Warming temperatures, increasing rainfall, ocean acidification, and rising sea levels are threatening the 33 islands of the Kiribati (pronounced Kee-ree-bas) nation (Office of the President, Republic of Kiribati n.d.a). The islands, which spread across the central Pacific Ocean, barely exceed six meters above sea level (The Government of Kiribati 2013). As a result, they are at great risk of being submerged. Until then, rising tides are eroding coasts, driving people to abandon their homes. The high tides are also contaminating the country’s freshwater supply by overwhelming wells with salt water and washing trash onshore. President Anote Tong has predicted freshwater contamination could render the country uninhabitable in 30-60 years. Kiribati, therefore, is poised to become one of the first countries to disappear because of climate change.
Source: Centre for Migration Studies