Climate Change and Forced Migration: A Focus on Kiribati
Jordan Shamoun, Arlene Chen, Jonah Taranta, Eunice Rodriguez, Alexey Tarasov
Jordan Shamoun, Arlene Chen, Jonah Taranta, Eunice Rodriguez, Alexey Tarasov
"Climate change is the defining crisis of our time and disaster displacement one of its most devastating consequences" (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 2021).
Climate change (also referred to as global warming) is the process through which the physical conditions of Earth are changing, outside of normal patterns. This includes more extreme weather events, global mean sea level rising, land erosion, desertification, melting of glacial ice, and global mean air temperatures rising, etc. This will cause some places on Earth to become uninhabitable by humans (and other species) in the coming decades. Because of this, we will see an increase in forced migration due to climate change.
Forced migration occurs any time someone is required to leave their home due to uncontrollable circumstances. Some examples of this include war, persecution, incarceration, loss of a job, increase in rent, lack of resources to support oneself (and other dependents), and in this case, climate change. Each instance of forced migration brings a specific set of challenges with it due the varied reasons for migration. International law, public awareness and opinion, and individual border policies play a large role in determining how individuals are able to move between and within nations.
With climate change being a relatively new phenomenon, the relative awareness and understanding of the severity of this issue differs greatly from person to person. Because of this is can be difficult to know how to address the issue of forced migration and climate change. One nation that is currently experiencing the profound effects of this crisis is Kiribati. Through exploring the struggles of Kiribati citizens during this crisis, we hope to bring awareness to their unique struggle and open up a conversation on how to address forced migration caused by climate change.
Kiribati is a small nation located in the South Pacific. It includes 32 atolls and a raised coral reef (World Population Review 2021). The population of Kiribati is 121,152 citizens (World Population Review 2021). Although this nation-state is small in land mass and population, its problems are large. The global response to Kiribati's plight will most likely set the tone for other cases of climate displacement which are bound to arise before the end of this century.
As temperatures rise in Kiribati due to climate change, water insecurity continues to be a pressing issue for inhabitants of the nation. Already, 60% or more of the population relies on government-rationed drinking water (Sinclair-Blakemore 2020). Furthermore, the under-five mortality rate in Kiribati is approximately 47 deaths per 1,000 live births and is one of the highest rates in the surrounding regions (Werner 2017). Limited access to drinking water is one of the large factors leading to these deaths.
The collection of photos above show the infrastructure damage caused during king tides and other flooding events in Kiribati.
Another challenge the citizens of Kiribati face is damage due to king tides. King tides are exceptionally high and long tides, usually caused by a particular combination of gravitational pulls by the moon and (less importantly) the sun (US Department of Commerce 2018). When sea water coats the porous soil for lengthy periods it seeps into the ground, contaminating underground water tables, which are an important source of freshwater, and rendering the land useless for agriculture (Werner 2017). In the past king tides only occurred once or twice a year, but they are now increasing in frequency and intensity (Werner 2017). One factor that impacts the intensity of these tides is the fact that global mean sea level is projected to rise at least one foot by the end of the century, even with low emission trajectories (Lindsey 2021).
The photos above show the same stretch of land, the first one is taken during flooding and the second is taken after water has had the chance to drain from the surface. Photographs: Iberdrola
As seen in the map below, most of Kiribati’s islands are barely 5 meters above sea level, with some exceptions. Any rise in sea level will greatly increase this nation's vulnerability to king tides, hurricanes, tropical storms, etc. Additionally, unusually high regular tides will have the potential to do decent damage as well. Roads and buildings will be more easily flooded, and on islands such as those in Kiribati that have only one main paved road, this can be a serious problem. It will also be harder to repair damaged structures because there will be less time between flooding events (Werner 2017).
In the interactive map below you can explore the islands of Kiribati (and other nations) to see the current elevations above sea level. It is currently centered north of the Phoenix Islands, a group of atolls in central Kiribati, situated between the Gilbert Islands to the west, which include Kiribati’s capital, South Tarawa, and the Line Islands to the east. As you will observe, a majority of the land has an elevation of 5 meters or less.
Begin by removing the site’s cookie agreement and scrolling down to see the Phoenix Islands at the bottom of the map’s view.
The geographic effects of climate change that Kiribati is undergoing are not singular anomalies. When looking at other small island nations, similar effects will be seen in the coming decades due to their comparable geography, but the severity of the migration crisis will vary from place to place. Kiribati has a unique struggle when compared to other small island nations due to its lack of strong geopolitical relationships which makes it hard for citizens to find countries to migrate to (Curtain 2019). Continental nations with coastal cities, like those pictured below, may also undergo this surge of forced migration. What separates the position of these nation-states from Kiribati is that for most of them internal migration will still be a viable option while in Kiribati the need to migrate externally continues to grow. This brings international law into the conversation, which is currently ambiguous and mostly unhelpful when dealing with climate displacement.
In the present day [geopolitics] covers much the same ground as International Relations, although with greater emphasis on geographical factors such as location, resources, and accessibility (Dartmouth Library 2017).
The sliders below illustrate projected high tide levels for two major coastal cities (Flavelle and Lu 2019). The dark grey areas indicate highly populated regions. The areas colored dark blue depict land that is predicted to be covered at high tide in 2050. On the left the previous high tide water level for 2050 is shown and on the right you can see the new estimated high tide water level in 2050.
Shanghai, China
Mumbai, India
The situation displayed in the maps above are already a problem for citizens of Kiribati. They are forced to migrate, either to other nations or islands within Kiribati that stand at a higher elevation. This forced displacement will only grow in magnitude as we approach the end of this century. In some cases the entire population of an island will be forced to migrate externally if suitable land within Kiribati is not available due to overpopulation and climate factors detailed above.
Climate change is not a stagnant issue, and as pressure builds to act effectively, responses spanning different disciplines have emerged. Whether these responses serve to raise awareness or to search for sustainable solutions, their commitment remains the same: act on this crisis.
Dutch artist Daan Roosengard installed art piece Waterlich at the University of Columbia, where this installation was placed in the public plaza of the Columbus Lenfest Center for the Arts . This piece attempts to bring awareness to the rising sea levels that climate change is causing around the world and give people the visual and experience of LED lights representing water flooding over them (Studio Roosegaard 2019).
Smithsonian - Water Is Rising dance
Through dancing and singing, Pacific Islanders express their concerns at their culture being lost to the sea. This speaks not only to their physical homes but the possibility of their culture and practices also disappearing as their homes face rising sea levels. No matter the format, art has been used to bring awareness to the issue of rising sea levels both by artists worldwide as well as by local Pacific Islanders.
Additionally, Pacific Islanders also use poetry to talk about their relationship with nature and the surrounding environment. As Guamanian Craig Santos Perez states, "The environment and our relationship to the natural world have always been a central theme in Pacific Islander literature" (Santos Perez 2017). Through many of these poems, Pacific Islanders touch on this relationship and how climate change has affected their lives. They also advocate and bring awareness to the problem. In some of these poems, there are also video-eco-poems; one such poem is linked below (Santos Perez 2017).
Volunteers plant Mangroves seeds during a low tide (Henssler 2017).
In Kiribati, local community leaders are working on solutions to improving the effects of climate change. One of the solutions is planting mangroves on the shore of the Island so that their roots help decrease land erosion caused by high tides. This is done by local volunteers, who have planted at least 50,000 (Henssler 2017).
Furthermore, local activist groups are taking action, including a group named KiriCAN whose mission statement regarding Kiribati can be seen below:
KiriCAN’s mission is to support and empower civil society organizations to influence the design and development of an effective national strategy on mitigation and adaptation processes and ensure its implementation at international, national and local levels in the promotion of equity and sustainable development (KiriCAN).
Lastly, what is the government of Kiribati doing? In 2014 the former president of Kiribati, Anote Tong, bought land in Fiji for citizens to be able to move to if they were to permanently lose their homes due to rising sea levels. However, as of now, the land has not been used for people to live on. The current president, Taneti Maamau, has announced that the land will instead be used for farming to supply Kiribati with food and that it will receive China's technological advice to do so (Pala 2021).
Kiribati's government is prioritizing responses to climate change due to its pressing presence. It is important to remember, however, that governmental action without the support of international law is not enough to tackle this crisis.
The United Nations needs to create a term to encompass those whom climate change forces into migration. The UNHCR uses the term “persons displaced in the context of disasters and climate change”, which is a clunky term, and also one not officially defined, so in itself it contains no protections or pathways to migration (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 2021). “Climate refugee” might work, but the UN has shown reluctance to group these people in with refugees, since they do not fit the UN’s definition of refugee (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 2021).
Thus, a term distinct from either of these, such as “climate migrant”, would make the most sense to officially delineate such people as a group. Once the UN officially defines this term, and recognizes its constituents as in need of migration plans, they should work with countries such as New Zealand and Australia to create pathways for said people to migrate externally. Internal migration has caused overcrowding and economic damage, and does not escape climate-related hardships such as flooding and water insecurity.
As a result, barriers to migration, such as Australia’s skilled migration pathway, must be bypassed in order to allow a safe way for I-Kiribati climate migrants to live without the fear that their lives and livelihoods might be destroyed by climate-related events. Without reforms in international law, it is up to the Kiribati government to purchase alternative land or reach out to other nations and begin forming closer geopolitical ties in order to secure paths of migration.
Lastly, the cultural stories, local movements, and opinions of I-Kiribati people must be the focus of any long-term change, including possible new official terms, in order to truly provide for sustainable, effective solutions.
In Australia: "The immigration minister, Peter Dutton, has shared an awkward open mic moment with the prime minister, Tony Abbott, where he appears to joke about rising sea levels in the Pacific" (Medhora 2015).
It is important to recognize that historical inequality in the form of imperialism, colonialism, and other oppressive systems ensure that climate change disproportionately affects different geographic areas. In general, those displaced by climate change “are not people wealthy countries are simply tasked with accommodating, they are in part victims of a phenomenon that they have had little hand in creating, which deserves some recognition, if not reparation” (Burkett 2016). For some what is literally a matter of life and death, others with greater privilege are playing off as a mere joke. Kiribati's lack of solid geopolitical relations is in part due to a lack of concern and aid shown from its wealthier, more powerful neighbors.
Information and data on Kiribati is very difficult to come by. Many seemingly basic resources, like the number of migrants who leave from Kiribati in a certain year or to a certain country, are not readily available. Even examples of art and activism done by I-Kiribati people or on behalf of the environmental crisis occurring are scarce or difficult to find. This lack of information speaks to the lack of awareness, discussion, or news about Kiribati, and Pacific island nations in general.
Bowers, Mike. 2017. “Salt water from sea incursions and storm surges has isolated some houses Kiribati’s main island of South Tarawa.” Photo, October 22, 2017. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/23/waiting-for-the-tide-to-turn-kiribatis-fight-for-survival.
Burkett, Maxine. 2016. “Justice and Contemporary Climate Relocation: An Addendum to Words of Caution on “Climate Refugees.” NewSecurityBeat, August 8, 2016. Wilson Center.
Cantieri, Janice. The Remains of Maneteata Ruotaake’s Home. December 15, 2015. Photograph. National Geographic. https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2015/12/15/kiribatis-tides-threaten-the-link-between-land-and-memory/.
Corporativa, Iberdrola. “Kiribati, the First Country Rising Sea Levels Will Swallow up as a Result of Climate Change.” Iberdrola. Accessed May 13, 2021. https://www.iberdrola.com/environment/kiribati-climate-change.
Curtain, Richard, Matthew Dornan, Nancy J Pollock, and Jon Barnett. “Climate Change and Migration in Kiribati, Tuvalu and Nauru.” Devpolicy Blog. Development Policy Centre, February 14, 2019. https://devpolicy.org/climate-change-migration-kiribati-tuvalu-nauru-20190215/#:~:text=Kiribati%20(population%20118%2C000)%2C%20unlike,cent%20of%20the%20resident%20population.
Dartmouth Library. 2017. “A Short Definition for Geopolitics.” Human Geography. Retrieved March 14, 2017. https://researchguides.dartmouth.edu/human_geography/geopolitics.
Flavelle, Christopher and Denise Lu. 2019. “Rising Seas Will Erase More Cities by 2050, New Research Shows.” New York Times, October 29, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/29/climate/coastal-cities-underwater.html.
Gratzer, Jonas. Eita Settlement in Tarawa, Kiribati. Photograph. The Guardian. Getty Images, 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/10/kiribatis-presidents-plans-to-raise-islands-in-fight-against-sea-level-rise.
Henssler, Markus, dir. 2017. Kiribati: a drowning paradise in the South Pacific. Kiribati: DW Documentary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ0j6kr4ZJ0.
KiriCAN. n.d. “About KiriCAN: Mission Statement.” Accessed May 9, 2017.https://kirican.wordpress.com/about-kirican/
Lindsey, Rebecca. 2021. “Climate Change: Global Sea Level: NOAA Climate.gov.” Climate Change: Global Sea Level | NOAA Climate.gov, January 25, 2021. https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-sea-level.
Medhora, Shalailah. 2015. “Peter Dutton jokes with Tony Abbott about rising sea levels in Pacific nations.” Guardian, September 10, 2015. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/sep/11/peter-dutton-jokes-with-tony-abbott-about-rising-sea-levels-in-pacific-nations.
Pala, Christopher. 2021. “Kiribati and China to develop former climate-refuge land in Fiji.” The Guardian, February 23, 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/24/kiribati-and-china-to-develop-former-climate-refuge-land-in-fiji#:~:text=A%20block%20of%20land%20the,%E2%80%9Ctechnical%20assistance%E2%80%9D%20from%20China.
Perez, Craig S. 2017. “Pacific Islander Climate Change Poetry.” The Missing Slate. http://journal.themissingslate.com/2017/10/01/pacific-islander-climate-change-poetry/.
Randall, Alex, Joe Salisbury, and Zach White. “Moving Stories: The Voices of People Who Move in the Context of Environmental Change.” Edited by Rebecca Sullivan. Moving Stories. Climate Outreach and Information Network, 2014. https://climatemigration.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/MovingStories.pdf.
Roosegaarde, Daan. 2019. WATERLICHT. Columbia University, New York.
Sinclair-Blakemore, Adaena. “Teitiota v New Zealand: A Step Forward in the Protection of Climate Refugees under International Human Rights Law?” OHRH. Oxford University, January 29, 2020. http://ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk/teitiota-v-new-zealand-a-step-forward-in-the-protection-of-climate-refugees-under-international-human-rights-law/.
“Smithsonian - Water is Rising Dance.”YouTube. YouTube, 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPJb3NxeNNI.
Sutton-Hibbert, Jeremy. Kiribati King Tides Flooding Documentation. February 1, 2005. Photograph. Greenpeace. https://media.greenpeace.org/archive/Kiribati-King-Tides-Flooding-Documentation-27MZIFLZ35QJ.html.
Topographic-Map. “Kiribati Topographic Map, Elevation, Relief.” Kiribati. Topographic-Map, 2017. https://en-ph.topographic-map.com/maps/7ui1/Kiribati/.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. “Climate change and disaster replacement.” Accessed April 10, 2021. https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/climate-change-and-disasters.html.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. “Ioane Teitiota v. New Zealand (Advance Unedited Version).” Refworld, 2020. https://www.refworld.org/cases,HRC,5e26f7134.html
US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2018. “What Is a King Tide?” NOAA's National Ocean Service, October 29, 2018. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/kingtide.html.
Werner, Laura J. 2017. “Climate Change, King Tides and Kiribati,” MPH diss., University of Pittsburgh. http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/31589/1/WernerLaura_MPH_April_2017.pdf.