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Foreign Aid to Battle Poverty in Kiribati

Poverty in Kiribati
In the central Pacific Ocean there lies several small islands, an independent country, called Kiribati. In all of Oceania, it is the poorest country, however, that does not suggest that it is the weakest one. Poverty in Kiribati is prevalent because copra farmers suffer from low incomes and weak infrastructure due to the country’s remote location away from international waters. As a result, it lacks the necessary resources to thrive. Kiribati’s economy is dependent on the export of phosphate rock as well as seaweed and copra farming, and its location on the Equator makes it the ideal place for spacecraft and satellite facilities. With these intriguing assets, there are possibilities to improve both employment and infrastructure. In spite of creating new infrastructure and more employment, the island nation continues to rely on foreign aid for development funds.

Rising Sea Levels

With much of the population of Kiribati being low-income farmers, and the government providing their travel resources, the nation has been seeking help to fight against sea-level rise. About 28.6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Kiribati is due to agriculture. As a result, aid is necessary to protect its land so that agriculture can thrive.

The islands of the archipelago are only six feet above sea level with a width of only a few hundred meters, making them vulnerable to rising sea levels. Poverty in Kiribati will exponentially increase if the sea drowns out the farmlands, neutralizing the country’s main source of income. Natural disasters will strike and with the destruction of structures, the country may have to use up the little resources it has to rebuild.

Solutions

Taneti Maamau, the president of Kiribati, intends to raise the islands out of the water to increase the safety of his people. The country will seek foreign aid from China as well as other allies and will elevate the islands through the process of dredging. This is known as cleaning the bed of an area of water by scooping out mud and trash with devices.

Kiribati is developing long-term coastal security with help from New Zealand and is also planning to create elevated bridge roads with funding from China. With these roads, Kiribati will no longer need to use causeways that create beach erosion with the landfill between the islands. This is not universally agreed on because Kiribati has become the center stage for the U.S.’s and China’s competition for control of the Pacific. The U.S. has expressed implications that China will use this opportunity to build military facilities on its large islands. The Kiribati president has assured everyone that there are no plans for this, but Kiribati is vulnerable due to its reliance on foreign aid for 40% of its budget.

Aid from Fiji

The growing sea levels may consume Kiribati, and a neighboring island nation has offered to help. The president of Fiji has stated that the people of Kiribati are welcome to stay in Fiji if their home becomes uninhabitable. There is only so much that people can do in the case of environmental challenges and with Kiribati’s limited resources, seeking aid from a nearby country is a viable option. Kiribati purchased 6,000 acres of land from one of Fiji’s largest islands so that it would be set for food as the ocean covers its cultivable lands. The Kiribati people will not be the only ones seeking asylum as the Banaban people from one of the islands of Kiribati had no other choice but to relocate to Fiji after it was no longer safe to continue phosphate mining.

Foreign aid is partly dealing with poverty in Kiribati. Neither cobra farming nor the mining of phosphate rock provides a high income so Kiribati has received aid from China to help solve its rising sea-level debacle. Meanwhile, Fiji has offered to give the people of Kiribati a new home in the event that their lands become inarable and mining is no longer possible due to flooding. With foreign aid from China to lift Kiribati out of the water and an offer for a new home, Kiribati is in good hands.

– Shalman Ahmed
Photo: Flickr

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Healthcare in Kiribati is Steadily Improving

Healthcare in Kiribati
Kiribati is a small island nation in Oceania consisting of 32 atolls, or coral islands. A developing country and former British colony, Kiribati is now home to around 115,000 people. Unfortunately, healthcare in Kiribati is limited and citizens, known as I-Kiribati, suffer from unsafe drinking water and high child mortality rates. But there is a silver lining: healthcare has significantly improved over the past several decades and continues to improve today.

Lingering Healthcare Issues

Lack of access to clean water is one of the largest health issues in Kiribati. Water is largely unsanitary to the point that in 2014, only 67% of I-Kiribati used an improved water source. As a result of this lack of access to clean water, diarrhea and related health issues are common. Only 40% of I-Kiribati had access to adequate sanitation in 2014, exacerbating the clean water issue.

Another major issue is Kiribati’s under-5 child mortality rate, which is 50.9 per 1,000 live births. For comparison, the United States has an under-5 child mortality rate of 6.5 per 1,000 live births. Kiribati’s under-5 child mortality rate is higher than the global average of 39. Fortunately, child mortality rates in Kiribati have been declining for at least 20 years. The under-5 child mortality rate was 95.5 per 1,000 live births in 1990 and has decreased almost every year since then.

A notable portion of adults in Kiribati smoke, a practice known to cause respiratory complications later on in life. The smoking rate of I-Kiribati over the age of 15 was 47% in 2016, down from over 70% in 2000.

The government funds and operates all health services, which are free for citizens. There are only four hospitals in the country, with 30 health centers and 75 clinics scattered among the islands. Although these health centers and clinics offer care for relatively minor injuries and diseases, I-Kiribati have struggled to find proper care for more serious health concerns. Low-quality healthcare has been an issue as well.

The Kiribati-WHO Country Cooperation Strategy 2018-2022

Fortunately, the government is working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to improve access to quality healthcare in Kiribati. Through the Kiribati-WHO Country Cooperation Strategy 2018-2022 (and the preceding 2013-2017 one), the WHO and other partnered organizations send funds to support government-led efforts to improve health systems. According to a database compiled by the International Aid Transparency Initiative, the WHO has directly contributed a total of $2.6 million for 45 projects in Kiribati.

The government’s priorities for this initiative include combating communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and leprosy, which are more common in Kiribati than in any other Pacific country. Additional goals include combating non-communicable diseases and improving the quality, efficiency and accessibility of healthcare. Because the initiative is funding government-led efforts, it will improve health services for the entire Kiribati population.

FSP Kiribati

Local non-governmental organizations are helping to improve living conditions as well. The Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific International has a local branch, FSP Kiribati, which has worked in Kiribati for over 20 years. FSP Kiribati partners with other local NGOs and international groups to provide education in areas as wide-ranging as health, civic engagement and sanitation. They teach locals how to cook their produce and help them access clean water, improving their health.

Healthcare in Kiribati has greatly improved due to these efforts. As shown in the data above, the number of people affected by Kiribati’s most significant health issues (child mortality rate, tobacco usage, etc.) has steadily decreased over the past decades. Life expectancy has risen from 60 to 66 years between 1990 and 2015. Kiribati’s health concerns are not inconsequential, but the government has partnered with international groups to improve the situation. The government’s current prioritization of healthcare quality is an important next step.

– Sarah Brinsley
Photo: Flickr

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5 Facts About Healthcare in Kiribati

healthcare in kiribati
The Republic of Kiribati, better known as just Kiribati, is an Oceanic country formed by 33 unique islands, of which 20 are inhabited. The majority of Kiribati’s population is located on the Eastern Gilbert islands, while many islands located in the center function without a permanent population. Healthcare in Kiribati has been a committed work-in-progress, especially after the notification in the late 20th century that its population was at one of the lowest standards of living in Oceania. The disjointedness of the islands and a lack of cohesive national health policy has significantly impacted Kiribati’s ability to effectively provide national healthcare services to all that need it.

In fact, as recently as 2012, there was not an official agency for national health policy, regulation of health standards, assessment of health technology, or management of health technology. However, despite this glaring lack of infrastructure, Kiribati has instituted projects at the national level to improve its primary level of healthcare. The government, along with partnerships from international health organizations, is working to invest in Kiribati’s health infrastructure.

The following five facts about healthcare in Kiribati are integral to understanding the country’s changing health structures and transition out of poverty.

5 Facts About Healthcare in Kiribati

  1. Around 22% of the Kiribati population is living under the “basic needs” threshold, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. However, the traditional definition of poverty is not used in Kiribati, as much of the population believes that as long as one can maintain subsistence living, they are not poor. Instead, poverty is related to meet their basic expenses on a daily or weekly basis. This culture has made it so that many residents in Kiribati live in housing without access to clean water, sanitation or other basic hygiene utilities.
  2. Kiribati is at an elevated risk for infant mortality, consistently ranking as the highest country in Oceania by the estimated absolute number of incident cases, with approximately five times the number of cases as Australia. In 2012, the rate of infant mortality stood at 60 deaths per 1,000 individuals. While this statistic was significantly reduced from years past, there is no reason for such a high percentage of the population to suffer from infant mortality. The most common causes of infant mortality in Kiribati are perinatal diseases, diarrhoeal diseases and pneumonia. As a result of inadequate water supply and poor sanitation, water and food-borne illnesses can also contribute to the incidence of infant mortality.
  3. Kiribati also suffers from its lack of developed healthcare infrastructure. Hospital facilities, doctors to assist the population, and trained nurses are all hard to come by in Kiribati. Though they meet standards for routine care, the scarce availability of such facilities makes them hard to access for the general population. With only three district-level hospitals and one referral level hospital, patients often must be sent overseas if serious conditions arise. This remote level of treatment can often make timely access to medicines an issue as well.
  4. In Kiribati, there is a low number of doctors and nurses relative to the population overall. This low number contributes to the relatively high infant and maternal mortality rates of Kiribati. Recently, the government has worked with smaller groups around Kiribati to train more healthcare professionals. By holding orientation courses for all health staff and developing long-term courses for primary care staff, communities on many of Kiribati’s islands could tackle the lack of healthcare personnel issues. As a result of these programs and increased training, the number of individuals that are able to assist with healthcare is rising, and the rates of morbidity from common diseases have been reduced.
  5. Water supply is an issue in Kiribati that most don’t directly associate with healthcare and disease, but can have a significant impact on the health of the population. Outdoor defecation is said to be prevalent in Kiribati, which can lead to contamination of the water supply. Groundwater contamination is often related to a higher incidence of diarrheal diseases. However, outdoor defecation is not entirely the result of a lack of other options, but education is necessary to help the population of Kiribati understand the risks associated with it.

In the fight against poverty and for a healthcare system that can serve its entire population, Kiribati has much work to do. Progress has been made in developing training for healthcare professionals and educational programs for communities, but many services such as sanitation and clean water supply still aren’t up to standards. Still, with a government committed to increasing the healthcare provisions for its people, Kiribati is sure to develop into a country that can provide for its growing population.

– Pratik Samir Koppikar
Photo: Pixabay

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The Causes of Poverty in Kiribati

The Sources of Poverty in Kiribati
Kiribati is an archipelago comprising 32 coral atolls and one raised coral island located along the equator in the Pacific Ocean. The total landmass of the islands is slightly greater than New York City, but the islands stretch out across an area almost as large as the country of India with a population of approximately 112,000. The main island of South Tarawa accounts for roughly half the nation’s population, with a population density similar to that of Hong Kong and Tokyo. English is the country’s official language, but the popular dialect of I-Kiribati (a.k.a. Gilbertese) is commonly spoken. As of 1999, Kiribati is a member of the U.N. Today, poverty in Kiribati is prevalent, although unlike many other nations, the causes of poverty in Kiribati are slightly harder to define.

Subsistence Living

Many I-Kiribati lack access to fundamental services like water, sanitation, quality housing and other basic needs. The World Bank classifies Kiribati as “extremely deprived” although exact poverty estimates are hard to calculate because a significant portion (likely the majority) of the islanders practice a subsistence lifestyle, foregoing a role in the formal economy. This is especially true in the outer islands where people rely on fishing and agriculture to ensure their survival. The situation is precarious; however, as there is a widespread lack of arable land, droughts are common. Also, commercial overfishing has greatly reduced the bounty of fish Kiribati has been blessed with. Still, the people of the Kiribati islands find a way to overcome the mounting challenges confronting their lifestyle.

Underdeveloped Formal Economy

When it comes to the formal wage economy (which employs less than one-fifth of all potential workers), the densely packed island of South Tarawa is the home for over half of all jobs. A staggering amount of Kiribati’s income comes from fishing licenses sold to foreign vessels who want to fish tuna in Kiribati’s waters, but this income is highly unstable. A limited number of flights and poor national infrastructure inhibit its small tourism industry. The private sector economy lags far behind its public counterpart. Lack of a diversified economy is one of the causes of poverty in Kiribati.

Reliance on Imports

Most of the food and fuel consumed in Kiribati are imported from overseas. In 2004, a container vessel missed its scheduled food delivery date which caused a major food shortage on the islands. In past decades the population, especially younger people, is increasingly relying on cheaper imports of unhealthy and heavily processed foods. This has led to a rise in diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Kiribati has no domestic source of oil and thus relies on the international market. Direct foreign investment in Kiribati is very low, and in total, Kiribati’s imports are more than double the value of its exports. The causes of poverty in Kiribati can in large part be traced back to low food security and reliance on imports.

Education

The government of Kiribati provides free and compulsory primary education for students ages six to 13. Families living in rural areas incur travel expenses and all schoolchildren are subject to fees related to school uniforms and supplies. While this free education is certainly a positive, there is room for improvement in teacher training, curriculum and school facilities. Kiribati offers an additional five years of secondary education to students who place highly on national entrance exams. These schools are not free. Those who do not win access to these competitive schools receive the chance to continue with free secondary education for three more years. Nearly all secondary education schools are located on South Tarawa which requires prospective outer island students to move from their families and absorb a sizable financial hit. Around 80 percent of students do not continue on to secondary education after primary school.

Organizations Working for Change

Multiple organizations are working to help uplift locals and alleviate the causes of poverty in Kiribati. GAVI (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations) has been working in Kiribati for over a decade. It supplies vaccines to the islands and help local medical clinics administer these vaccines to the population. GAVI has committed more than $660,000. As of 2018, 95 percent of the islands have received coverage for critically important DTP3 vaccines (diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis).

Teachers are also working to improve the islands’ education system with the Kiribati Union of Teachers (KUT) performing outreach on three major islands. The KUT provides workshops for teachers, has set up a credit union and is attempting to provide social security to its members.

Lastly, the Kiribati branch of the Foundation for the South Pacific is working to address the most pressing concerns of food and water security. Working in partnership with The Outer Island Food and Water Project, it teaches local women and young people gardening techniques and cooking lessons. It also establishes local water points which greatly enhance water security. Thanks to this work, many villagers no longer have to travel long distances for fresh water and one local community has been able to sell extra vegetables for a profit.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

An underdeveloped economy, low food and water security, a developing health care system and an education system with much potential to be improved are among the causes of poverty in Kiribati. Despite these challenges, islanders continue to survive off their land and lead family and community-oriented lives. Organizations like GAVI, the KUT and the Foundation for the South Pacific have recognized the enormous opportunities in Kiribati and are contributing to positive change focused on improving the lives of the remarkable I-Kiribati.

– Spencer Jacobs
Photo: Pixabay

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Tackling Tuberculosis in Kiribati Via Hotspot Screening

tuberculosis in KiribatiKiribati is one of the world’s smallest countries, located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The 30 plus islands that together form Kiribati may be small and house a population of a little more than 100,000 people, but Kiribati is modernizing every day. The country only became fully independent in 1979 after a history of colonialism, and it joined the U.N. in 1999. Today, one of the biggest threats it faces is tuberculosis (TB). Of all the neighboring pacific island countries, Kiribati has the highest incidence of tuberculosis with a report of 349 incidents per 100,000 in 2018. While tuberculosis is endemic in Kiribati, the situation is far from hopeless. New scientific approaches to diagnosing and treating tuberculosis are making it possible to eradicate the disease in the future.

Tuberculosis and Overcrowding

Tuberculosis is directly related to overcrowding. While there are 33 total islands of Kiribati, only 20 of these islands are inhabited. Moreover, almost all of these islands are very sparsely inhabited, with around 64,000 inhabitants living on the main atoll, Tarawa. Though the nation does not boast a large overall population, the population density of the country is one of the highest in the world. Tarawa has a population density on par with major cities, like Tokyo and Hong Kong. This high population density means that most households in Kiribati are vastly overcrowded, creating a greater likelihood of spreading tuberculosis. Oftentimes, the housing lacks proper construction or proper ventilation, which also impacts the spread of TB. On average, households in Tarawa have between eight and nine people in them.

Tuberculosis and Diabetes

Tuberculosis and diabetes are often co-morbid illnesses causing major concern in Kiribati, which has one of the top 10 highest rates of diabetes in the world. In Kiribati, between one fourth and one-third of adults have diabetes, so the likelihood of having tuberculosis and diabetes is quite high. In fact, one-third of citizens with tuberculosis are also diagnosed with diabetes. This is so prevalent because diabetes can impact the treatment of tuberculosis. As a result, most of the citizens with both diabetes and TB have the infectious form of TB. This means that they pose a greater risk of spreading the illness to other members of the community.

New Methods for Catching and Eliminating TB

While tuberculosis is a serious concern to citizens of Kiribati, there are groundbreaking efforts to speedily diagnose and treat tuberculosis. Addressing TB is one of the country’s top priorities. In conjunction with organizations like the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Kiribati has managed to acquire modern diagnostic tools like portable X-ray machines. In recent years, another strategy that targets specific “hotspot” areas has proved incredibly useful in diagnosing TB in the early stages. This process focuses on areas known to have the greatest likelihood of TB by using patterns from past years to locate the most at-risk communities. After locating these communities, citizens of the area participate in screening for TB. In 2019, during a hotspot case study, healthcare workers screened 3,891 people for tuberculosis in less than two weeks. Over the course of the 11 days, they diagnosed seven new cases.

A More Positive Future

In the past few years, the general fear of tuberculosis in Kiribati has greatly diminished. With the new systems in place to screen, diagnose and treat TB, citizens have become more aware of how to prevent the spread of disease. The new systems also allow more citizens who may be living in poverty or isolated areas to access treatment. Healthcare workers go directly into the villages within each hotspot, allowing citizens to easily walk to clinics for screening. At these clinics, they receive prevention tips, pamphlets and a better understanding of how to care for themselves and those around them.

Despite overcrowding and comorbidity with diabetes, the future of tuberculosis in Kiribati is looking up. With only 323 cases in 2018 after 745 new cases in 2007, the numbers are slowly decreasing. With increased awareness and prevention tactics, along with modern technology and hotspot screening, it is hoped that this trend will continue.

– Lucia Kenig-Ziesler
Photo: Flickr

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9 Facts about Life Expectancy in Kiribati

Life Expectancy in Kiribati

Kiribati is a small, low-lying island nation straddling the equator in the Pacific Ocean. The nation is comprised of three archipelagoes, scattered in an area roughly the size of India. Often overlooked globally, the Kiribati people have faced a number of challenges especially since gaining independence in 1979. This struggle is illuminated by these nine facts about life expectancy in Kiribati.

9 Facts about Life Expectancy in Kiribati

  1. Kiribati ranks 174th in the world in terms of life expectancy, with the average life lasting only 66.9 years. The country ranks last in life expectancy out of the 20 nations located in the Oceania region of the Pacific.
  2. The lives of Kiribati women last approximately 5.2 years longer than their male counterparts, with female life expectancy standing at 69.5 years and the male life expectancy at 64.3 years.
  3. The entire nation’s population is the same as the population of about 4 percent of the borough of Brooklyn, with roughly 110,000 citizens. Even with such a small population, Kiribati faces serious issues relating to overcrowding. The Western Gilbert Islands (one of the three archipelagoes comprising Kiribati) boasts some of the highest population densities on earth, rivaling cities like Tokyo and Hong Kong. This overcrowding causes great amounts of pollution, worsening the quality and length of life for the Kiribati people.
  4. Due to underdeveloped sanitation and water filtration systems, only about 66 percent of those living in Kiribati have access to clean water. Waterborne diseases are at record levels throughout the country. Poor sanitation has led to an increase in cases of diarrhea, dysentery, conjunctivitis, rotavirus and fungal infections.
  5. Around 61.5 percent of Kiribati citizens smoke tobacco products on a regular basis. There are more smokers per capita in Kiribati than in any other country in the South Pacific. Due to this and other lifestyle diseases, such as diabetes, there has been a drastic spike in lower limb amputations on the islands, doubling from 2011 to 2014.
  6. Suicide is on the rise. The number of self-harm related deaths increased by 14.4 percent from 2007 to 2017.  Climate change is suspected to play a large role in the growth of this troublesome statistic. With sea levels rising, the people of Kiribati deal with the daily fear that, even if only a small storm were to hit the island, the entire nation could be submerged into the Pacific. Such a foreboding possibility weighs heavily on the Kiribati people.
  7. Sexual violence is at a high in Kiribati, especially in regards to sexual violence between spouses. According to a 2010 study, approximately 68 percent of women between the ages of 15 and 49 reported experiencing physical or sexual abuse, or a combination of the two, from an intimate partner. Sexual violence towards children and adolescents is also expected to be prevalent, however, statistics are lacking in regards to children under 15.
  8. Kiribati is a young country, with a median age of 25. In most countries with relatively young median ages, women have a large number of children. This is not the case in Kiribati, where the average woman has 2.34 children. This can be viewed as a positive for the nation’s future, for when women have fewer children, the life expectancy typically experiences an increase.
  9. The Health Ministry Strategic Plan (HMSP) plans to raise both the quality and quantity of health care facilities in the country. The Ministry’s goal is to maintain a minimum of 40 trained health care professionals for every 10,000 people and to have at least 80 percent of medicines and commodities that have been deemed essential, available at all times.

– Austin Brown
Photo: Flickr

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Top 9 Facts About Hunger in Kiribati

Top 10 Facts About Hunger in Kiribati
Kiribati is a small island country located between Hawaii and Australia. Thirty-three islands make up Kiribati, but people only inhabit 20 today. After receiving its independence in 1979, Kiribati began to focus on becoming a self-sufficient nation. However, with Kiribati’s growing population, heavy dependence on imports and reliance on income from overseas, the issue of hunger continues to grow. Here are the top nine facts about hunger in Kiribati.

Top 9 Facts About Hunger in Kiribati

  1. After an economic crisis in 2006 and according to Kiribati’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, nearly 22 percent of Kiribati’s population was living in poverty. Though most of Kiribati’s people may not be going hungry, the lack of sufficient nutrition can affect a child’s development and growth, and the children could face a variety of health issues in the future. Of the 22 percent, 5 percent were living in extreme poverty. Simultaneously, the report considered 44 percent of Kiribati’s population vulnerable.
  2. Children are not the only ones at risk of hunger, as adults also face this issue. Without sufficient nutrition, adults risk underperforming while carrying out laborious tasks. With many fisheries throughout Kiribati and a lack of variety in food, hunger threatens to disrupt Kiribati’s top export market.
  3. According to Dr. Aurelie Delisle, an environmental social scientist, the villages “are restricted to fish, rice and taro.” However, on some islands, the diet is changing. In place of the traditional fish, leafy greens and root diet, islanders are turning to imported packaged foods. According to William Verity, these areas now face “some of the world’s worst rates of obesity and diabetes.”
  4. In 2012, the U.N. defined Kiribati as a Least Developed Country (LDC). Though Kiribati has met two of the three thresholds of criteria to graduate from LDC, the U.N. does not expect Kiribati to officially graduate until December 2021. One of the goals the Committee for Development Policy (CPD) has for LDC is to ensure food security.
  5. Nearly 50 percent of Kiribati’s population live on the outer islands of the Gilbert Group. According to the World Bank, the rising prices of importing food greatly affect Kiribati’s Outer Islands. Many families “spend 50 percent of their budget on food” since the country imports most of its food. In 2011 to 2012, the World Bank and Kiribati’s government signed The Food Crisis Response Grant. The $2 million grant helped the residents improve the affordability and availability of food throughout the islands.
  6. In October 2017, Kiribati entered the third phase of the Kiribati Adaptation Program implemented by the World Bank. Kiribati put $0.87 million towards improving the resilience of the Islanders to protect against the impact of climate change on freshwater and buildings. One of the program’s primary goals was to provide islanders with safe drinking water.
  7. Families that lack access to imported goods rely heavily on agriculture. The most common crops are copra, coconuts, taro, breadfruit, banana, papaya and mango. Nearly 55 percent of Kiribati’s population depend on copra. Due to the change in climate, the heavy rainfall makes it difficult for copra and coconuts to grow.
  8. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is focusing its efforts on livestock and agriculture projects to enhance Kiribati’s food security. Due to rising sea levels, Kiribati has limited agriculture. Erosion and flooding threaten farmers livelihoods by destroying crops, roads and even villages. Despite this, the yields of coconuts and bananas are slowly improving with the agricultural techniques provided by the Timber and Forestry Training College of Papua New Guinea’s University of Technology. Nearly 600 farmers have received training in seed and nut selection, and nursery establishment and management.
  9. In September of 2014 to 2019, The Outer Island Food and Water Project (OIFWP) emerged. Focusing on the four outer islands of Abebama, Beru, North Tabiteuea and Nonouti, the OIFWP helps increase food availability through gardening and livestock, reduce the Islander’s dependence on imported foods, increase income for poor families and reduce sickness due to unclean water. Around 25 percent of Kiribati participated in the project. The project installed a total of 278 water systems throughout the islands. In 2018, the project had completed 60 percent of its goal by implementing new diets.

The fear of flooding is always on the Kiribati people’s minds. In an early phase of the Kiribati Adaption Project, participants installed systems that collect rainwater. According to the government water technician on the island of North Tarawa, there are around 50 water pumps. Ruteta, an islander who feared that children were becoming ill from the water, is “grateful because life is much simpler having rainwater.” This project ensures that Islanders have 24-hour access to fresh water.

These top nine facts about hunger in Kiribati demonstrate that hunger greatly impacts the Kiribati people’s wellbeing. Though Kiribati is a small developing country, hunger still remains. Through humanitarian efforts and grants, such as The Food Crisis Response Grant, Kiribati’s battle with hunger is one step closer to victory.

– Emily Beaver
Photo: Flickr

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Increasing Subsistence Yields Key to Sustainable Agriculture in Kiribati

sustainable agriculture in Kiribati

Kiribati is a Pacific coral atoll nation located close to Australia. An atoll is a ring-like island formed by the rim or border of the mouth of a former volcano which is now submerged in water. Atolls are an ideal habitat for colorful coral reefs, but on the other hand, only a small set of crops can flourish here. Hence, the pressing need for sustainable agriculture in Kiribati must be acknowledged.

Kiribati is one of the most impoverished and least developed countries in the world. Here, families largely depend on subsistence agriculture for survival and nutrition. Common crops are coconuts, pandanus, pumpkins, taro, breadfruit, banana, papaya and mango. Most food items are imported from other parts of the world.

Like several other small island nations, Kiribati is critically vulnerable to climate change and global warming. According to the New Yorker, experts believe that at the current pace of rising water levels, “there would be no Kiribati after 30 years”. Kiribati president Anote Tong told the New Yorker in 2013 that “according to the projections, within this century, the water will be higher than the highest point in our lands”.

In 2014, Tong finalized the purchase of a 20-square-kilometer stretch of land on Vanua Levu, one of the larger Fiji islands, 2,000 kilometers away. The move was described by Tong as an “absolute necessity” should the nation be completely submerged.

Developing sustainable agriculture in Kiribati could increase productivity, ensure food and income security, enhance the quality of life and create inclusive and equitable economic growth for everyone. Thankfully, Kiribati has access to financial aid and agricultural expertise. Global organizations and developed nations are offering their powerhouse of knowledge to assist with sustainable economic growth in the country. It receives $36 million in foreign aid, largely from Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan.

An agreement signed by Tong and the International Fund for Agricultural Development promises $7 million to promote activities to increase the household production of fruits, vegetables, poultry, root crops and tree crops. The agreement also aims to improve diets through the consumption of a higher proportion of calories and nutrients from local food crops. It will also implement ways to harvest rainwater to increase household water supply.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has designed and implemented several programs for farmer training and soil improvement in the area to enhance the production of coconut and banana. It has slowly and steadily phased out the senile coconut trees that comprised 40 percent of the entire plantation and replaced them with a new rodent-resistant variety.

In addition, by leveraging a novel narrow pit planting system and tissue culture technology, farmers have successfully increased the production of bananas and other fruits and vegetables. In partnership with the Timber and Forestry Training College at Papua New Guinea’s University of Technology, hundreds of farmers have been trained in nursery establishment and management, use of equipment and tissue culture technology, among others.

Needless to say, the future of sustainable agriculture in Kiribati looks hopeful and bright, just like the bright yellow sun rising above the ocean waves on its national flag.

– Himja Sethi

Photo: Flickr

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Addressing the Success of Humanitarian Aid to Kiribati

Humanitarian Aid to Kiribati

Although Kiribati’s land mass covers 811 square kilometers, its 33 coral atolls are spread over an area the size of the United States and the vast majority rise no higher than three meters above sea level. Kiribati’s small land mass and high fertility rate mean its main centers are severely overcrowded.

Unemployment rates remain high in the island nation and only 15 percent of children attend secondary school. Only two-thirds of the population has access to an improved drinking water source, and less than 40 percent have access to adequate sanitation facilities. Tuberculosis, dengue fever, leprosy and typhoid are major health concerns for Kiribati.

The United Nations lists Kiribati as an “endangered country” because of the dangers it faces from rising sea levels, contaminated fresh water supplies and poor waste management. There is a need for humanitarian aid to Kiribati because of significant development challenges, such as:

  • Limited revenue
  • High cost of delivering basic services, such as education and healthcare, to remote islands
  • Few employment opportunities
  • Climate change

Kiribati’s economy relies on overseas aid, income from fishing licenses and remittances from merchant seamen. Most of Kiribati’s inhabitants are employed in fishing and subsistence farming, but poor soil fertility limits production. Fortunately, new programs are focusing on humanitarian aid to Kiribati.

Caritas Australia implemented The Disaster Response and Preparedness program, funded by AusAID,  in four Pacific Island countries. The three-year initiative expands Kiribati’s capacity to prepare for and respond to disasters. Caritas Australia partnered with the Diocese of Tarawa and Nauru to train local young people to work with communities and raise awareness about the impacts of climate change.

Saltwater contaminates drinking wells and high tides destroy land crops, threatening the food security of communities dependent on subsistence agriculture in Kiribati. The Disaster Response and Preparedness program pairs young people with elders to identify strategies to mitigate these effects.

This initiative has given young people the opportunity to become strong advocates for their small island at international climate change forums around the world. Humanitarian aid to Kiribati has been handed off to the next generation.

– Paula Gibson

Photo: Flickr

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Infrastructure in Kiribati: One Road’s Impact on Half the Population

Infrastructure in Kiribati: One Road's Impact on Half the Population

Kiribati is home to 108,000 residents, yet 50,000 depend on the country’s one main road—the South Tarawa Road. Tarawa is the densely populated capital of Kiribati, and the South Tarawa Road is the only main road in South Tarawa.

More than half of Kiribati’s population relies on the South Tarawa Road to connect the western Betio seaport, the eastern international airport and Bonriki. The road has not been rehabilitated since the 1970s, making it a dangerous route for travelers.

Heavy rain and increased traffic have caused large potholes to form, and travel along the road becomes particularly slow, uncomfortable and dangerous after rain. Tarawa has seen an increase in upper respiratory illnesses due to the excessive dust that collects along the road during Kiribati’s dry season.

The government has recognized the need to improve infrastructure in Kiribati by establishing the Kiribati Road Rehabilitation Project. The project involves the cooperation of Kiribati’s government, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the Australian government.

The Kiribati Road Rehabilitation Project consists of three components:

  1. Infrastructure Improvements
    Includes civil works activities to be done on the South Tarawa Road and the reconstruction and rehabilitation of paved roads.
  2. Road Sector Reform
    Includes maintenance of activities to strengthen the road sector and sustainable main road infrastructure in Kiribati.
  3. Project Support
    Includes establishment of a project management team, associated operating costs, a valuation specialist and project account audits.

The project has rehabilitated over 32 kilometers of the South Tarawa Road and upgraded six kilometers of secondary roads. Improved drainage, solar street lighting and road signage have been added to the road. Footpaths and pavement markings have also been installed to increase pedestrian safety.

Improved road infrastructure in Kiribati increases safety and reduces costs for drivers and pedestrians. Kiribati’s government aims to ensure that the road will last by supporting routine maintenance through local contractors. The local contractors will be trained to clean the drainage system, clear the roadway, fill potholes on unsealed roads, report potholes on sealed roads and maintain signage.

The Kiribati Road Rehabilitation Project is the largest economic infrastructure investment in the country since World War II. Its projected completion date is June 30, 2018. The completion of the upgrades will go a long way towards improving the daily lives of Kiribati’s people.

– Carolyn Gibson

Photo: Flickr