"Time is running out for Kiribati"

'Time running out' for Kiribati: president
The low-lying Pacific nation of Kiribati is running out of time on
climate change as seas rise, and is drafting plans including mass
relocation of its people while the world procrastinates on the issue,
the country's leader says.
President Anote Tong said areas of Kiribati --
consisting of more than 30 coral atolls, most
only a few metres (feet) above sea level -- had
already been swamped by the rising ocean.
"We've had communities that have had to relocate because their
previous village is submerged, it's no longer there," he told AFP in a
telephone interview from the capital
Tarawa.
"We had a very high tide at the beginning of
this month and communities were washed out. It's becoming more
frequent, time is running out."
Kiribati is among a number of island states --
including Tuvalu, Tokelau and the Maldives --
the UN Human Rights Commission is concerned could become "stateless"
due to climate change.
With erosion gnawing at the coast and crops
dying as sea water infiltrates fresh water
sources, Tong said plans to relocate people from Kiribati to Fiji and
East Timor had been put forward.
He was pessimistic UN climate talks underway
in Doha would offer a solution, saying they
assumed global warming would occur in the
future, allowing countries to stall over emissions targets.
"That's not relevant to us," he said. "The reality is that we're
already facing problems.
"Are the negotiations addressing this? I don't
believe so. They're regarded as a game by
many of the negotiators, they're not focusing
on what's already happening in the most
vulnerable countries.
"We (in Kiribati) are not talking about economic growth, we're not
talking about standards of living -- we're talking about our
very survival."
Rather than wait for global action, Tong said
Kiribati was examining options for the climate-
threatened nation, including relocating parts
of its 103,000-strong population.
The best scenario involves building sea walls and planting mangroves
to repel rising seas,
allowing life in Kirbati to continue much as it has for centuries.
Tong said that was unlikely, with data
released last week finding seas rising quicker
than previous estimates, pointing to a one-
metre (3.25 foot) rise by the end of the century.
Other options involve moving all or part of Kiribati's population elsewhere.
"We have to accept the possibility, the reality,
that some of our people will have to be relocated," Tong said.
"We don't want to allow the nation of Kiribati
to disappear and we have to work out what we do in order to ensure that."
He said the government was set to purchase
2,000 hectare (5,000 acre) of land in Fiji, to
provide food for Kiribati and possibly act as a
new island home.
"We're looking to buy that piece of land as an
investment for food security issues," he said.
"But if all the land we're staying in now (Kiribati) was totally
swamped, maybe it would provide an alternative in the future."
He said impoverished East Timor had also
offered land if needed.
Tong said man-made islands were an expensive option, but remained a
possibility if the global community helped foot the bill to prevent
Kiribati becoming "collateral damage"
to climate change.
"Man-made islands are expensive but climate
change itself is expensive, it could cost the future of this planet," he said.
Tong expects an options paper to be completed early next year, with
detailed costings and engineering reports that could be presented to
potential donors.
He said there was no "D-day" for a decision about relocation, instead
seeking to allow residents a choice about whether to stay or leave.
"To wait for the time when we have no other option but to jump (in the
sea) and swim or go somewhere is unrealistic," he said.
After arguing for urgent action on climate
change at numerous international forums
since winning power in 2003, Tong said he would not attend the Doha talks.
"The question is what to say next to galvanise
the international community into action?" he said. "Sometimes there's
a deep sense of frustration, sometimes a sense of futility.
"We've got to talk to people who will listen, not people who will just
give you an excuse."
However, he remained optimistic the world would help countries such as
Kiribati, which
did not cause climate change but bore the
brunt of its effects.
"I think the citizens of countries have a conscience but they're not
really the ones who make these decisions... It's the governments," he
said.
"We need to keep talking to the people and can't lose faith in
humanity. I refuse to give up on humanity."

Culled from france24.com