the effects of climate change will be just the same as if Kiribati had been attacked by a very hostile and deadly enemy. "The issue of climate change is the greatest moral challenge of the 21st century," says the President of Kiribati, Anote Tong, who arrives in Copenhagen on the evening of 15 December after a meeting in Berlin with Chancellor Merkel and the other leaders of nations of Oceania. Read the full text here...
President Anote Tong, to the left of German Chancellor Merkel, with the other leaders of the nations of Oceania, Berlin, Dec.15
Kiribati runs very successful side event at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen - COP15
The delegation from Kiribati held a very successful side event at the COP15 conference on Wednesday, the 9th of December that was widely covered in media throughout the world.
"A heartbreaking presentation by the Kiribati delegation this afternoon: the science of sea-level rise interspersed with song and dance." - Social entrepreneur, founder and Chairman of Solarcentury, the UK's largest solar solutions company, and regular Guardian columnist, Jeremy Leggett.
View all of the presentations on our website here, or watch the UNFCCC coverage here.
STOP PRESS - Climate change induced storms and high tides lash Kiribati this week
3 December 2009
This week, as the negotiating teams from around the world arrive in Copenhagen for the COP15 conference, Kiribati has experienced exceptionally high tides and sudden unseasonal storms, causing the death of a man who was collecting shellfish, as well as considerable damage to property and infrastructure on Tarawa.
Some seawalls have been washed away, temporary structures have had to be moved inland, and some buildings have had to be abandoned.
Kiribati - The human face of climate change"The issue of climate change is the greatest moral challenge of the 21st century," says the President of Kiribati, Anote Tong. "The world can no longer afford the consequences of inaction. Low-lying states like Kiribati are already the human face of climate change. "We are among the most vulnerable of the vulnerable. Even a marginal increase in sea levels will be disastrous for our country's future. "Ever worsening scientific forecasts bring us little comfort - we directly experience higher tides and more frequent storms which bring salt water intrusion and coastal flooding. We have long periods of drought, an endangered supply of fresh water, and bleaching of the coral reefs that cradle our islands. “Increased flooding has already forced some of our villagers to move inland – but this is a short trip, because our islands are so narrow - there is no place to go. If we keep moving back we fall into the sea!” Read the full story here... |
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Follow the Kiribati delegation at COP15 on Twitter
The delegation from Kiribati attending COP15 will make announcements and progress reports via Twitter. Click here to follow them.
The members of the Kiribati delegation to COP15 at the Bella Center in Copenhagen
Climate change strategies being pursued by Kiribati
With very little fossil fuel use and high susceptibility to climate climate effects, Kiribati is much more focused on adapting to rather than mitigating climate change. Beyond standard adaptation methods, the country has become one of the first to consider and take steps toward relocating the entire population to another country. Find out more here..
